strong >Select the statement that can logically complete the paragraph given below.   The Great Barrier Reef, which runs for 2,300 km along the coast of Queensland, is one of the icons of environmentalism. Conservationists constantly worry that human activity, particularly greenhouse-gas-induced global warming, will harm or even destroy it. Such fears are not foolish, but they do reflect a view of the reef’s permanence that is at variance with the truth. _________________________ —a fact lamented in the songs, tales and dances of indigenous people living along the coast, which speak of homelands being drowned by incoming waters.

The paragraph discusses the Great Barrier Reef and challenges the idea of its permanence, suggesting it has undergone significant changes over time. The phrase “a fact lamented in the songs, tales, and dances of indigenous people” indicates a historical shift, such as land being submerged. Option 2 logically completes the paragraph by explaining that the area was dry land just 10,000 years ago, aligning with the theme of change and impermanence. Option 1 talks about reefs destroyed by falling sea levels but does not directly align with the paragraph’s emphasis on the Great Barrier Reef’s transformation. Option 3, although a possible choice , does not directly connect to the idea of indigenous tales or historical evidence mentioned earlier. Option 4 refers to "bleaching," which is unrelated to the paragraph's discussion of historical transformation.