Question

read the excerpt from \the environmental ethic.\

it is fashionable in some quarters to wave aside the small and obscure, the bugs and weeds, forgetting that an obscure moth from latin america saved australias pastureland from overgrowth by cactus, that the rosy periwinkle provided the cure for hodgkins disease and childhood lymphocytic leukemia, that the bark of the pacific yew offers hope for victims of ovarian and breast cancer, that a chemical from the saliva of leeches dissolves blood clots during surgery, and so on down a roster already grown long and illustrious despite the limited research addressed to it.

which of the following claims is best supported by the evidence in this excerpt?

○ all species are worth protecting because even the small organisms contribute important functions in the environment.

○ every effort should be made to protect each bug and weed species regardless of its potential to cause destruction.

○ all of the species that are now extinct or are becoming extinct could have cured a disease.

○ only the species that can be used for medical purposes are worth protecting from extinction.

Explanation:

The excerpt gives examples of small and obscure organisms (like a moth, periwinkle, yew bark, leech saliva) that have important functions (saving pastureland, providing cures for diseases, dissolving blood clots). This supports the idea that all species (even small ones) contribute important functions.

• The second option is too extreme as it says "regardless of its potential to cause destruction" which isn't supported. The excerpt focuses on their positive contributions.
• The third option is incorrect as it's an over - generalization. Just because some species have medical uses doesn't mean all extinct or becoming extinct ones could have cured a disease.
• The fourth option is wrong because the moth example is about saving pastureland (not a medical use), showing there are non - medical reasons for species to be worth protecting.

Answer:

All species are worth protecting because even the small organisms contribute important functions in the environment.