Answer:
In her introduction, Jahren makes rhetorical remarks regarding the significance of flora and her reluctance to study marine environments despite being in Hawaii.
She further discusses the various life forms present both on land and in aquatic settings, asserting that terrestrial life forms surpass those in water. The biologist feels that humans often overlook the vital role that trees and plants play in our ecosystems. She believes that while people coexist with plants, they often fail to recognize their existence.
Jahren poses a rhetorical question, urging her audience to observe what lies outside their windows.
Are they seeing plants? Or do they instead observe skyscrapers, structures, factories, and so forth? She posits that individuals often focus on artificial constructs at the expense of recognizing flora.
The biologist is apprehensive about the annual rate of deforestation without adequate replanting efforts. She approximates that over the last decade, around five billion trees have been removed, which she likens to the land area of France.
She emphasizes the urgency of her message by highlighting that every decade, the equivalent of one France is lost, with an estimated one trillion trees having been permanently eradicated due to significant logging activities.
Explanation:
A rhetorical question serves to elicit thought rather than requiring a direct response, enhancing dramatic effect.
1. Scientists hypothesized<span> that cutting back on the use of substances producing toxic gases would lessen pollution.
2. Jonathan was annoyed by the ravenous<span> noise from the loud musical procession on the street.
3. T</span>he unfortunate farmer found himself pleasantly surprised when he fortuitously<span> discovered a buried pot of gold in his yard.</span>
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Response:
"It was only after an extended silence that he spoke, in a tentative tone, "I suppose you guys recall I once briefly became a fresh-water sailor," which indicated we were destined, just before the tide began to recede, to learn about one of Marlow's unresolved encounters."
Clarification:
Flashback in literature signifies a moment when the story’s narrative shifts back to a previous point in time. This technique is commonly employed to illustrate past occurrences that provide significant background information.
In the provided excerpt, a flashback arises to remind the second character of his change in profession to a fresh-water sailor for a period before the twist of fate led them to hear about one of Marlow's ambiguous experiences.