Section: Critical Reading Section 1

74) The ozone in the upper layers of Earth’s atmosphere is
beneficial, ______ animal and plant life from danger-
ous ultraviolet radiation.

1. withdrawing
2. thwarting
3. displacing
4. reflecting
   
5. protecting

The key here is the word beneficial, or helpful. If you don’t know beneficial, a knowledge of word roots would help you. Beneficial contains the root BENE, meaning good, which indicates to you that it’s a positive word. Welt, if in one breath we are told that the ozone layer is positive, and in the next, that it does something for plant and animal life relating to dangerous ultraviolet radiation, we know we need a fairly positive word in the blank. The only choice that fits this requirement is choice (E) protecting. (U), thwarting, means impeding or preventing.