Use the two passages to answer the question.

Have you ever seen a sea turtle, whale, shark, or dolphin? Even if you have only seen pictures online, you can see how cute all of these creatures are. Well, they are in danger. So many of them are killed every year because of plastic waste. From people throwing away single-use water bottles to companies using a ton of plastic to make their products, we can all do better. Scientists are finding creatures like fish and sea birds with their stomachs filled with indigestible plastic. We have to change this, starting today!
Oceans cover 71 percent of Earth’s surface, and they are where most of Earth’s water comes from. Because of this, they are one of our greatest natural resources. Unfortunately, around 8 million metric tons of plastic enters our oceans each year. We all need to do more to save our oceans from this type of pollution. Fortunately, there are groups like the Ocean Conservancy, Oceana, and the Lonely Whale Foundation. They are all dedicated to helping this issue.
A student is researching the impact of plastic waste. Write a paragraph that compares and contrasts the two passages. Explain which passage would be better for the student to use and why.

Both passages discuss the issue of plastic waste and its impact on the ocean and its inhabitants. The first passage focuses more on the cute and beloved creatures that are in danger, while the second passage provides statistics about the amount of plastic waste in the ocean and highlights organizations dedicated to addressing the issue. The second passage, with its facts and figures, would be more beneficial for the student to use as it provides more concrete evidence and information to support their research. The first passage, while emotionally appealing, does not provide as much useful information for the student's research purposes.