Question

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Reggie is writing an informational article about the operation of sustainable fisheries. In his informational article, four sections of text have been underlined. In each instance, the underlined text may require a correction or revision. Read Reggie’s informational article, paying special attention to the underlined text, and then answer the questions that follow.

Sustainable Fishing
(1) Recently, people have become more aware of the problems caused by fishing practices. (2) Overfishing occurs when people catch fish in an area faster than the fish can repopulate it. (3) In time, the number of fish that live in the area will drop which can lead to an imbalance of species.
(4) One cause of overfishing is increased demand. (5) Humans are eating more fish now than ever. (6) The fishing industry catches more fish to meet this need. (7) Additionally, the species humans eat include some that reqire more time to repopulate, such as bluefin tuna and Chilean seabass.
(8) “Bycatch” is another problem posed by contemporary fishing practices. (9) The term refers to the marine animals that are unintentionally caught in the nets or cages used for commercial fishing.
(10) People are concerned that overfishing and bycatch are threatening the survival of various species. (11) Researchers are working on solutions to these problems. (12) One solution is to avoid overfishing. (13) Another solution is using alternative fishing gear that reduces the amount of bycatch. (14) Finally, people can help if they wisely consider which fish species they will eat; for example, you might choose to eat fish species that repopulate faster, such as sardines.

Answer 1

Here are suggested corrections for the four underlined passages (sentences 3, 7, 13, and 14), with a brief explanation for each.

3. Original: "In time, the number of fish that live in the area will drop which can lead to an imbalance of species."
Revised: "Over time, the number of fish in the area will drop, which can lead to an imbalance among species."
Reason: Add a comma before the nonrestrictive clause and change "In time" → "Over time" for clarity; "imbalance among species" is more natural than "imbalance of species."

7. Original: "Additionally, the species humans eat include some that reqire more time to repopulate, such as bluefin tuna and Chilean seabass."
Revised: "Additionally, some species that humans eat—such as bluefin tuna and Chilean sea bass—require more time to replenish their populations."
Reason: Fix spelling ("reqire" → "require"), improve word order and punctuation for clarity, and use the common form "Chilean sea bass."

13. Original: "Another solution is using alternative fishing gear that reduces the amount of bycatch."
Revised: "Another solution is to use alternative fishing gear that reduces bycatch."
Reason: Use parallel infinitive form ("is to use") and simplify wording ("reduces bycatch" is more concise than "reduces the amount of bycatch").

14. Original: "Finally, people can help if they wisely consider which fish species they will eat; for example, you might choose to eat fish species that repopulate faster, such as sardines."
Revised: "Finally, people can help by carefully choosing which fish to eat; for example, they can choose species that replenish their populations faster, such as sardines."
Reason: Make pronouns consistent ("people" → "they"), replace "wisely consider" with clearer "carefully choosing," and use "replenish their populations" for clearer ecological wording.