Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Sep 0907:00 AM PDT
-10:00 AM PDT
Meet AdComs and explore top Master’s programs - MiM, MiF, MSc, MSBA and more. - Application Fee Waivers - Free 1-Week of GMAT Club Tests: - Master's Application Toolkit - Grand Prize Giveaway- Sep 09
10:00 AM PDT
-11:00 AM PDT
Three MBA applications. Three rejections. No interview invites. A year later, Aman was admitted to Cambridge Judge, SMU, and IMD. In this episode of MBA Admit Stories, Aman shares how he rebuilt his MBA application... 
Sep 0410:00 AM EDT
-11:59 PM EDT
We’ve worked incredibly hard to build TTP into the best test prep experience possible, and it would mean a lot to us to win Newsweek’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Test Prep. If TTP has helped you, we’d be incredibly grateful for your vote.
08 Jul 2026, 09:27
Kudos
Bookmarks
We have to find what would be most useful to know in order to decide b/w 'pebbles function as grinding tool' or 'to reinforce walls of nests' tunnels'.
A) we cannot conclude what the nests' interior constitute, and the greater surface wear does not necessarily imply they were used as grinding tool, it may well equally be plausible that the wear was from supporting the tunnel walls, or even from none of these. Moreover, similar composition of pebbles does not help the case, it could be the case that the harvester ant carried the pebbles which were already worn down from the atmosphere. Incorrect.
B) This option is tempting. If other harvester ant species which also eat hard-shelled seeds as the primary food source implied by the phrase make up large proportion of local food supply (although one can argue that large proportion does not equate as being the primary food source) collect pebbles for structural reinforcement, then it can lead us to believe that specific species of harvester ants in question do the same. Let's keep this option for now.
C) Location where the pebbles are deposited does not imply what they are used for. Incorrect.
D) Discussion of nutrient content is irrelevant to the argument in question and what we are trying to do. Incorrect.
E) This is also very tempting. If colonies of this species that live in structurally sound nests also carry pebbles into their nest, then we can conclude pebbles are being used as grinding tool. If these ants do not carry pebbles, then we can conclude that the species in question does so for reinforcement of their tunnel walls.
Since option E talks about this species in particular while option B talks about another species, most useful to know would be E.
A) we cannot conclude what the nests' interior constitute, and the greater surface wear does not necessarily imply they were used as grinding tool, it may well equally be plausible that the wear was from supporting the tunnel walls, or even from none of these. Moreover, similar composition of pebbles does not help the case, it could be the case that the harvester ant carried the pebbles which were already worn down from the atmosphere. Incorrect.
B) This option is tempting. If other harvester ant species which also eat hard-shelled seeds as the primary food source implied by the phrase make up large proportion of local food supply (although one can argue that large proportion does not equate as being the primary food source) collect pebbles for structural reinforcement, then it can lead us to believe that specific species of harvester ants in question do the same. Let's keep this option for now.
C) Location where the pebbles are deposited does not imply what they are used for. Incorrect.
D) Discussion of nutrient content is irrelevant to the argument in question and what we are trying to do. Incorrect.
E) This is also very tempting. If colonies of this species that live in structurally sound nests also carry pebbles into their nest, then we can conclude pebbles are being used as grinding tool. If these ants do not carry pebbles, then we can conclude that the species in question does so for reinforcement of their tunnel walls.
Since option E talks about this species in particular while option B talks about another species, most useful to know would be E.
quosrecusandae
Joined: 28 Dec 2025
Last visit: 04 Sep 2026
Posts: 13
Given Kudos: 4
Location: India
Schools: INSEAD Aug '27 Kellogg MiM '27 HEC MiM '27
GPA: 7.8
08 Jul 2026, 09:31
Kudos
Bookmarks
What the passage suggests:
- A species of harverster ants were studied
- They subsist on seeds, primarily
- Their mandibles are too weak to crack the seeds
- They transport pebbles from soil to the nest
- Function of the pebbles: Either serve as grinding tools to break the shells (or) used as wall reinforcers
The final statement, splits the argument, either this or that, we need to find an argument from options, which take us in one particular direction
Let's eliminate options:
(A): Wearing down of a pebble could happen while it is being used as grinding tool too, soo, eliminated
(B): We are talking about this species specifically, hence, irrelevant. Eliminated.
