"Butterflies are disappearing in Ohio. Here's what that means for insects everywhere"

Question

by Vicky Stein

Plenty of drivers tell stories about suspiciously clean windshields, and bikers have noted that they’re much less likely these days to swallow a bug while on a ride. Articles decrying a coming “insect apocalypse” have been popping up across news platforms like the New York Times Magazine and National Geographic. The Guardian claimed that the estimated rate of decline meant that insects, as a whole, could go extinct within a century.

The Atlantic, on the other hand, interviewed researchers who were skeptical of the claim. After all, while some insects are hurt by habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change, others benefit from urban environments and human intervention.

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Question
Use the excerpt from “Butterflies are disappearing in Ohio. Here’s what that means for insects everywhere” to answer the question.
What is the purpose of the second paragraph of the excerpt?(1 point)
Responses

to dispute the claim that bikers have noted that they are less likely to swallow bugs while riding
to dispute the claim that bikers have noted that they are less likely to swallow bugs while riding

to provide evidence that not everyone agrees about whether insect populations are declining
to provide evidence that not everyone agrees about whether insect populations are declining

to support the idea that insects could go extinct within a century
to support the idea that insects could go extinct within a century

to prove that drivers and bikers are the most reliable source of information

Answer 1

The purpose of the second paragraph of the excerpt is to provide evidence that not everyone agrees about whether insect populations are declining.