Question

reread this excerpt from passage 3, paragraph 1:
when you imagine the ocean floor, perhaps your mind
swims with huge, mysterious creatures full of sharp teeth
and scaly skin. exotic animals like the giant spider crab,
fangtooth fish, and giant tube worm make their homes at
the bottom of earth’s oceans. however, at even deeper
depths, between 9,800 and 13,000 feet (3,000–4,000
meters), there lives a creature so small, round, and
adorable that scientists, upon spotting the elusive beast, are
likely to say nothing more than \aww!\ (paragraph 1)
which central idea does this paragraph support?
the dumbo octopus has similar features to giant tube worms.
the dumbo octopus is unlike other creatures living in the deep sea.
the dumbo octopus is more common than other forms of sea life.
the dumbo octopus has adapted to harsh conditions on the ocean floor.

Explanation:

The paragraph first describes typical imagined deep sea creatures as large, mysterious, sharp-toothed/scaly, then contrasts them with a tiny, cute deep sea creature at even deeper depths. This supports the idea that this creature (the Dumbo octopus) is unlike other deep sea life. The other options are incorrect: there is no mention of similar features to tube worms, no claim it is more common, nor does the text focus on its adaptation to harsh conditions.

Answer:

B. The Dumbo octopus is unlike other creatures living in the deep sea.