(C): The deposition of pebbles in brooding chambers could also be to strengthen the walls of brooding areas, this kind of makes me want to pick this, but, let's check other option before deciding
(D): No mention of nutrients anywhere, irrelevant. Eliminated.
(E): If the answer is Yes to this question - this means, the grinding argument is strengthened and if it is No - it supports the walling argument
Hence, IMO we can eliminate (C) and go with (E)
- A species of harverster ants were studied
- They subsist on seeds, primarily
- Their mandibles are too weak to crack the seeds
- They transport pebbles from soil to the nest
- Function of the pebbles: Either serve as grinding tools to break the shells (or) used as wall reinforcers
The final statement, splits the argument, either this or that, we need to find an argument from options, which take us in one particular direction
Let's eliminate options:
(A): Wearing down of a pebble could happen while it is being used as grinding tool too, soo, eliminated
(B): We are talking about this species specifically, hence, irrelevant. Eliminated.
(C): The deposition of pebbles in brooding chambers could also be to strengthen the walls of brooding areas, this kind of makes me want to pick this, but, let's check other option before deciding
(D): No mention of nutrients anywhere, irrelevant. Eliminated.
(E): If the answer is Yes to this question - this means, the grinding argument is strengthened and if it is No - it supports the walling argument
Hence, IMO we can eliminate (C) and go with (E)
Bunuel
08 Jul 2026, 09:36
Kudos
Bookmarks
I selected choice E.
Here's why.
We are looking for some kind of evidence that would definitively prove one hypothesis over another, i.e., either the pebbles are being used to crack seeds or reinforce walls. Let's examine each statement to see what information is being offered and whether it is useful.
A - If pebbles from the interior of the nest show greater wear than the surface level pebbles, this may suggest that the pebbles are being used to crack seeds which would seemingly incur wear and tear. However, there is no way to know that the pebbles being used to reinforce would not also show greater surface wear as well. Not enough information.
B - Knowing the answer to this would not help decide between one hypothesis, as it actually suggests that the pebbles could be used for both purposes its true that ants inhabit regions with both hard-shelled seeds and loose sand which needs reinforcement.
C - This is close, if it said whether the pebbles are deposited in granaries or along the load-bearing sections of tunnels only, I think this would be a strong answer, but because it discusses brood-rearing chambers which as far as I can tell is completely irrelevant to the topic, we can safely discard.
D - Irrelevant, we can safely discard.
E - If colonies of the species which do not have a need to reinforce their walls are still bringing the pebbles into the interior, that implies strong support for the first hypothesis. This would provide the strongest support for one hypothesis over the other, so it is the answer.
Here's why.
We are looking for some kind of evidence that would definitively prove one hypothesis over another, i.e., either the pebbles are being used to crack seeds or reinforce walls. Let's examine each statement to see what information is being offered and whether it is useful.
A - If pebbles from the interior of the nest show greater wear than the surface level pebbles, this may suggest that the pebbles are being used to crack seeds which would seemingly incur wear and tear. However, there is no way to know that the pebbles being used to reinforce would not also show greater surface wear as well. Not enough information.
B - Knowing the answer to this would not help decide between one hypothesis, as it actually suggests that the pebbles could be used for both purposes its true that ants inhabit regions with both hard-shelled seeds and loose sand which needs reinforcement.
C - This is close, if it said whether the pebbles are deposited in granaries or along the load-bearing sections of tunnels only, I think this would be a strong answer, but because it discusses brood-rearing chambers which as far as I can tell is completely irrelevant to the topic, we can safely discard.
D - Irrelevant, we can safely discard.
E - If colonies of the species which do not have a need to reinforce their walls are still bringing the pebbles into the interior, that implies strong support for the first hypothesis. This would provide the strongest support for one hypothesis over the other, so it is the answer.
