1. Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?(A) Evidence from two areas of science undermines the strict constructionist claim that natural selection is the only driving force behind evolution.
(B) According to strict constructionist Darwinians, new evidence suggests that natural selection is responsible for the failure of most extinct species.
(C) New evidence demonstrates that natural selection can produce nonadaptive as well as adaptive changes.
(D) Strict constructionist followers of Darwin maintain that natural selection is responsible for all evolutionary change.
(E) Evidence from the study of population genetics helps to disprove the claim that natural selection results in the survival of the fittest species.
2. According to the author, mammals were able to survive catastrophic environmental changes that occurred roughly 65 million years ago because they(A) had adapted previously to similar changes
(B) were relatively small
(C) were highly intelligent
(D) lived in a wide range of environments
(E) were able to reproduce quickly
3. The author asserts which one of the following regarding mutations of genetic material?(A) The majority of such mutations are not passed on to subsequent generations.
(B) The majority of such mutations occur during periods when mass extinctions take place.
(C) The majority of such mutations change species’ behavior rather than their appearance.
(D) The majority of such mutations have no effect on reproductive success.
(E) The majority of such mutations occur in larger rather than smaller species.
4. The author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements?
(A) Natural selection is responsible for almost none of the characteristics of existing species.
(B) The fact that a species flourishes in a certain environment is not proof of its adaptation to that environment.
(C) Only evolutionary changes that provide some advantage to a species are transmitted to subsequent generations.
(D) Large animal species are generally unable to survive in harsh environmental conditions.
(E) Natural selection is useful for explaining the form but not the behavior of most species.
5. The author’s stance toward the arguments of the strict constructionist Darwinians can most accurately be described as one of(A) emphatic disagreement
(B) mild disapproval
(C) open-minded neutrality
(D) conditional agreement
(E) unreserved endorsement
6. Which one of the following most accurately and completely describes the function of the second paragraph of the passage?(A) It outlines the objections to traditional evolutionary theory raised by the strict constructionists mentioned in the first paragraph.
(B) It lists recent evidence suggesting that the strict constructionist claims described in the first paragraph are incorrect.
(C) It describes the strict constructionists’ view of evolutionary theory in order to explain why the evidence described in subsequent paragraphs has recently gotten so much attention.
(D) It enumerates the arguments for the strict constructionist position that are rebutted in the paragraphs that follow.
(E) It explains the ramifications of the strict constructionists’ claims and helps clarify the relevance of evidence offered in subsequent paragraphs.
7. The primary purpose of the passage is to(A) argue in favor of a recently proposed hypothesis
(B) summarize a contemporary debate
(C) demonstrate that a particular view is incorrect
(D) criticize the proponents of a traditional theory
(E) explain why a particular theory is gaining popularity