Question

The following text is from "Ocean Giants," a scientific article published in 2024.
The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) holds the title of the largest animal ever known to have existed on Earth, with adults measuring up to 98 feet (30 meters) long and weighing as much as 190 tons. Despite its immense size, the blue whale feeds almost exclusively on krill, tiny crustaceans just a few centimeters in length. During peak feeding season, a single adult blue whale can consume up to 8,000 pounds (approximately 3,600 kilograms) of krill per day. This dietary preference is facilitated by baleen plates—fringed filters made of keratin that hang from the whale's upper jaw—which allow the animal to filter massive volumes of ocean water efficiently.
According to the text, how does the blue whale acquire its food?
Choose 1 answer:
A. It uses its massive weight and size to hunt and consume large marine mammals.
B. It uses specialized filter plates in its mouth to strain tiny organisms from the water.
C. It consumes small amounts of plankton and algae over a prolonged period of time.
D. It dives to the deepest parts of the ocean to forage for food on the seafloor.

Answer 1

B. It uses specialized baleen (filter) plates in its mouth to strain tiny organisms (krill) from the water.