When an Invasive Fish Is Also Tasty, Maryland Schoolchildren Help “Eat the Problem”

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

C1. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the article’s primary purpose?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To compare seafood preferences across Maryland schools
   2. To explain how a school meal addresses an invasive species
   3. To criticize children for rejecting unfamiliar foods
   4. To document the nutritional content of catfish
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To explain how a school meal addresses an invasive species

   It presents a practical school-based response to an ecological problem.

   In this setting, environmental management is presented not as an abstract scientific problem but as a choice placed directly on a lunch tray.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article mention students’ toppings and buns?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To show that the sandwich is nutritionally incomplete
   2. To demonstrate that students dislike all condiments
   3. To illustrate varied ways students consume the fish
   4. To establish that the school limits students’ choices
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To illustrate varied ways students consume the fish

   These details illustrate how students personalize their responses to the meal.

   Some add ketchup or mayonnaise; others eat the fish without toppings, or even leave off the bun.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What relationship does the article establish between appeal and conservation?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Appeal may turn consumption into population control
   2. Nutrition prevents invasive species from reproducing
   3. Demand makes native seafood more abundant immediately
   4. Popularity eliminates the need for ecological monitoring
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Appeal may turn consumption into population control

   Greater appeal could generate demand for an unwanted invasive species.

   The approach is simple: if the fish is appealing and nutritious, serving it at school could help create demand for a species that authorities and communities want to keep in check.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “The connection” refer to in the fourth paragraph?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The connection between pizza and fish cakes
   2. The connection between school meals and ecological efforts
   3. The connection between children and food-services staff
   4. The connection between Maryland and other coastal states
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The connection between school meals and ecological efforts

   It refers to linking a school meal with ecological management.

   The connection is deliberately practical: a school meal can introduce children to a regional food while supporting efforts to reduce pressure from an invasive predator.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why is the mention of pizza significant?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It shows that pizza contains invasive fish
   2. It explains why fish cakes are served daily
   3. It identifies competition affecting students’ choices
   4. It proves students prefer environmental initiatives
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It identifies competition affecting students’ choices

   Pizza provides a stronger competing option that complicates participation.

   The response has been mixed, particularly when pizza is available on the same day.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What can be inferred about the initiative’s intended pace of change?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It expects gradual shifts in eating habits
   2. It requires every student to eat catfish immediately
   3. It aims to replace all regional seafood
   4. It assumes ecological effects will be instantaneous
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It expects gradual shifts in eating habits

   The program emphasizes gradual familiarity rather than immediate universal acceptance.

   The initiative therefore depends less on persuading every child immediately than on making an unfamiliar species a recognizable part of the local diet.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How is the article organized overall?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Chronologically, from the fish’s discovery to its extinction
   2. By contrasting two unrelated school lunch programs
   3. From a concrete example toward broader implications
   4. By listing scientific studies without evaluating them
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   From a concrete example toward broader implications

   It moves from the meal’s setting to ecological context, response, and limitations.

   Whether that strategy can significantly affect the Chesapeake’s ecosystem remains unclear, but it offers an accessible way to connect conservation concerns with everyday behavior.

What to review next

Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.

The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?

The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.