Deer mice normally do not travel far from their nests, and deer mice

Question

Deer mice normally do not travel far from their nests, and deer mice that are moved more than half a kilometer from their nests generally never find their way back. Yet in one case, when researchers camped near a deer mouse nest and observed a young deer mouse for several weeks before moving it to an area over two kilometers away, the deer mouse found its way back to its nest near their camp in less than two days.

Which one of the followings, if true, most help to explain how the deer mouse might have found its way back to its nest?

(A) The area to which the deer mouse was moved was dryer and more rocky than the area in which its nest was located.

(B) The researchers released the deer mouse in a flat area across which their campfire smoke drifted.

(C) There were very few deer mice in the area to which the deer mouse was moved.

(D) The researchers had moved the deer muse in a small dark box, keeping the mouse calm before it was released.

(E) Animals that prey on deer mice were common in the area to which the deer mouse was moved.

Only1 · Answer

Deer mice normally do not travel far from their nests, and deer mice that are moved more than half a kilometer from their nests generally never find their way back. Yet in one case, when researchers camped near a deer mouse nest and observed a young deer mouse for several weeks before moving it to an area over two kilometers away, the deer mouse found its way back to its nest near their camp in less than two days. Firstly , I'm happy that he reached back to his nest safely

Secondly , we have to find a cause which might have helped the mice to reach to his nest. (A) The area to which the deer mouse was moved was dryer and more rocky than the area in which its nest was located. Since we are not familiar with the overall terrain, this option becomes irrelevant for the argument. (B) The researchers released the deer mouse in a flat area across which their campfire smoke drifted. Smoke drifted on the flat area. Okay. So what if the mouse can smell the smoke or can trace the heat marks? He can follow the smoke to its source n hence can reach to his nest. So this option can help. Let's keep it. (C) There were very few deer mice in the area to which the deer mouse was moved. Irrelevant (D) The researchers had moved the deer muse in a small dark box, keeping the mouse calm before it was released. We don't the reason why mice couldn't find its way back to its nest. Was it because of panicking? We don't know. Hence this option is irrelevant. (E) Animals that prey on deer mice were common in the area to which the deer mouse was moved. Irrelevant. Hence option B is the correct answer.

BruhPoseidon · Answer

how are we to even approach this? Weird question imo

guddo · Answer

Deer mice normally do not travel far from their nests, and deer mice that are moved more than half a kilometer from their nests generally never find their way back. Yet in one case, when researchers camped near a deer mouse nest and observed a young deer mouse for several weeks before moving it to an area over two kilometers away, the deer mouse found its way back to its nest near their camp in less than two days.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to explain how the deer mouse might have found its way back to its nest?

The puzzle is  how this particular mouse managed to locate its nest from more than two kilometers away , even though deer mice normally cannot find their way home from much shorter distances. We need something that could have given this mouse a  way to navigate back .

(A) The area to which the deer mouse was moved was dryer and more rocky than the area in which its nest was located.

Incorrect. This might make the new area less desirable, giving the mouse a reason to leave. But it does not explain how the mouse could find its nest.

(B) The researchers released the deer mouse in a flat area across which their campfire smoke drifted.

Correct.   The researchers' camp was near the mouse's nest. If smoke from that camp drifted across the area where the mouse was released, the mouse could have followed the scent of the smoke back toward its nest. This provides a specific navigational cue that could explain why this mouse succeeded where deer mice normally do not.

(C) There were very few deer mice in the area to which the deer mouse was moved.

Incorrect. This might make the new area less attractive, but it does not explain how the mouse knew which direction led home.

(D) The researchers had moved the deer mouse in a small dark box, keeping the mouse calm before it was released.

Incorrect. Keeping the mouse calm does not explain how it located its nest. In fact, being transported in a dark box would make it less likely that the mouse could use visual landmarks from the journey to navigate back.

(E) Animals that prey on deer mice were common in the area to which the deer mouse was moved.

Incorrect. Predators could give the mouse a strong reason to leave the new area, but they do not explain how it could find its way back to its original nest.

Answer: (B)

Deer mice normally do not travel far from their nests, and deer mice

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Deer mice normally do not travel far from their nests, and deer mice

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

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From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards