"Was the Dodo Destinated to Die Out?"

Question

by Hanneke Meijer

In order to really understand the extinction of the dodo, we need to look beyond the humans, to the suite of non-native species that followed closely behind in their footsteps and set into motion an ecological disaster that resulted in the dodo’s swan song. The ubiquitous ship-rats, the pigs, goats and Rusa deer brought along as food, and the macaques brought along as pets from Southeast Asia; these were the species that, once set loose in the island’s pristine ecosystem, wreaked havoc on its members who had since long lost their defenses against predators. Dodo chicks and eggs were eaten, nests destroyed, and vegetation disturbed. As a flightless, ground-nesting bird, the dodo never stood a chance. Eventually, all that remained was the image of a gluttonous, clumsy bird, destined for extinction. . . .

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Question
Use the passage from “Extinct Thinking: Was the Hapless Dodo Really Destined to Die Out?” by Hanneke Meijer to answer the question.

Which syntax choice does the writer make in the passage?

Responses

a. using mostly simple sentences

b. using mostly imperative sentences

c. limiting punctuation to emphasize different ideas

d. varying transitional words to show relationships

Answer 1

The correct response is:

d. varying transitional words to show relationships

The passage uses various transitional words and phrases to illustrate the relationships between ideas, such as the introduction of non-native species, the impact they had on the ecosystem, and the dodo's vulnerability.