I would now like to talk briefly about the beaver. This industrious animal is generally found in Canada and the northern portions of the United States, where it makes its home on the banks of the rivers and lakes. Here they assemble in hundreds to assist each other in the construction of their dams, and in the building of their houses, which are put together with a considerable amount of engineering skill. The materials used in building the dams are wood, stones, and mud, which they collect themselves for that purpose, and after finishing the dam, or winter storehouse, they collect their stores for the winter's use, and then make a connection with their houses in the banks. Their skins are valuable in making fine hats, and their flesh is much relished by the hunters. The beaver is an interesting animal in many respects, and the expression “busy as a beaver” is borne out by its habits.
The main point of this passage is to
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Correct Answer: A
The majority of this passage is given over to describing the hard-working nature and behavior of beavers. Although it is true that the author talks about the impact of beavers on the English language, to say that the main point of this passage is to describe the impact of beavers on humans would be ignoring the entirety of the rest of the passage that is entirely focused on describing how beavers go about their work.