Passage: The recent decline in honeybee populations has been widely attributed to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a phenomenon characterized by the sudden disappearance of adult worker bees from a hive. While pesticides, habitat loss, and climate change are often cited as contributing factors, researchers are increasingly focusing on the role of synergistic effects, where multiple stressors interact to weaken colonies, making them more susceptible to pathogens and parasites. A single factor rarely explains an entire colony's collapse; rather, it is the combination of environmental pressures and biological vulnerabilities that proves most devastating.

The correct answer to the question "Passage: The recent decline in honeybee populations has been widely attributed to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a phenomenon characterized by the sudden disappearance of adult worker bees from a hive. While pesticides, habitat loss, and climate change are often cited as contributing factors, researchers are increasingly focusing on the role of synergistic effects, where multiple stressors interact to weaken colonies, making them more susceptible to pathogens and parasites. A single factor rarely explains an entire colony's collapse; rather, it is the combination of environmental pressures and biological vulnerabilities that proves most devastating." is Option A: That CCD is a complex problem with multiple interacting causes..

The other options — B) That pesticides are the primary cause of Colony Collapse Disorder., C) That habitat loss is a less significant factor than climate change in bee decline., D) That adult worker bees are the only component of a hive affected by CCD. — are incorrect for this GMAT Exam Prep question. As explained above: The passage states that 'a single factor rarely explains' CCD and emphasizes 'synergistic effects' and the 'combination of environmental pressures and biological vulnerabilities'. This strongly impli…