Question

read the following passage:
\everyone has seen animation of a surprised t. rex staring up into the sky at the fiery comet bringing doom upon its kind. earth scientists love this dramatic image too, but many aren’t convinced this is really what killed the dinosaurs. in fact, there are at least three potential causes for their extinction: asteroid impact, erupting volcanoes, and sea level change.
\the dinosaurs did disappear right after a large asteroid slammed into earth. the impact threw massive amounts of rock and steam into the air, possibly enough to block out the sun for months or years and plunge the planet into icy darkness.
\at almost exactly the same time, huge volcanoes erupted in what is now india. rivers of lava poured out, some more than a mile deep. this activity could have injected enough dust and gas into the atmosphere to disrupt plant growth worldwide.
\if all that wasn’t drastic enough, there was also a simultaneous large drop in sea level. the shape and size of the oceans have a big influence on weather patterns. the shrinking of the seas would have caused climatic and environmental chaos.\
which selection below is a major supporting detail of the reading?
○ the shape and size of the oceans have a big influence on weather patterns.
○ at almost exactly the same time, huge volcanoes erupted in what is now india.
○ everyone has seen animation of a surprised t. rex staring up into the sky at the fiery comet bringing doom upon its kind.
○ in fact, there are at least three potential causes for their extinction: asteroid impact, erupting volcanoes, and sea level change.

Explanation:

The question asks which selection is a major supporting detail of the reading. The passage discusses multiple factors related to dinosaur extinction, including asteroid impact, volcanic eruptions, and sea - level change. The option "The shape and size of the oceans have a big influence on weather patterns" is a key detail as it ties into the overall theme of environmental factors (such as climate and environmental chaos mentioned in the text) that could have affected the dinosaurs. The other options either focus on very specific events (like the asteroid slamming into Earth or volcanoes erupting in India) which are more like examples of the three potential causes rather than a major supporting detail that ties into the broader environmental impact concept.

Answer:

The shape and size of the oceans have a big influence on weather patterns.