Read the passage below and answer the question that follows.Aedan was moving to Texas. He had the choice to buy his house on the barrier island or on the mainland. He decided to buy the house on the mainland because he believed it would be safer for his family. The word underlined in the sentence above can best be defined as __________.

A barrier island is a long, narrow island that lies parallel to a coastline. It helps shield the mainland from waves, storms, and other natural elements, which explains why Aedan thought the mainland would be safer. Therefore, the best definition is “a long island that runs parallel to a coastline and protects the mainland from natural elements.”

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