<span>b. antonyms,
</span><span>synonyms mean the same, these two words are not the same.</span>
1. impinge = strike
The word impinge can have various meanings, but in the case above, it means to strike. When 'the rain impinge[d] upon the earth,' it means that it started raining, the rain started striking the earth. To impinge means that something starts, and usually something negative.
2. garrulous = loquacious
The word garrulous refers to someone who talks excessively, likes to talk a bit too much, and usually about something trivial. Loquacious is a fancy word to denote the same thing, although it has a more positive connotation - it refers to someone who can speak nicely.
3. pious = religious
The word pious comes from the Latin word pius, which means dutiful. So when English took this word from Latin, it added a different suffix (-ous), and gave it the meaning of being 'dutiful to God.' So nowadays, pious refers to someone who is devoutly religious.
4. ruinous = dilapidated
The word ruinous refers to something which is in ruins, which is falling apart. The word which means the same thing is dilapidated - both of these words are usually used to describe buildings that are very old, and derelict, and are practically in ruins.
Answer:
American agriculture depends on the honeybee for survival.
The CCD epidemic is most likely caused by multiple factors.
Explanation:
A central idea (also called the main or key idea) is the main point the author of a text is making. Pieces of information that explain, expand, describe, illustrate, or clarify it are called supporting details.
The given text tells about a phenomenon called CCD and its impact on American agriculture. Its two central ideas are:
- American agriculture depends on the honeybee for survival.
- The CCD epidemic is most likely caused by multiple factors.
The remaining two options represent supporting details.
