Read the Following Scenario and Answer the Question Below

question 31

Multiple Choice

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
On a September day in 1999, folks began to notice that Lake Jackson in the panhandle region of northern Florida was shrinking. Within a few days, it was almost gone. A sinkhole had opened beneath the lake and drained it, along with all of the fish and alligators.
As aquifers lose water, their substrates can become weaker and less capable of supporting overlying strata and any human structures built upon them. In such cases, the land surface above may subside. Sometimes subsidence can occur locally and suddenly, in the form of sinkholes, areas where the ground gives way with little warning. Once the ground subsides, soil becomes compacted, losing the porosity that enabled it to hold water. Recharging a depleted aquifer may therefore become more difficult.
-According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the number of human -induced sinkholes has doubled since 1930. Insurance claims increased 1200% from 1987 to 1991, costing nearly $100 million. A major reason for this is ________________.

• A) decreases in agriculture
• B) increased water consumption through development and urbanization
• C) roadway construction, leading to increased runoff
• D) global warming
• E) increased rainfall, raising the water level

---

Definitions:

Data Exchange

The process of transferring data between different computer systems or within an organization, potentially using various formats or protocols.

Cumulative Quantity Discounts

Discounts the customer receives for buying a certain amount of a product over a stated period, such as one year.

Price Reductions

A strategy where the selling price of goods or services is lowered, often temporarily, to attract more customers or to clear inventory.

Channel Member

A participant in a distribution or supply chain who plays a role in moving products from producers to consumers.