If prehistoric humans turned their attention to agriculture as they be

+---+---+---+---+
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
+---+---+---+---+
| E | C | A | D |
+---+---+---+---+

1. According to the passage, what do most anthropologists believe is the reason why arrowheads appear in such large numbers around prehistoric sites?

A. Arrowheads were easy to manufacture and were created in abundance by primitive humans.
Anthropologists believe the opposite, that arrowheads were valuable items. From paragraph 3,
"One point they raise is that arrowheads, valuable items easily lost during a hunt, appear....."
If arrowheads were easy to manufacture then they would not be valuable.

B. Several arrowheads could be created from the same piece of shale or slate.
The materials used to create arrowheads is never mentioned in the passage. The passage is focused on the reason for abundance of arrows, not their composition.

C. Arrowhead manufacturing was undertaken by the entire tribe in times of need.
This argument is not made by most anthropologists. As with B, this argument does not appear anywhere in the passage.

D. Arrowheads were used for a wide variety of purposes in prehistoric communities.
This is the argument made by Canadian anthropologist Chen Shan. It is not the opinion of most anthropologists.

E. Arrowheads were easily lost making reserve supplies a necessity.

CORRECT : This is directly stated in paragraph 3
"Most anthropologists continue to assume that the unused arrowheads comprised an auxiliary supply and were simply never required by their prehistoric manufacturers. One point they raise is that arrowheads, valuable items easily lost during a hunt, appear ..... "


2. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen Chen's claim that arrowheads were manufactured for amusement?

A. Large stores of arrowheads have been discovered along with other tools for hunting.
This would weaken Chen's claim, providing further evidence that the abundant supply of arrowheads was primarily meant for hunting.

B. No other discarded prehistoric relics have been found that did not serve some practical purpose.
This would lend further credence to the idea that the arrowheads too served a practical purpose, weakening Chen's argument that they were manufactured for amusement.
practical purpose and amusement are conclusions.

C. Large numbers of arrowheads have been discovered that were fashioned out of weak, easily broken materials.
CORRECT : This would strengthen Chen's argument since arrow's fashioned out of weak easily broken materials would be worthless for hunting or other practical purposes. It would be logical to conclude then that they were manufactured for amusement

D. Many other influential anthropologists have begun to support Chen's controversial claims.
The validity of a claim does not depend on who supports it. An argument from authority does not count as evidence towards a claim.


E. A flint stone covered with primitive etchings has been discovered that is believed to have been used in the creation of arrowheads.
This option is completely independent of the argument presented by Chen. It neither strengthens nor weakens the argument since the it gives s=us no information about how the arrowheads fashioned from the stone were used.


3. According to the passage, Chen fashioned his own arrowheads in order to

A. recreate and analyze the markings found on arrowheads collected from prehistoric settlements
CORRECT : This is stated in paragraph 2
" that would have been available to agricultural societies, Chen fashioned his own arrowheads and used them to perform various tasks that our ancestors might have performed around the cave, such as cutting grass and scraping animal skins. He discovered that each task produced its own unique marks on the arrowhead. He was able to guess which task a colleague had performed with each of his own set of arrowheads simply by studying the marks and scratches on the arrowheads’ tips and blades."
This fits closely with A (recreate and analyze).

B. understand the laborious process involved in the construction of prehistoric arrowheads
The process may have been laborious or not, but that was not the primary purpose of the experiment.

C. demonstrate his theory that arrowheads were used for entertainment among primitive hunters and farmers
The problem with this answer is the word entertainment. From paragraph 2, Chen's experiments showed that arrowheads were used for purposes other than hunting, but this does not prove that the arrowheads were used for entertainment. Usage of arrowheads for tasks such as cutting grass and scraping animal skin cannot be classified as entertainment.

D. illustrate the ease with which arrowheads can be fashioned using elementary implements
The passage makes no reference to the ease with which arrowheads were fashioned. As with B, this was not the purpose of Chen's experiment.

E. establish provisional evidence to contest the research of his colleagues
While Chen's explanations are said to vary greatly from the conventional wisdom (paragraph 1), the passage makes no mention of the research of his colleagues. Since we do not know about their work, we cannot say whether the evidence provided by Chen contests their research or not.

4. According to Chen, our ancestors did NOT make arrowheads in order to

A. perform common household chores
From paragraph 2, Chen contends that our ancestors used arrowheads for performing common household tasks such as "cutting grass and scraping animal skins". Hence A cannot be correct.

B. amuse themselves and their friends
This option fits with the recreational use which Chen controversially claims.
"early humans may have made these tools tor tun, as a way of preserving the wisdom of their hunter ancestors, or even as a demonstration of skill."

C. scrape animal skins
The use of arrowheads for scraping animal skins was shown by Chen's experiment.
from paragraph 2,
"Chen fashioned his own arrowheads and used them to perform various tasks that our ancestors might have performed around the cave, such as cutting grass and scraping animal skins ..... the marks and striations that resulted from Chen's household work closely matched those marks that appear on arrowheads believed to have been made in Ontario by agricultural peoples over 1000 years ago."

