Question

The city of New Orleans is renowned for its vibrant Mardi Gras celebrations, a tradition rich with parades, music, and unique culinary traditions that draw millions annually. However, beneath this lively surface lies a precarious reality: the city's very existence is threatened by subsidence, the gradual sinking of land, and rising sea levels, exacerbated by climate change and coastal erosion. This environmental challenge, combined with a history of levee failures, has led to drastic measures, including ambitious flood barriers and ecosystem restoration projects, as the city fights to protect its cultural heritage and unique way of life from disappearing beneath the waves.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
A) It presents a historical overview of a city, then argues for the necessity of preserving its cultural traditions.
B) It describes a city known for a cultural event, then explains the environmental threats it faces and the efforts to combat them.
C) It details a series of natural disasters, then contrasts them with the resilience and celebratory spirit of the city's inhabitants.
D) It identifies a city's unique geographical features, then discusses the scientific studies conducted to understand its sinking.

Answer 1

B

The passage first highlights New Orleans' famed Mardi Gras cultural life, then explains environmental threats (subsidence, sea-level rise, levee failures) and the protective measures being taken (flood barriers, ecosystem restoration).