Passage (Charles Darwin, *On the Origin of Species*, 1859, Ch. III): "I should premise that I use the term Struggle for Existence in a large and metaphorical sense, including dependence of one being on another, and including (which is more important) not only the life of the individual, but success in leaving progeny. Two canine animals in a time of dearth, may be truly said to struggle with each other which shall get food and live. But a plant on the edge of a desert is said to struggle for life against the drought, though more properly it should be said to be dependent on the moisture. A plant which annually produces a thousand seeds, of which on an average only one comes to maturity, may be more truly said to struggle with the plants of the same and other kinds which already clothe the ground. The missletoe is dependent on the apple and a few other trees, but can only in a far-fetched sense be said to struggle with these trees, for if too many of these parasites grow on the same tree, it will languish and die. But several seedling missletoes, growing close together on the same branch, may more truly be said to struggle with each other." Which of the following best states the main purpose of the passage?
ATo clarify that the author is using "Struggle for Existence" in a broad and metaphorical sense, illustrated by varied examples.
BTo argue that competition between members of the same species is more important than competition between species.
CTo prove that even plants engage in competition as actively as animals do.
DTo distinguish parasitic relationships from other forms of biological dependence.
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. To clarify that the author is using "Struggle for Existence" in a broad and metaphorical sense, illustrated by varied examples.
Darwin opens with an explicit signal of intent — "I should premise that I use the term Struggle for Existence in a large and metaphorical sense." Everything that follows is the *unpacking* of that term: each example demonstrates a different shade of meaning the term covers, from literal competition to dependence.
- **A** corresponds to a later argument in the chapter (intra-species competition), but this paragraph is about *defining* the term, not ranking kinds of struggle.
- **C** reverses the emphasis of the plant examples — Darwin uses the plant on the desert edge to *qualify* his use of "struggle," not to claim plants are active competitors.
- **D** picks out a single example (the mistletoe) and mistakes it for the whole.
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