Question
The Stink-Bug Invasion Begins
Amelia Harrison
Springtown—They're back! The warm spring weather spawns the invasion of one of the most despised pests in the Northeast: the stink bug. Stink bugs seem to disappear in the fall when the temperature drops. In reality, however, they have taken refuge someplace warm such as in an attic or under the siding on a house. They remain in this place asleep until the temperature reaches about 65 degrees, the magic number that causes them to awaken. Then they seem to be everywhere.
Stink bugs are native to Asia and first appeared in the United States in the late 1990s. The little brown bugs, which look as if they're wearing a coat of armor, get their name because of the skunk-like odor they produce when crushed. Stink bugs have no natural predators in the United States, so they spread rapidly. Frank Gaston, an entomologist (bug researcher) estimates that the stink-bug population has increased at least 50 percent each year.
Adrienne and Ken Krasner of Springtown spent much of their Saturday sweeping thousands of stink bugs from their sunny front porch into trash bags. "It's disgusting!" exclaimed Adrienne. "As soon as we get rid of them, more appear. This morning it looked like our porch was crawling."
The situation is much more serious for farmers, however. Stink bugs have devastated apple, grape, and tomato crops in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. The invasive little bugs caused $37 million in damage to apple crops in these states last year. "The stinkbug is a thief that has stolen our profits," explained Jeremy Bennett, a Pennsylvania apple farmer. "We need help, or we are going to go bankrupt."
The trouble is that experts don't yet know how to stop the stink-bug invasion. Stink bugs must be hit directly with pesticides to be affected by them. Stink bugs also fly very fast, so they can get away before the poison hits the crops. "We could end up killing insects that are beneficial to crops instead of stink bugs," remarked Gaston. "We need to conduct more research before we have a solution to the problem."
Gaston explained that there is little we can do to stop this year's invasion. However, homeowners can take steps to prevent an invasion next year. He recommends using heavy tape to seal up their houses as much as possible. "They should seal openings around windows, glass doors, and air-conditioners," he said.
Sidebar: Invasive Species
An invasive species is one that is not native to the United States. The invasive species may have been brought into the country intentionally or accidentally. An invasive species can have a devastating effect on native wildlife. Consider the havoc wreaked by the tiny zebra mussel, which is native to Eurasia. The zebra mussel made its way into the United States in the 1980s when water from foreign ships was dumped into the Great Lakes. The zebra mussel is the only mussel that can attach itself to solid objects. It has clogged drains and broken boat motors. It has smothered native mussels. Zebra mussels reproduce extremely fast and can travel from place to place easily by attaching themselves to boats. Some experts consider them to be the most harmful invasive species ever to enter the United States.
Question
Zebra mussels reproduce extremely fast and can travel from place to place easily by attaching themselves to boats. Some experts consider them to be the most harmful invasive species ever to enter the United States.
Which transition would BEST combine these two sentences into one coherent sentence?
Responses
A OtherwiseOtherwise
B ThereforeTherefore
C ConverselyConversely
D In contrast
Amelia Harrison
Springtown—They're back! The warm spring weather spawns the invasion of one of the most despised pests in the Northeast: the stink bug. Stink bugs seem to disappear in the fall when the temperature drops. In reality, however, they have taken refuge someplace warm such as in an attic or under the siding on a house. They remain in this place asleep until the temperature reaches about 65 degrees, the magic number that causes them to awaken. Then they seem to be everywhere.
Stink bugs are native to Asia and first appeared in the United States in the late 1990s. The little brown bugs, which look as if they're wearing a coat of armor, get their name because of the skunk-like odor they produce when crushed. Stink bugs have no natural predators in the United States, so they spread rapidly. Frank Gaston, an entomologist (bug researcher) estimates that the stink-bug population has increased at least 50 percent each year.
Adrienne and Ken Krasner of Springtown spent much of their Saturday sweeping thousands of stink bugs from their sunny front porch into trash bags. "It's disgusting!" exclaimed Adrienne. "As soon as we get rid of them, more appear. This morning it looked like our porch was crawling."
The situation is much more serious for farmers, however. Stink bugs have devastated apple, grape, and tomato crops in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. The invasive little bugs caused $37 million in damage to apple crops in these states last year. "The stinkbug is a thief that has stolen our profits," explained Jeremy Bennett, a Pennsylvania apple farmer. "We need help, or we are going to go bankrupt."
The trouble is that experts don't yet know how to stop the stink-bug invasion. Stink bugs must be hit directly with pesticides to be affected by them. Stink bugs also fly very fast, so they can get away before the poison hits the crops. "We could end up killing insects that are beneficial to crops instead of stink bugs," remarked Gaston. "We need to conduct more research before we have a solution to the problem."
Gaston explained that there is little we can do to stop this year's invasion. However, homeowners can take steps to prevent an invasion next year. He recommends using heavy tape to seal up their houses as much as possible. "They should seal openings around windows, glass doors, and air-conditioners," he said.
Sidebar: Invasive Species
An invasive species is one that is not native to the United States. The invasive species may have been brought into the country intentionally or accidentally. An invasive species can have a devastating effect on native wildlife. Consider the havoc wreaked by the tiny zebra mussel, which is native to Eurasia. The zebra mussel made its way into the United States in the 1980s when water from foreign ships was dumped into the Great Lakes. The zebra mussel is the only mussel that can attach itself to solid objects. It has clogged drains and broken boat motors. It has smothered native mussels. Zebra mussels reproduce extremely fast and can travel from place to place easily by attaching themselves to boats. Some experts consider them to be the most harmful invasive species ever to enter the United States.
Question
Zebra mussels reproduce extremely fast and can travel from place to place easily by attaching themselves to boats. Some experts consider them to be the most harmful invasive species ever to enter the United States.
Which transition would BEST combine these two sentences into one coherent sentence?
Responses
A OtherwiseOtherwise
B ThereforeTherefore
C ConverselyConversely
D In contrast
Answers
GPT-4o mini
B Therefore