Based on the context provided in the sentences, the word "degrade" most likely means "to break down." The passages discuss the negative impact of certain practices on ecosystems and biodiversity, indicating a decline or deterioration in quality or health.
Vast forests had been cleared for farms or plantations of fast-growing exotic trees that drained the ecosystem of water and degraded the soil. (paragraph 4 of “The Green Belt Movement”)
• With the destruction of these cultures and the introduction of new values, local biodiversity is no longer valued or protected and as a result, it is quickly degraded and disappears. (paragraph 7 of “Wangari Maathai’s Nobel Lecture”)
Based on the sentences, what does the word degrade most likely mean?
(1 point)
Responses
to give up
to give up
to complete
to complete
to break down
to break down
to identify
1 answer