Question 157·Easy·Central Ideas and Details
In 2005, marine biologist Dr. Elaine Chen launched SeaWatch, a nonprofit dedicated to monitoring coral reef health in Southeast Asia. Since its founding, SeaWatch has trained hundreds of local divers to record water quality data and has published annual reports on reef biodiversity. Chen’s work earned her the Ocean Guardian Award in 2018.
According to the text, what is SeaWatch?
For “According to the text” questions, first locate the exact sentence or phrase in the passage that mentions the person or thing in the question. Read the surrounding words carefully, especially appositives (descriptions set off by commas) or definitions right after the name. Then, in your own words, restate what the passage says and choose the option that best matches that restatement without adding or changing any details. Ignore choices that introduce new ideas or confuse related things (like awards, agencies, or activities) with the thing being defined.
Hints
Find where SeaWatch is first mentioned
Look back at the first sentence of the passage; this is where SeaWatch is introduced and defined.
Pay attention to the phrase between commas
In the phrase “SeaWatch, ... ,” read carefully what comes between the commas—it explains what SeaWatch is.
Separate what SeaWatch is from what else is mentioned
Do not confuse SeaWatch itself with the award or the people it trains. Ask: which part of the sentence directly defines SeaWatch?
Step-by-step Explanation
Locate where SeaWatch is described
Look back at the passage and find the sentence that first mentions SeaWatch. The question asks, “According to the text, what is SeaWatch?”, so the key information will be right where SeaWatch is introduced.
Read the description around the name
In the phrase “SeaWatch, a nonprofit dedicated to monitoring coral reef health in Southeast Asia”, notice that the words between the commas describe what SeaWatch is.
Focus on two things:
- its type: it is some kind of organization (not a prize, agency, or class)
- its purpose: it is dedicated to monitoring the health of coral reefs
Match the description to the answer choice
Now compare that description to the options:
- One option describes an organization whose role is to monitor coral reefs, which matches the passage’s description of SeaWatch.
Therefore, the correct answer is A) A nonprofit that monitors coral reefs.