D. trade amongst neighboring tribes
CORRECT : Chen does not make any claims about trade/economic aspect of arrowheads. He contends that arrowheads were used for recreational purposes, which trade does not come under.

E. demonstrate their skill and craftsmanship
This is directly stated in the passage as one of the possibilities brought up by Chen to explain his findings.
"His most controversial claim is that early humans may have made these tools tor tun, as a way of preserving the wisdom of their hunter ancestors, or even as a demonstration of skill."

Understanding the passage:

Paragraph 1:
The first para puts forth some questions and states that an anthropologist is working to answer them, essentially setting an expectation about the answers of those questions.

Paragraph 2:
The second para goes on the explain, in detail, the anthropologist's experiments and his findings. Then it goes on to say that though the findings may point to a certain conclusion, the anthropologist did not quite conclude just so and also states the anthropologist's "controversial"(as per author) claim/conclusion.

Paragraph 3:
The last para provides information about how the broader anthropologist community reacted to his claims and also why "most anthropologists" disagree, with reasoning, with his claim.

Question 1: Answer - E
1. According to the passage, what do most anthropologists believe is the reason why arrowheads appear in such large numbers around prehistoric sites?
Most Anthropologists believe arrowheads are valuable items easily lost during a hunt(last 4 lines)

A. Arrowheads were easy to manufacture and were created in abundance by primitive humans.
No information provided indicates whether arrowheads were "easy"(or hard) to manufacture.

B. Several arrowheads could be created from the same piece of shale or slate.
No information on the source/raw materials used to create Arrowheads is provided.

C. Arrowhead manufacturing was undertaken by the entire tribe in times of need.
Again, nothing in the passage indicates that the entire tribe manufactured arrowheads. The preponderance of arrowheads alone doesn't warrant such an assumption.

D. Arrowheads were used for a wide variety of purposes in prehistoric communities.
While, it may be true that arrowheads were used for a wide variety of purposes, it's not what "most anthropologists" believe to be the reason why arrowheads appear in such large numbers.

E. Arrowheads were easily lost making reserve supplies a necessity.
Most Anthropologists believe arrowheads are valuable items easily lost during a hunt(last 4 lines)


Question 2: Answer - C
2. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen Chen's claim that arrowheads were manufactured for amusement?

A. Large stores of arrowheads have been discovered along with other tools for hunting.
"Along with other tools for hunting" suggests that those arrowheads might've been intended for hunting, too. Thus weakens Chen's argument.

B. No other discarded prehistoric relics have been found that did not serve some practical purpose.
This suggests that anything that did not serve some practical purpose(and discarded unused) was most probably never made at all. It indicates that every discarded prehistoric relic had some practical purpose. Thus weakens Chen's argument.

C. Large numbers of arrowheads have been discovered that were fashioned out of weak, easily broken materials.
Objections by most anthropologists to Chen's argument hold that arrowheads("arrowheads, valuable items easily lost during a hunt" - last 4 lines) were most probably used for hunting. This option, however, says that a lot of arrowheads were fashioned out of weak, easily broken materials which are not suitable for hunting. Also, such materials may not be suitable for even the household works that Chen experimented with. Thus it weakens the objections to Chen's claims and strengthens his argument.

D. Many other influential anthropologists have begun to support Chen's controversial claims.
This might support Chen's claim but doesn't bolster the assumption better than C does.

E. A flint stone covered with primitive etchings has been discovered that is believed to have been used in the creation of arrowheads.
Etched flint stone doesn't necessarily indicate that the arrowheads that were made using it were made for fun. In fact, it's quite common that artisans etch some indication in their tools to claim ownership. It doesn't help strengthen Chen's claim.

Question 3: Answer - A
3. According to the passage, Chen fashioned his own arrowheads in order to

A. recreate and analyze the markings found on arrowheads collected from prehistoric settlements
Correct. Second & third sentences in 2nd para indicate the intent of Chen to recreate the markings found on prehistoric arrowheads in order to identify the sort of works that could have, possibly, been done with arrowheads during that time.

B. understand the laborious process involved in the construction of prehistoric arrowheads
As discussed, the intent was to recreate and identify the sort of works possibly happened, not to see how laborious(or easy) the manufacturing was.

C. demonstrate his theory that arrowheads were used for entertainment among primitive hunters and farmers
His theory, before the experiment, was more towards a multipurpose arrowhead that could've been used for household works. The relation between his intent behind fashioning of own arrowheads and his theory of "arrowheads for fun"(claimed post the experiment) was nowhere indicated.

D. illustrate the ease with which arrowheads can be fashioned using elementary implements
Again, the intent was to recreate and identify the sort of works possibly happened, not to see how laborious(or easy) the manufacturing was.

