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RC · Reading Comprehension

sub-505

Short Passage - Humanities

Reading Passage

The argument for “monetizing”—or putting a monetary value on—ecosystem functions may be stated thus: Concern about the depletion of natural resources is widespread, but this concern, in the absence of an economic argument for conservation, has not translated into significant conservational progress. Some critics blame this impasse on environmentalists, whom they believe fail to address the economic issues of environmental degradation. Conservation can appear unprofitable when compared with the economic returns derived from converting natural assets (pristine coastlines, for example) into explicitly commercial ones (such as resort hotels). But according to David Pearce, that illusion stems from the fact that “services” provided by ecological systems are not traded on the commodities market, and thus have no readily quantifiable value. To remedy this, says Pearce, one has to show that all ecosystems have economic value—indeed, that all ecological services are economic services. Tourists visiting wildlife preserves, for example, create jobs and generate income for national economies; undisturbed forests and wetlands regulate water runoff and act as water-purifying systems, saving millions of dollars worth of damage to property and to marine ecosystems. In Gretchen Daily’s view, monetization, while unpopular with many environmentalists, reflects the dominant role that economic considerations play in human behavior, and the expression of economic value in a common currency helps inform environmental decision-making processes.

According to the passage, Daily sees monetization as an indication of which of the following?

Answer Choices

Correct answer marked below

The centrality of economic interests to people’s actions

Correct

B

The reluctance of the critics of environmentalism to acknowledge the importance of conservation

C

The inability of financial interests and ecological interests to reach a common ideological ground

D

The inevitability of environmental degradation

E

The inevitability of the growth of ecological services in the future

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Comments

4

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A

AmodSep 27

thanks, this one was pretty straightforward once I found the line about monetization in the passage

J

Jakub4d ago

yeah same, I just went back and re-read that paragraph and it clicked

S

SuhaniMay 18

I narrowed it to A and C but C felt too strong? Daily just seems to be saying economics is central, not that the two sides can't agree on anything

A

AngelMay 28

exactly, C is a trap because the passage doesn't say they can't reach common ground, just that Daily reads monetization a certain way

A

ArpitMay 29

is this really sub-505? felt more like 505-555 to me with all the abstract language about ecological services

V

VishalAug 2

got it right but honestly D and E are easy to eliminate if you just stick to what Daily actually says vs what sounds dramatic

Reading Passage

According to the passage, Daily sees monetization as an indication of which of the following?

Answer Choices

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