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19 May 2026, 23:42
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Question Stats:
45% (01:56) correct
55%
(02:23)
wrong
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Biologists often announce that a certain kind of animal has been found capable of using tools; this usually refers to something like using a stick to hunt for ants in a log, or a stone to crack nuts. But such announcements are completely unsurprising, since all animals use tools. Birds build nests, fish hide in the mud to escape predators, and squirrels use buildings as shortcuts between trees. If an animal executes its purpose by means of an external physical object, then that object can reasonably be regarded as a tool.
Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the claim that the biologists' announcements that a certain animal has been found capable of using tools are unsurprising?
(A) It provides evidence that the animals' activities given as examples are purposeful.
(B) It is the conclusion of the argument.
(C) It is an assumption used by the argument to justify acceptance of a broader conception of what a tool is than that usually accepted by the biologists.
(D) It calls into question the basis of the biologists' conception of a tool.
(E) It addresses a weakness in the biologists' announcements that stems from their ambiguous use of the word "external."
Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the claim that the biologists' announcements that a certain animal has been found capable of using tools are unsurprising?
(A) It provides evidence that the animals' activities given as examples are purposeful.
(B) It is the conclusion of the argument.
(C) It is an assumption used by the argument to justify acceptance of a broader conception of what a tool is than that usually accepted by the biologists.
(D) It calls into question the basis of the biologists' conception of a tool.
(E) It addresses a weakness in the biologists' announcements that stems from their ambiguous use of the word "external."
20 May 2026, 08:45
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Biologists often announce that a certain kind of animal has been found capable of using tools; this usually refers to something like using a stick to hunt for ants in a log, or a stone to crack nuts. But such announcements are completely unsurprising, since all animals use tools. Birds build nests, fish hide in the mud to escape predators, and squirrels use buildings as shortcuts between trees. If an animal executes its purpose by means of an external physical object, then that object can reasonably be regarded as a tool.
Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the claim that the biologists' announcements that a certain animal has been found capable of using tools are unsurprising?
The claim that the announcements are unsurprising is what the argument is trying to establish. The support is that all animals use tools, given the argument’s broad definition of a tool as an external physical object used to achieve a purpose. So the claim is the argument’s conclusion, not a premise.
(A) It provides evidence that the animals' activities given as examples are purposeful.
Wrong. The claim does not support the examples. The examples support the broader point that tool use is common.
(B) It is the conclusion of the argument.
Correct. The author argues that announcements of animal tool use are unsurprising because, under the broad definition given, all animals use tools.
(C) It is an assumption used by the argument to justify acceptance of a broader conception of what a tool is than that usually accepted by the biologists.
Wrong. The broad conception of a tool supports the claim, not the other way around.
(D) It calls into question the basis of the biologists' conception of a tool.
Wrong. The argument does challenge the narrowness of the biologists’ idea, but the specific claim that the announcements are unsurprising is the conclusion drawn from that challenge.
(E) It addresses a weakness in the biologists' announcements that stems from their ambiguous use of the word "external."
Wrong. The argument does not focus on ambiguity in the word “external.”
Answer: (B)
Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the claim that the biologists' announcements that a certain animal has been found capable of using tools are unsurprising?
The claim that the announcements are unsurprising is what the argument is trying to establish. The support is that all animals use tools, given the argument’s broad definition of a tool as an external physical object used to achieve a purpose. So the claim is the argument’s conclusion, not a premise.
(A) It provides evidence that the animals' activities given as examples are purposeful.
Wrong. The claim does not support the examples. The examples support the broader point that tool use is common.
(B) It is the conclusion of the argument.
Correct. The author argues that announcements of animal tool use are unsurprising because, under the broad definition given, all animals use tools.
(C) It is an assumption used by the argument to justify acceptance of a broader conception of what a tool is than that usually accepted by the biologists.
Wrong. The broad conception of a tool supports the claim, not the other way around.
(D) It calls into question the basis of the biologists' conception of a tool.
Wrong. The argument does challenge the narrowness of the biologists’ idea, but the specific claim that the announcements are unsurprising is the conclusion drawn from that challenge.
(E) It addresses a weakness in the biologists' announcements that stems from their ambiguous use of the word "external."