E. establish provisional evidence to contest the research of his colleagues
No indication that suggests that Chen was contesting the research of his colleagues was provided.


Question 4: Answer - D
4. According to Chen, our ancestors did NOT make arrowheads in order to

A. perform common household chores
This can be concluded from Chen's conclusion of his experiment wherein the author says "Chen has not concluded, however, that arrowheads were simply household implements". Chen claims that the arrowheads are not just household tools but more than that. Anyway, he agrees those were used to perform household chores.

B. amuse themselves and their friends
Apparently true. Last two sentences of para 2 clearly state this as Chen's conclusion from the experiment.

C. scrape animal skins
Chen's experiment, as explained in para 2, states this as one of the household chores as part of the experiment.

A. trade amongst neighboring tribes
This is mentioned or indicated nowhere in the passage.

B. demonstrate their skill and craftsmanship
Last two sentences of para 2 exactly note this in stating "or even as a demonstration of skill".

Answers

1. E
2. E
3. A
4. D

Passage Brief

Para 1--> Questions on arrowheads, why found in abundance and why many were unused---> introduction of Chen a scientist who did research on these events---> this is the premise for the para 2

Para 2--> Chen's experiment details and his findings
Para3 --> Other scientist's view and objection on one of the Chen's finding ---> alternate explanation for the same event and their conclusion

Lets go to the questions

1. According to the passage, what do most anthropologists believe is the reason why arrowheads appear in such large numbers around prehistoric sites?

A. Arrowheads were easy to manufacture and were created in abundance by primitive humans. ("EASY" to manufacture, we cannot find evidence to this. We also know that prehistoric humans may have created the arrows heads for fun, Chen's hypothesis, but it was not easy. Chen suggest that it was a mark of their skill and craftmanship, INCORRECT)
B. Several arrowheads could be created from the same piece of shale or slate. (Even if we agree to this statement, we will never justify why they were in abundance and also we can refer para 3 to check most anthropologist's view and this is not one of them. INCORRECT)
C. Arrowhead manufacturing was undertaken by the entire tribe in times of need. (Completely OFS, we cannot find this piece of evidence in our passage, INCORRECT)
D. Arrowheads were used for a wide variety of purposes in prehistoric communities. (There is mention of their use in agricultural activities in Chen's finding however this is not the view which most anthropologist expressed. We can refer para 3 for view of most anthropologist, INCORRECT)
E. Arrowheads were easily lost making reserve supplies a necessity. (We can find evidence of the above question in para 3 end "One point they raise is that arrowheads, valuable items easily lost during a hunt, appear to be the only tools that appear in such large supply around prehistoric sites, indicating that reserve supplies were a necessity rather than a craftsman's luxury.", hence this is the CORRECT answer choice)

2. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen Chen's claim that arrowheads were manufactured for amusement?

Question type ---> Strengthener
Evidence -----> His most controversial claim is that early humans may have made these tools tor tun, as a way of preserving the wisdom of their hunter ancestors, or even as a demonstration of skill. This would explain the preponderance of arrowheads that appear to have gone wholly disused.

Conclusion ----> They made arrowheads for fun or amusement.
Pre-thinking ---> If we consider they made it for fun, what can prove this argument? answer to this question will be if we find the tool or something using which the humans created arrowheads on their own.
Lets now consider the option:

A. Large stores of arrowheads have been discovered along with other tools for hunting. (does this evidence prove that they were manufactured by the humans on their own, I don't think so, this is INCORRECT)
B. No other discarded prehistoric relics have been found that did not serve some practical purpose. ( try negating, some other discarded prehistoric relics have been found that did not serve some practical purpose, this does not prove that they made it for amusement, INCORRECT)
C. Large numbers of arrowheads have been discovered that were fashioned out of weak, easily broken materials. (In passage Chen states that their work was a mark of true craftmanship and skills. Creating of arrows from weak, easily broken materials will point to an idea that children were making it for playing etc. This line of though is not strengthening the claim, INCORRECT)
D. Many other influential anthropologists have begun to support Chen's controversial claims. (INCORRECT, even if they support, do they have evidence to back Chen's claim, we don't know that )
E. A flint stone covered with primitive etchings has been discovered that is believed to have been used in the creation of arrowheads. (CORRECT, as this can be a proof that a type stone was used by humans to carve out the arrowheads, which demonstrated their skills and craftmanship.)

