Both adult ducks and adult geese protecting their nesting young will

Explanation

Both adult ducks and adult geese protecting their nesting young will sometimes use a strategy that consists of staying in the nest and using loud vocalizations to frighten predators away. However, in attempting to draw predators away from the nest, ducks use a slightly different strategy than geese use. For ducks, the strategy consists of feigning injury and flying awkwardly away from the area where predators can threaten the nest. This makes the ducks appear to be easy prey, though the predators have very little chance of catching the uninjured ducks. For geese, the strategy consists merely of flying out of the area where predators can threaten the nest. Because the geese do not feign injury, they are less likely than the ducks to induce predators to follow.

We see that the passage presents two main strategies used by adult ducks and adult geese to get predators away from their nests:

- staying in the nest and using loud vocalizations to frighten predators away

- attempting to draw predators away from the nest

The passage also says that, "in attempting to draw predators away from the nest, ducks use a slightly different strategy than geese use."

Ducks' form of the strategy is the following:

feigning injury and flying awkwardly away from the area where predators can threaten the nest

Geese's form of the strategy is the following:

merely ... flying out of the area where predators can threaten the nest

Finally, we see that the passage compares the outcomes of these two different strategies:

Because the geese do not feign injury, they are less likely than the ducks to induce predators to follow.

Now, here's the statement we have to complete:

Statement: While employing their respective strategies of flying away from the nest, both an adult duck and an adult goose are sacrificing the opportunity to use the strategy of __1__, though the duck, by feigning injury, is more likely to be successful at __2__.

We see that the choice that fills blank 1 must name a strategy that a duck or goose sacrifices the opportunity to use when "flying away from the nest" and that the choice that fills blank 2 must be something the duck is more likely to be successful at because the duck feigns injury.

preventing predators from threatening the nest

This choice is probably correct for blank 2.

After all, the passage indicates that, because the duck is "feigning injury," the duck is more likely "to induce predators to follow." If the duck is more likely to induce predators to follow, then logically, the duck is going to be more successful at "preventing predators from threatening the nest."

So, unless we find a better choice among the others, we'll go with this choice for blank 2.

Keep for blank 2.

using vocalizations from within the nest to frighten predators

This choice logically fills blank 1 since, if the duck and goose are using strategies of "flying away from the nest," then it's logical that they can't use the other strategy mentioned in the passage, "staying in the nest and using loud vocalizations."

So, in using flying away strategies, the duck and goose are indeed sacrificing the opportunity to use the strategy of "using vocalizations from within the nest to frighten predators."

Keep for blank 1.

hiding from predators

This choice is contrary to what the passage indicates about what a duck and a goose do "while employing their respective strategies of flying away from the nest."

After all, the passage says that the purpose of those strategies is "to draw predators away from the nest." So, rather than hide from predators, the duck and goose want to be seen and followed by predators.

Eliminate.

avoiding being caught by predators

Avoiding being caught by predators is not a strategy that a duck or goose would sacrifice the opportunity to use by flying away from the nest. So, this choice doesn't work for blank 1.

This choice also doesn't work for blank 2 since the passage doesn't indicate that a duck is "more likely to be successful at" avoiding being caught by predators.

Eliminate.

causing injury to predators threatening the nest

This is an easy-out choice since the passage neither says nor implies anything about "causing injury to predators."

Eliminate.

So, we see that the two choices "using vocalizations from within the nest to frighten predators" and "preventing predators from threatening the nest" logically complete the statement:

Statement: While employing their respective strategies of flying away from the nest, both an adult duck and an adult goose are sacrificing the opportunity to use the strategy of using vocalizations from within the nest to frighten predators, though the duck, by feigning injury, is more likely to be successful at preventing predators from threatening the nest.

Correct answer: using vocalizations from within the nest to frighten predators, preventing predators from threatening the nest