Question

the following text is about how villagers rescued a baby hippopotamus from the ocean in 2004. select the best detail to show hippos cannot survive in the ocean.

the villagers now saw only one hippopotamus in the sea—a baby without his mother, stranded on a sandy coral reef among the sea grass. tired and frightened, he was unable to reach the shore on his own.

soon, hundreds of villagers and visitors were working together to help the young hippo. they knew he would become sick if he stayed in the salty seawater for long. they used ropes, boats, fishing nets, and even cars to try to rescue him and bring him to safety.

from isabella hatkoff, owen & mzee: the true story of a remarkable friendship. copyright 2006 by turtle pond publications

Explanation:

To determine the best detail showing hippos can't survive in the ocean, we analyze the text. The first detail describes the baby hippo's physical state (stranded, tired, can't reach shore) but doesn't directly relate to survival in ocean water. The second detail states "They knew he would become sick if he stayed in the salty seawater for long." This directly addresses the inability to survive in the ocean as prolonged exposure to seawater causes sickness, which is a survival - threatening condition.

Answer:

They knew he would become sick if he stayed in the salty seawater for long.