3. According to the passage, Chen fashioned his own arrowheads in order to

A. recreate and analyze the markings found on arrowheads collected from prehistoric settlements (CORRECT, we can find the evidence in para 2 , " Chen conducted experiments that he believes point to a multipurpose arrowhead. Using the tools that would have been available to agricultural societies, Chen fashioned his own arrowheads and used them to perform various tasks that our ancestors might have performed around the cave, such as cutting grass and scraping animal skins.")
B. understand the laborious process involved in the construction of prehistoric arrowheads (No we cannot find evidence to this in passage, INCORRECT)
C. demonstrate his theory that arrowheads were used for entertainment among primitive hunters and farmers (No, this was his assumption for the unused arrowheads but has no correlation to why he fashioned his own arrowheads, INCORRECT)
D. illustrate the ease with which arrowheads can be fashioned using elementary implements (INCORRECT, we cannot find anything related to ease of creating an arrowhead, refer para 2)
E. establish provisional evidence to contest the research of his colleagues (INCORRECT, he did the research to understand and come to a conclusion on the questions mentioned in the para 1 and not to contest the research of his colleague)

4. According to Chen, our ancestors did NOT make arrowheads in order to

A. perform common household chores (INCORRECT, refer to para 2, all the activities are added. Household chore is a part of those activities performed using arrow heads)
B. amuse themselves and their friends (INCORRECT, this is also a part of Chen's hypothesis on why many were unused, reason being they were made for amusement)
C. scrape animal skins (INCORRECT, refer para 2, Scrapping animal skin is a part of activities performed using arrowheads)
A. trade amongst neighboring tribes (CORRECT, yes this is something which is not mentioned in the passage, hence we can conclude that arrowheads were not used for trading)
B. demonstrate their skill and craftsmanship (INCORRECT, A part of Chen's hypothesis on why arrowheads were unused since it was used for displaying skills and craftmanship)

Question 1: E


This question is asking for most anthropologists. Therefore, we can trace back to... "Most anthropologists continue to assume that the unused arrowheads comprised an auxiliary supply and were simply never required by their prehistoric manufacturers. One point they raise is that arrowheads, valuable items easily lost during a hunt, appear to be the only tools that appear in such large supply around prehistoric sites, indicating that reserve supplies were a necessity rather than a craftsman's luxury."

And, we can conclude that Option E is our winner here

Question 2: C


For this question, we have to make some inferences.
A --> not sure how this evidence is going to support Chen's claim
B --> this actually weaken the claim by saying that "other relics are for practical use"
C --> if "arrowheads" are intended "for use," they should be sturdy and be made from durable materials. However, if they are made "out of weak, easily broken material," arrowheads might be made for entertainment
D --> possibly the answer, but compared to C, it is not that convincing
E --> not related


Question 3: A


Related sentences:
"Chen fashioned his own arrowheads and used them to perform various tasks that our ancestors might have performed around the cave, such as cutting grass and scraping animal skins. He discovered that each task produced its own unique marks on the arrowhead. He was able to guess which task a colleague had performed with each of his own set of arrowheads simply by studying the marks and scratches on the arrowheads’ tips and blades."

Question 4: D


The passage never mentioned manufacturing for trade. So, it's apparently the answer

According to the best of my ability, kindly find the answers below.

1. According to the passage, what do most anthropologists believe is the reason why arrowheads appear in such large numbers around prehistoric sites?

A. Arrowheads were easy to manufacture and were created in abundance by primitive humans. => It is opposite of what anthropologists think because last line says "arrowheads, valuable items easily lost during a hunt, indicating that reserve supplies". INCORRECT
B. Several arrowheads could be created from the same piece of shale or slate. => First, according to the passage that is not mentioned. Second, even if it was mentioned then that could not be the reason. INCORRECT
C. Arrowhead manufacturing was undertaken by the entire tribe in times of need. => Times of need is not discussed. INCORRECT
D. Arrowheads were used for a wide variety of purposes in prehistoric communities. => Anthropologists think the opposite. Para 2 line 2: "simply never required by their prehistoric manufacturers" INCORRECT
E. Arrowheads were easily lost making reserve supplies a necessity. => Last line of the passage states anthropologists believe "One point they raise is that arrowheads, valuable items easily lost during a hunt, appear to be the only tools that appear in such large supply" CORRECT


2. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen Chen's claim that arrowheads were manufactured for amusement?

EXPLANATION: Correct answer would support that arrowheads were manufactured for amusement.
A. Large stores of arrowheads have been discovered along with other tools for hunting. => 'Arrowheads were used for hunting' : If at all this choice does something, it weakens the argument that arrowheads were manufactured for amusement INCORRECT
B. No other discarded prehistoric relics have been found that did not serve some practical purpose. => Every other thing discovered had some purpose and only arrowheads served no purpose. That gives a reason to believe that arrowheads were manufactured for amusement. Let us keep B.
C. Large numbers of arrowheads have been discovered that were fashioned out of weak, easily broken materials. => That also gives a reason to believe that arrowheads were manufactured for amusement as weak arrows would fail to hunt.Let us keep C.
D. Many other influential anthropologists have begun to support Chen's controversial claims. => We still do not know what is the claim INCORRECT
E. A flint stone covered with primitive etchings has been discovered that is believed to have been used in the creation of arrowheads. => A stone does not prove anything about usage of arrowheads. INCORRECT
B versus C
Para 2 second last line mentions that claim is that early humans may have made these tools tor tun (tor tun: false).
Thus we can say that false tools could also be of light practical use such as amusement or household work and not for strong practical use i.e. hunting (which other anthropologists mention in last passage, opposing Chen's claim). That helps us to keep C, as it sticks to the passage and strengthen Chen's claim. Eliminate B and keep C.


