Practice Question
he Farallon Islands, or Devil's Teeth, as they are referred to by sailors, are a group of small islands with rocky, barren terrain and treacherous underwater currents, 48 km (30 miles) off the coast of San Francisco, California. Although the islands are small, with a combined total land area of 0.41 km² (0.16 square miles), they are positioned in a major ocean current, which enables them to house dense populations of birds, rodents, seals, and other water mammals.The abundance of wildlife first attracted Russian and American fur traders in the early 1800s, who then nearly eliminated the seal population in the area. The islands then became an agricultural resource for San Francisco during the Gold Rush era when egg companies began harvesting bird eggs on the islands. In 1863, violence between rival egg companies erupted on the islands (known as the "Egg War"), which inadvertently attracted national attention and provoked lawmakers to pass legislation to protect and rehabilitate the islands' natural ecosystem.In 1881, an executive order was passed that decreed egging illegal on the Farallons. This ended private enterprises on the islands and was reinforced in 1909 when President Theodore Roosevelt created the Farallon Reservation to restrict human access and preserve the northern Islands. Protection was expanded in 1967 to include all the Farallontheir nickname "Devil's Teeth," though it hasn't stopped a few adventurous people from swimming. Four people have completed the 30-mile swim from the islands to San Francisco; the fastest person completed the journey in 14 hours.Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Humans disrupted the ecosystem of the Farallon Islands and helped to restore it.
Rationale:
💎 The passage traces the human impact on the Farallon Islands’ ecosystem — first through exploitation (fur trading and egg harvesting) and later through efforts to protect and rehabilitate the islands.
💎 It highlights how early settlers and companies nearly destroyed animal populations, followed by government actions (laws, executive orders, and conservation measures) that restored ecological balance.
💎 The main focus is not the wildlife itself, but the transition from human destruction to preservation.
💎 The incorrect options either focus on limited details (like agriculture or specific birds) or present inaccurate claims (such as ongoing instability).
💎 The passage’s overall theme shows human interference followed by environmental protection, making this answer best summarize the main idea.
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This question is from Comprehensive ATI TEAS Version 7 Exam 7 which contains 170 questions.
More Questions from This Exam
The Farallon Islands, or Devil's Teeth, as they are referred to by sailors, are a group of small islands with rocky, barren terrain and treacherous underwater currents, 48 km (30 miles) off the coast of San Francisco, California. Although the islands are small, with a combined total land area of 0.41 km² (0.16 square miles), they are positioned in a major ocean current, which enables them to house dense populations of birds, rodents, seals, and other water mammals.The abundance of wildlife first attracted Russian and American fur traders in the early 1800s, who then nearly eliminated the seal population in the area. The islands then became an agricultural resource for San Francisco during the Gold Rush era when egg companies began harvesting bird eggs on the islands. In 1863, violence between rival egg companies erupted on the islands (known as the "Egg War"), which inadvertently attracted national attention and provoked lawmakers to pass legislation to protect and rehabilitate the islands' natural ecosystem.In 1881, an executive order was passed that decreed egging illegal on the Farallons. This ended private enterprises on the islands and was reinforced in 1909 when President Theodore Roosevelt created the Farallon Reservation to restrict human access and preserve the northern Islands. Protection was expanded in 1967 to include all the Farallontheir nickname "Devil's Teeth," though it hasn't stopped a few adventurous people from swimming. Four people have completed the 30-mile swim from the islands to San Francisco; the fastest person completed the journey in 14 hours.Which of the following sentences best describes the sequence of facts in the article?
Answer Choices:
A. The Farallon Islands are located off the coast of San Francisco: fur traders and egg companies once nearly decimated the islands' animal populations; all islands became protected in 1967.
B. Small islands called The Devil's Teeth lie 30 miles off the coast of San Francisco, egg harvesting and fur trading nearly wiped out the animal population; it is illegal to swim there.
C. The Farallon Islands are home to many birds and marine mammals; egging is a form of vandalism that frightened birds away in 1881; fur traders probably hunted seals and otters.
D. A group of small islands not far from San Francisco hosts many western seagulls; seagull eggs were delicacy in the Gold Rush days, Roosevelt put a stop to egg harvesting in 1909.
The Farallon Islands, or Devil's Teeth, as they are referred to by sailors, are a group of small islands with rocky, barren terrain and treacherous underwater currents, 48 km (30 miles) off the coast of San Francisco, California. Although the islands are small, with a combined total land area of 0.41 km² (0.16 square miles), they are positioned in a major ocean current, which enables them to house dense populations of birds, rodents, seals, and other water mammals.The abundance of wildlife first attracted Russian and American fur traders in the early 1800s, who then nearly eliminated the seal population in the area. The islands then became an agricultural resource for San Francisco during the Gold Rush era when egg companies began harvesting bird eggs on the islands. In 1863, violence between rival egg companies erupted on the islands (known as the "Egg War"), which inadvertently attracted national attention and provoked lawmakers to pass legislation to protect and rehabilitate the islands' natural ecosystem.In 1881, an executive order was passed that decreed egging illegal on the Farallons. This ended private enterprises on the islands and was reinforced in 1909 when President Theodore Roosevelt created the Farallon Reservation to restrict human access and preserve the northern Islands. Protection was expanded in 1967 to include all the Farallontheir nickname "Devil's Teeth," though it hasn't stopped a few adventurous people from swimming. Four people have completed the 30-mile swim from the islands to San Francisco; the fastest person completed the journey in 14 hours.Which of the following is a credible source that the author might have consulted to help write the article?
Answer Choices:
A. A biography of President Theodore Roosevelt, with an emphasis on his passion for hunting
B. A nutritionist's scholarly journal article of Gold Rush miners' diets
C. An 1890 cartographer's notes on efforts to map Northern California's coastline
D. A copy of a story published by the Fish and Wildlife Service, originally written by a former refuge manager
The Farallon Islands, or Devil's Teeth, as they are referred to by sailors, are a group of small islands with rocky, barren terrain and treacherous underwater currents, 48 km (30 miles) off the coast of San Francisco, California. Although the islands are small, with a combined total land area of 0.41 km² (0.16 square miles), they are positioned in a major ocean current, which enables them to house dense populations of birds, rodents, seals, and other water mammals.The abundance of wildlife first attracted Russian and American fur traders in the early 1800s, who then nearly eliminated the seal population in the area. The islands then became an agricultural resource for San Francisco during the Gold Rush era when egg companies began harvesting bird eggs on the islands. In 1863, violence between rival egg companies erupted on the islands (known as the "Egg War"), which inadvertently attracted national attention and provoked lawmakers to pass legislation to protect and rehabilitate the islands' natural ecosystem.In 1881, an executive order was passed that decreed egging illegal on the Farallon. This ended private enterprises on the islands and was reinforced in 1909 when President Theodore Roosevelt created the Farallon Reservation to restrict human access and preserve the northern Islands. Protection was expanded in 1967 to include all the Farallon their nickname "Devil's Teeth," though it hasn't stopped a few adventurous people from swimming. Four people have completed the 30-mile swim from the islands to San Francisco; the fastest person completed the journey in 14 hours.Which of the following pieces of evidence does the author use to speculate why the Farallon Islands are called "The Devil's Teeth"?
Answer Choices:
A. Swimming from San Francisco to the islands is very risky
B. They have always been called that by sailors who travel those waters
C. In 1863, violence broke out on the islands during the Egg War
D. The islands have sharks, choppy currents, and irregular coastline
Question Details
- Category: ATI TEAS
- Subcategory: Comprehensive Teas 7 Exam(s)
- Domain: Comprehensive Teas 7~2025
- Answer Choices: 4