Question

the oarfish, a serpentine deep-sea fish, has long been featured in japanese folklore as a predictor of earthquakes. their predictive power comes from living close to the ocean floor. with that proximity to the sea bottom, oarfish can pick up the sensitive vibrations of tectonic plate movement. which choice most effectively combines the sentences at the underlined portion?

Answer 1

The Oarfish is believed by Japanese folklore to predict earthquakes due to its proximity to the ocean floor, allowing it to sense vibrations from tectonic movements. However, the scientific evidence for animals predicting earthquakes is not strong, as retrospective attributions do not establish a reliable cause-and-effect relationship.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Oarfish, a serpentine deep-sea fish often featured in Japanese folklore, is said to have the ability to predict earthquakes. This belief stems from the Oarfish's habitat near the ocean floor, which allows it to potentially sense the sensitive vibrations caused by tectonic plate movements. As the continuous action of tectonic plates can lead to serious earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, the proximity of the Oarfish to the sea bottom may enable it to pick up pre-seismic tremors or vibrations that precede such events. However, the scientific community remains skeptical about the predictive abilities of animals, including the Oarfish. Instances of animal prediction are often cited retrospectively, and behaviors that precede disasters may simply be coincidental.

Answer 2

The most effective choice to combine the sentences is (B) floor; with that proximity to the sea bottom, Oarfish. This choice maintains the continuity of the sentence and provides a concise explanation of why Oarfish can detect tectonic plate movements.

The most effective choice to combine the sentences at the underlined portion is floor; with that proximity to the sea bottom, Oarfish.

This choice maintains the continuity of the sentence and provides a concise explanation of why Oarfish can pick up the sensitive vibrations of tectonic plate movement.

By stating the proximity to the sea bottom, it emphasizes how Oarfish are in a prime position to detect these vibrations.