Practice mode Reading Comprehension

In the passage about coral bleaching, what does the word ‘persists’ most nearly mean?

Read the passage: Reef-building corals live in close partnership with tiny algae that dwell inside their tissues. The algae use sunlight to make food, sharing much of it with the coral, and they also give many corals their bright colours. When sea temperatures stay unusually high for several weeks, this partnership breaks down and the coral expels the algae. Without them, the coral's tissue becomes nearly transparent, and its white limestone skeleton shows through, a process called bleaching. A bleached coral is not necessarily dead. If the water cools in time, the algae can return and the coral may recover. If the heat persists, however, the weakened coral is likely to starve or fall victim to disease.

Correct answer C. Continues

Explanation

The phrase 'if the heat persists' is contrasted with 'if the water cools in time', so persists means continues or lasts.

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In the passage about coral bleaching, what does the word ‘persists’ most nearly mean?

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