The idea of bringing extinct species back to life is known as "de-extinction," and it's now a legitimate scientific field. By extracting DNA from museum specimens and splicing it into the cells of similar living species, scientists say they can engineer animals back into existence. Researchers have started thinking seriously about which extinct species to focus their efforts on. Near the top of most lists are the woolly mammoth, which lived in the Arctic and went extinct about 4,000 years ago, and the passenger pigeon, which was once the most common bird in North America but went extinct in 1914.

Question

The idea of bringing extinct species back to life is known as "de-extinction," and it's now a legitimate scientific field. By extracting DNA from museum specimens and splicing it into the cells of similar living species, scientists say they can engineer animals back into existence. Researchers have started thinking seriously about which extinct species to focus their efforts on. Near the top of most lists are the woolly mammoth, which lived in the Arctic and went extinct about 4,000 years ago, and the passenger pigeon, which was once the most common bird in North America but went extinct in 1914.

But just because scientists may be able to bring species back doesn't mean they should. Two scientists debate the ethics of de-extinction.
1. Which context clue strategy does the author use for the term "de-extinction"?
•synonym
• antonym
• explanation/example
• inference

Answer 1

The author uses the explanation/example strategy to define the term "de-extinction." The author explains that it is the idea of bringing extinct species back to life and provides an example of how scientists can engineer animals back into existence by extracting DNA and splicing it into the cells of similar living species.