3. According to the passage, Chen fashioned his own arrowheads in order to

EXPLANATION: Para 2 line 2-3 combined: Chen fashioned his own arrowheads - to perform various tasks - that produced its own unique marks on the arrowhead.
A. recreate and analyze the markings found on arrowheads collected from prehistoric settlements => Perfect, in line with the explanation. CORRECT
B. understand the laborious process involved in the construction of prehistoric arrowheads => Objective was not to understand the process. Explanation above mentions the objective picked from passage. INCORRECT
C. demonstrate his theory that arrowheads were used for entertainment among primitive hunters and farmers => Although C is tempting, but 'used for entertainment' was the result not the objective. INCORRECT
D. illustrate the ease with which arrowheads can be fashioned using elementary implements => The passage does not specify whether fashioning arrowheads was easy or tough. INCORRECT
E. establish provisional evidence to contest the research of his colleagues => Although result of the experiments came out to be controversial, Chen did not fashion his own arrowheads to contest any research. INCORRECT


4. According to Chen, our ancestors did NOT make arrowheads in order to

A. perform common household chores => Passage mentions it in line para 2 line 5. INCORRECT
B. amuse themselves and their friends => Passage mentions it in line para 3 line 1. INCORRECT
C. scrape animal skins => Passage mentions it in line para 2 line 2. INCORRECT
D. trade amongst neighboring tribes => NOT mentioned in the passage CORRECT (Because of the typing error of letter of this answer option, I was about to post A as the correct answer )
E. demonstrate their skill and craftsmanship => Passage mentions it in line para 2 second last line. INCORRECT

P1: Paradox of arrowheads v/s agriculture
P2: Chen Shan (CS) Demonstrated use of arrowheads in tools.
CS controversary ->To preserve skills
P3: Arrowheads were necessity not luxury.

1. According to the passage, what do most anthropologists believe is the reason why arrowheads appear in such large numbers around prehistoric sites?

A. Arrowheads were easy to manufacture and were created in abundance by primitive humans. (Manufacturing ease is not discussed )
B. Several arrowheads could be created from the same piece of shale or slate. (Not discussed)
C. Arrowhead manufacturing was undertaken by the entire tribe in times of need.(Not discussed)
D. Arrowheads were used for a wide variety of purposes in prehistoric communities.(That is what Chen proposed and demonstrated)
E. Arrowheads were easily lost making reserve supplies a necessity.(Yes, Last para explicability mentions)

2. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen Chen's claim that arrowheads were manufactured for amusement?

A. Large stores of arrowheads have been discovered along with other tools for hunting.(No, does not strengthen)
B. No other discarded prehistoric relics have been found that did not serve some practical purpose.(No, does not strengthen)
C. Large numbers of arrowheads have been discovered that were fashioned out of weak, easily broken materials.(yes, as the belief that arrowheads were used as tools will be weakened or there could be need of such tools not having more strength)
D. Many other influential anthropologists have begun to support Chen's controversial claims.( If many other anthropologists believe that Chen's claim that arrowheads were something that earlier people made for amusement, the claim will be strengthened)
E. A flint stone covered with primitive etchings has been discovered that is believed to have been used in the creation of arrowheads.(No, does not strengthen)

3. According to the passage, Chen fashioned his own arrowheads in order to

A. recreate and analyze the markings found on arrowheads collected from prehistoric settlements : Bingo, P2
B. understand the laborious process involved in the construction of prehistoric arrowheads: Not implied by the information
C. demonstrate his theory that arrowheads were used for entertainment among primitive hunters and farmers: Not implied by the information
D. illustrate the ease with which arrowheads can be fashioned using elementary implements: Not implied by the information
E. establish provisional evidence to contest the research of his colleagues: Not implied by the information

4. According to Chen, our ancestors did NOT make arrowheads in order to

A. perform common household chores: Mentioned in P2
B. amuse themselves and their friends: Mentioned in P3
C. scrape animal skins : Mentioned in P2
D. trade amongst neighboring tribes : Yes, Not mentioned
E. demonstrate their skill and craftsmanship: Mentioned in P2

1. According to the passage, what do most anthropologists believe is the reason why arrowheads appear in such large numbers around prehistoric sites?

