Read the following passage and answer the question below. Deserts, often perceived as barren and lifeless, are in fact home to a surprising variety of plants and animals that have evolved remarkable adaptations to survive in extreme conditions. With scarce rainfall, intense daytime heat, and dramatic temperature drops at night, desert organisms have developed specialized strategies for conserving water and regulating body temperature. Many desert plants, such as cacti, store water in thick, fleshy tissues and have reduced leaf surfaces to minimize water loss through evaporation. Animals like the camel can go for extended periods without drinking water and can tolerate significant changes in body temperature, while smaller creatures such as desert rodents often remain in burrows during the day to avoid extreme heat, emerging only at night to forage. Despite their harsh conditions, deserts play an important ecological role and are increasingly threatened by climate change, which can alter rainfall patterns and expand desertification into previously fertile regions. Question: What can be inferred from the passage about the threat climate change poses to deserts?
- A. It has no effect on desert ecosystems
- B. It will make deserts disappear entirely
- C. It can alter rainfall patterns and expand desertification into fertile regions ✓
- D. It only affects animals, not plants
Correct answer
C. It can alter rainfall patterns and expand desertification into fertile regions
Explanation
The passage states climate change can alter rainfall patterns and expand desertification into previously fertile regions.