Explanation
A. This option discusses a situation with two different variables: pay increases and inflation. The passage's discussion is about a single variable (oxygen) that undergoes a cycle of production and consumption, leading to a net zero effect, which is not analogous to the economic situation described in A where two different variables impact purchasing power.
B. The genetic modification of plants to improve their traits does not have a direct correlation to the cycle of oxygen production and consumption described in the passage.
C. This option discusses a net gain scenario where the output (cash return) exceeds the input (energy expended), which does not reflect the net zero effect of oxygen cycle mentioned in the passage.
D. The option describes a situation where an increase in one variable (value of shares) potentially affects another variable (share values in the same sector), which is not analogous to the self-contained cycle of oxygen production and consumption.
E. (Correct Response) The passage describes a cyclical process where oxygen produced by photosynthesis is offset by the oxygen consumed during decomposition, leading to no net change. Similarly, water that evaporates and returns as precipitation represents a cycle with no net change in the amount of water. Both scenarios describe a balance where the end result is a net zero change.
The last two sentences of the second paragraph in the passage explain that the oxygen produced by trees through photosynthesis is consumed again when the trees decompose, resulting in no net increase in oxygen levels. This cycle is analogous to the water cycle described in option E, where water evaporates, condenses, and eventually falls as precipitation, maintaining a balance without a net increase or decrease in water levels.