A. Arrowheads were easy to manufacture and were created in abundance by primitive humans.
B. Several arrowheads could be created from the same piece of shale or slate.
C. Arrowhead manufacturing was undertaken by the entire tribe in times of need.
D. Arrowheads were used for a wide variety of purposes in prehistoric communities.
E. Arrowheads were easily lost making reserve supplies a necessity.
The passage mentions in the last paragraph that most anthropologists believed reserve supplies of arrowheads were necessary as arrowheads were a requirement rather than luxury.
None of the other answers are supported by the passage


2. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen Chen's claim that arrowheads were manufactured for amusement?

[s]A. Large stores of arrowheads have been discovered along with other tools for hunting.
implies they were used for hunting
B. No other discarded prehistoric relics have been found that did not serve some practical purpose.[/s]
doesn't support
C. Large numbers of arrowheads have been discovered that were fashioned out of weak, easily broken materials.
only if used for amusement can the arrowheads be manufactured from weak materials, else the hunt would be affected by weak arrows.
D. Many other influential anthropologists have begun to support Chen's controversial claims.
personal opinions does not strengthen as much as choice C
E. A flint stone covered with primitive etchings has been discovered that is believed to have been used in the creation of arrowheads.
irrelevant



3. According to the passage, Chen fashioned his own arrowheads in order to

A. recreate and analyze the markings found on arrowheads collected from prehistoric settlements
this is stated in the second paragraph
B. understand the laborious process involved in the construction of prehistoric arrowheads
not Chen's aim in the passage
C. demonstrate his theory that arrowheads were used for entertainment among primitive hunters and farmers
this cannot support why he made his own arrowheads
D. illustrate the ease with which arrowheads can be fashioned using elementary implements
not his goal
E. establish provisional evidence to contest the research of his colleagues
not his main aim





4. According to Chen, our ancestors did NOT make arrowheads in order to

A. perform common household chores
B. amuse themselves and their friends
C. scrape animal skins
D. trade amongst neighboring tribes
all of them were goals of our ancestors
E. demonstrate their skill and craftsmanship
this was not the main goal of our ancestors

Quick Notes-

Para1 - What is the reason for the existence of the arrowheads in the prehistoric era?
- The attention towards agriculture
- Unused
- Inconsistent with hunting marks
Para2 -Chen concluded
- multi usages
- Found similarities on the marks and scratches
- Way of preserving wisdom of their ancestors
- Amusement
Chen didn't conclude these items as household implements
Para3 - Anthropologists conclude:
- Against amusement claims
- reserve supplies were a necessity rather than a craftsman's luxury.

1. According to the passage, what do most anthropologists believe is the reason why arrowheads appear in such large numbers around prehistoric sites?

A. Arrowheads were easy to manufacture and were created in abundance by primitive humans.
B. Several arrowheads could be created from the same piece of shale or slate.
C. Arrowhead manufacturing was undertaken by the entire tribe in times of need.
D. Arrowheads were used for a wide variety of purposes in prehistoric communities.
E. Arrowheads were easily lost making reserve supplies a necessity.
[Last lines of the passage]

IMO E

2. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen Chen's claim that arrowheads were manufactured for amusement?

A. Large stores of arrowheads have been discovered along with other tools for hunting.
B. No other discarded prehistoric relics have been found that did not serve some practical purpose.
C. Large numbers of arrowheads have been discovered that were fashioned out of weak, easily broken materials.
D. Many other influential anthropologists have begun to support Chen's controversial claims.
E. A flint stone covered with primitive etchings has been discovered that is believed to have been used in the creation of arrowheads.
[Clearly strengthening the fact that these arrowheads were not used for hunting but for amusement]

IMO - E

3. According to the passage, Chen fashioned his own arrowheads in order to

A. recreate and analyze the markings found on arrowheads collected from prehistoric settlements
[Straight from the passage
Chen fashioned his own arrowheads and used them to perform various tasks that our ancestors might have performed around the cave]
B. understand the laborious process involved in the construction of prehistoric arrowheads
C. demonstrate his theory that arrowheads were used for entertainment among primitive hunters and farmers
D. illustrate the ease with which arrowheads can be fashioned using elementary implements
E. establish provisional evidence to contest the research of his colleagues

IMO- A

4. According to Chen, our ancestors did NOT make arrowheads in order to

A. perform common household chores
[Straight from the passage: Chen has not concluded, however, that arrowheads were simply household implements.]
B. amuse themselves and their friends
C. scrape animal skins
A. trade amongst neighboring tribes
B. demonstrate their skill and craftsmanship

IMO A

ANSWERS 1. E 2. C 3. A 4. D

1. According to the passage, what do most anthropologists believe is the reason why arrowheads appear in such large numbers around prehistoric sites?

This is an evidence question. All we need to find is evidence to support what most anthropologists think is the reason why arrowheads appeared in large numbers around the mentioned sites. The answer is given in Paragraph 3 “Most anthropologists continue to assume that the unused arrowheads comprised an auxiliary supply and were simply never required by their prehistoric manufacturers.”