Wrong. The argument does not focus on ambiguity in the word “external.”
Answer: (B)
11 Aug 2026, 07:13
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OE for reference:
Overview:
The argument notes that biologists often announce that a certain kind of animal has been found capable of using tools. It states that these announcements are unsurprising since all animals use tools. It then provides several examples in which animals use external physical objects to their advantage, such as fish hiding in mud to escape predators. The argument ends by stating a principle, that any use of a physical object to achieve an animal's purpose can reasonably be regarded as an instance of tool use.
The question asks you to identify the role played in the argument by the claim that the biologists' announcements are unsurprising.
The Correct Answer:
B In the second half of the passage, the examples of animals using physical objects to their advantage, such as fish hiding in mud to escape predators, are not prototypical examples of tool use, such as using a stick to hunt for ants, but they are understood to be widespread, and by the principle stated at the end of the passage, they count as tool use also. So the second half of the passage is presented as support for the claim that all animals use tools. The claim that all animals use tools is, in turn, the basis of the claim that biologists' announcements of newly discovered instances of tool use are unsurprising. Since everything else in the passage is presented in support of the claim that biologists' announcements of newly discovered instances of animal tool use are unsurprising, that claim is most accurately regarded as the conclusion of the argument.
The Incorrect Answer Choices:
A All of the animal activities discussed in the passage are presented as purposeful, including the prototypical examples of tool use of the sort announced by biologists, and the use of physical objects to an animal's advantage that are presented as less prototypical cases of tool use. The claim that biologists' announcements of tool use are unsurprising is not presented as evidence that the animal's behavior is purposeful in any of these examples.
C Assumptions are unstated. The claim that biologists' announcements of tool use are unsurprising, on the other hand, is explicitly stated in the passage. Moreover, that claim does not, in itself, contain any information about what qualifies as a tool. So it cannot be used to justify the broader conception of a tool that is described in the last sentence of the passage.
D The passage does not provide any characterization of the biologists' conception of a tool. So the claim in question cannot be used to call that conception into question.
E The biologists' announcements, as characterized in the passage, do not use the word "external." So the argument cannot be attributing to the biologists' announcements any weakness stemming from their use of the word "external."
Overview:
The argument notes that biologists often announce that a certain kind of animal has been found capable of using tools. It states that these announcements are unsurprising since all animals use tools. It then provides several examples in which animals use external physical objects to their advantage, such as fish hiding in mud to escape predators. The argument ends by stating a principle, that any use of a physical object to achieve an animal's purpose can reasonably be regarded as an instance of tool use.
The question asks you to identify the role played in the argument by the claim that the biologists' announcements are unsurprising.
The Correct Answer:
B In the second half of the passage, the examples of animals using physical objects to their advantage, such as fish hiding in mud to escape predators, are not prototypical examples of tool use, such as using a stick to hunt for ants, but they are understood to be widespread, and by the principle stated at the end of the passage, they count as tool use also. So the second half of the passage is presented as support for the claim that all animals use tools. The claim that all animals use tools is, in turn, the basis of the claim that biologists' announcements of newly discovered instances of tool use are unsurprising. Since everything else in the passage is presented in support of the claim that biologists' announcements of newly discovered instances of animal tool use are unsurprising, that claim is most accurately regarded as the conclusion of the argument.
The Incorrect Answer Choices:
A All of the animal activities discussed in the passage are presented as purposeful, including the prototypical examples of tool use of the sort announced by biologists, and the use of physical objects to an animal's advantage that are presented as less prototypical cases of tool use. The claim that biologists' announcements of tool use are unsurprising is not presented as evidence that the animal's behavior is purposeful in any of these examples.
C Assumptions are unstated. The claim that biologists' announcements of tool use are unsurprising, on the other hand, is explicitly stated in the passage. Moreover, that claim does not, in itself, contain any information about what qualifies as a tool. So it cannot be used to justify the broader conception of a tool that is described in the last sentence of the passage.
D The passage does not provide any characterization of the biologists' conception of a tool. So the claim in question cannot be used to call that conception into question.
E The biologists' announcements, as characterized in the passage, do not use the word "external." So the argument cannot be attributing to the biologists' announcements any weakness stemming from their use of the word "external."