A. Arrowheads were easy to manufacture and were created in abundance by primitive humans.
We do not know whether the manufacture of arrowheads was easy or not. This cannot be the right answer

B. Several arrowheads could be created from the same piece of shale or slate.

Shale/Slate/Material from which arrowheads isn’t mentioned anywhere in the passage either. OUT OF SCOPE

C. Arrowhead manufacturing was undertaken by the entire tribe in times of need.

We do not know how manufacturing was distributed among tribes or within tribes. OUT OF SCOPE

D. Arrowheads were used for a wide variety of purposes in prehistoric communities.
This a belief held by CHEN not most anthropologists, it is also one of the results of CHEN’S experiment.

E. Arrowheads were easily lost making reserve supplies a necessity. CORRECT

Despite the typo in this choice, this fits best as paragraph 3 mentions that arrowheads were valuable supplies that were easily lost during hunts and therefore making reserve supplies of arrowheads was a necessity not a luxury.

2. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen Chen's claim that arrowheads were manufactured for amusement?

This is a Strengthening Critical Reasoning Question.

Conclusion - Arrowheads manufactured for amusement.

All we need to find is an ADDITIONAL piece of information that would further solidify this claim.


A.Large stores of arrowheads have been discovered along with other tools for hunting.

If large stored of arrowheads were found with HUNTING TOOLS, then clearly the arrowheads were used for HUNTING and NOT FOR FUN. This weakens the claim.

B. No other discarded prehistoric relics have been found that did not serve some practical purpose.

No “other” discarded prehistoric relics have been found that did not serve some practical purpose. This choices assumes that arrowheads are discarded relics that serve no purpose event though the point is to PROVE that claim. Parallel statement would be -> “ I am the nicest person here because no one is nicer than I am.”

The circular reasoning in this choice makes it INCORRECT.


C. Large numbers of arrowheads have been discovered that were fashioned out of weak, easily broken materials. CORRECT

This is the right choice because if a LOT of arrowheads are made from easily broken and weak materials, they cannot be used for any practical purpose. Therefor it supports and strengthens the claim that they were made for fun.

D. Many other influential anthropologists have begun to support Chen's controversial claims.

This cannot support the claim. If the other influential anthropologists support Chen it doesn’t do anything for the claim itself. Just like multiple people claiming the Earth being flat doesn’t make it true.

E. A flint stone covered with primitive etchings has been discovered that is believed to have been used in the creation of arrowheads.

This does nothing to the claim. A flinstone that made the arrowheads can only prove that the arrowheads were made and not the purpose for which they were made.

3. According to the passage, Chen fashioned his own arrowheads in order to

Throughout paragraph 2, Chen fashions his own arrowheads, performed the same prehistoric tasks and then analysed the markings to come up with his own explanations for the findings.

A.recreate and analyze the markings found on arrowheads collected from prehistoric settlements CORRECT

YES! This is exactly what Chen proceeds to do as per Passage 2.

B. understand the laborious process involved in the construction of prehistoric arrowheads

This isn’t supported anywhere in the passage, where neither the process of making arrowheads nor the difficulty of it is mentioned.

C. demonstrate his theory that arrowheads were used for entertainment among primitive hunters and farmers.

The theory was one of the outcomes of CHEN’s experiments and not the sole reason he set out to make the arrowheads.

D. illustrate the ease with which arrowheads can be fashioned using elementary implements

Same reasoning as B. The process and its difficulty is not mentioned, therefor this choice is unsupported.

E. establish provisional evidence to contest the research of his colleagues

Chen’s research wasn’t reactionary to a colleague’s research as per the passage. In addition, no other colleague’s research is explored in the passage, only Chen’s

4. According to Chen, our ancestors did NOT make arrowheads in order to

WARNING THERE IS A TYPO IN THIS QUESTION CHOICE D IS LABELLED AS A.

This is an “evidence” question which is also an “EXCEPT” question. So FOUR choices must be solidly supported by evidence from the passage, and one shouldn’t be. So cross off any YES's.

According to CHEN, the arrowheads were made to perform household tasks like cutting grass, scraping animal skins, and for fun ( to preserve ancestral wisdom or demonstrate skills.)

A. perform common household chores

Yes Grass cutting and scraping animal skin can be construed as household chores for a prehistoric era.

B. amuse themselves and their friends

“For fun”, yes certainly.

C. scrape animal skins

Mentioned in Paragraph 2. So Certainly yes.

D. trade amongst neighboring tribes CORRECT

Never mentioned in the paragraph as a purpose to use arrowheads. This is an evidence question so the answer must be supported wholly by the passage.

E. demonstrate their skill and craftsmanship

Yes. Mentioned in Paragraph 2 as part of making arrowheads for fun.

1. According to the passage, what do most anthropologists believe is the reason why arrowheads appear in such large numbers around prehistoric sites? - Answer E

This is clearly mentioned in the last paragraph of the passage that arrowheads were created in abundance to compensate for the lost one, hence E is the answer

A. Arrowheads were easy to manufacture and were created in abundance by primitive humans.
B. Several arrowheads could be created from the same piece of shale or slate.
C. Arrowhead manufacturing was undertaken by the entire tribe in times of need.
D. Arrowheads were used for a wide variety of purposes in prehistoric communities.
E. Arrowheads were easily lost making reserve supplies a necessity


2. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen Chen's claim that arrowheads were manufactured for amusement? - Option C

Chen argument will be strengthened if it can be showed that arrows were not used for hunting and option C just does that for us

A. Large stores of arrowheads have been discovered along with other tools for hunting.
B. No other discarded prehistoric relics have been found that did not serve some practical purpose.
C. Large numbers of arrowheads have been discovered that were fashioned out of weak, easily broken materials.
D. Many other influential anthropologists have begun to support Chen's controversial claims.
E. A flint stone covered with primitive etchings has been discovered that is believed to have been used in the creation of arrowheads.




3. According to the passage, Chen fashioned his own arrowheads in order to - Option A

A. recreate and analyze the markings found on arrowheads collected from prehistoric settlements
B. understand the laborious process involved in the construction of prehistoric arrowheads
C. demonstrate his theory that arrowheads were used for entertainment among primitive hunters and farmers
D. illustrate the ease with which arrowheads can be fashioned using elementary implements
E. establish provisional evidence to contest the research of his colleagues


4. According to Chen, our ancestors did NOT make arrowheads in order to -Option D

A. perform common household chores
B. amuse themselves and their friends
C. scrape animal skins
A. trade amongst neighboring tribes
B. demonstrate their skill and craftsmanship

1. According to the passage, what do most anthropologists believe is the reason why arrowheads appear in such large numbers around prehistoric sites?

A. Arrowheads were easy to manufacture and were created in abundance by primitive humans.
B. Several arrowheads could be created from the same piece of shale or slate.
C. Arrowhead manufacturing was undertaken by the entire tribe in times of need.
D. Arrowheads were used for a wide variety of purposes in prehistoric communities.
E. Arrowheads were easily lost making reserve supplies a necessity.

In the last para,
One point they raise is that arrowheads, valuable items easily lost during a hunt, appear to be the only tools that appear in such large supply around prehistoric sites, indicating that reserve supplies were a necessity rather than a craftsman's luxury.

Hence D


2. Which of the following, if true, would strengthen Chen's claim that arrowheads were manufactured for amusement?

A. Large stores of arrowheads have been discovered along with other tools for hunting. => Irrelivent

B. No other discarded prehistoric relics have been found that did not serve some practical purpose. => Irrelivent

C. Large numbers of arrowheads have been discovered that were fashioned out of weak, easily broken materials. => If this is true then arrowhead are for amusement purpose only, because they can break if they do any other task . Correct

D. Many other influential anthropologists have begun to support Chen's controversial claims. => other influential anthropologists support doesn't mean his claim was right or wrong

E. A flint stone covered with primitive etchings has been discovered that is believed to have been used in the creation of arrowheads. => what was used to create arrowhead does not support or weaken Chen's claim


3. According to the passage, Chen fashioned his own arrowheads in order to

This is clearly stated in second para, Hence A


4. According to Chen, our ancestors did NOT make arrowheads in order to
A. perform common household chores
B. amuse themselves and their friends
C. scrape animal skins
D. trade amongst neighboring tribes
E. demonstrate their skill and craftsmanship

Every other option except D is mentioned in second para,
We done know whether arrowhead trade happened amongst neighboring tribes or not
Hence D

Hello everyone!

This is again not a harder one, only question #2 is a bit harder comparatively but not too hard. You are not supposed to get any question incorrect except question #2.

For the explanation here today it is very tough competition. A lot of guys did very well today which I am happy to see.

c93liu
Gaudapada
ShellyB
SomeOneUnique
800gal

You all nailed it today.

Getting questions right and putting efforts into writing the explanations are two different things, when I didn't mention someone who got all or majority or equal number of questions correct it means they didn't put in the required efforts to write explanation.

Getting questions correct is comparatively easy than writing quality explanations and that is the point that makes the difference. To be competitive you need to be competitive in every sphere. Writing a quality explanation that is helpful to other aspirants may take up to an hour for 5-6 questions.

We have covered three days and left two days. Day 4 questions are posted and you can visit the RC forum to see the questions, I will update the main thread shortly.

PS: I didn't see the remarkable response in the IR Mini Marathon so you all are invited to take part in that competition too. The competition there is not strong comparatively so chances to win are much higher, especially I am calling to those who are not interested writing detailed explanations here. The winner of both competitions will be announced on Sunday, Oct. 10.

PS: 800gal you have frightened me with your WARNING in question #4.

Thank you and good luck with Day 4 questions.

Sajjad1994 Lol. 😂

Posted from my mobile device