In humans, the pilomotor reex leads to the response commonly known as

Question

In humans, the pilomotor reﬂex leads to the response commonly known as goose bumps, and this response is widely considered to be vestigial—that is, something formerly having a greater physiological advantage than at present. It occurs when the tiny muscle at the base of a hair follicle contracts, pulling the hair upright. In animals with feathers, fur, or quills, this creates a layer of insulating warm air or a reason for predators to think twice before attacking. But human hair is too puny to serve these functions. Goose bumps in humans may, however, have acquired a  new role . Like ﬂushing—another thermoregulatory (heat-regulating) mechanism—goose bumps have become linked with emotional responses, notably fear, rage, or the pleasure of, say, listening to beautiful music. Tey may thus serve as a signal to others.    1 
 1. In explaining the “new role” ( Highlighted ) that goose bumps in humans may have acquired, the author assumes which of the following?

A. Emotional responses in humans can be triggered by thermoregulatory mechanisms.
B. The perceptibility of emotional responses to other humans oﬀers some kind of beneft.
C. If human hair were more substantial, goose bumps would not have acquired a new role.
D. Goose bumps in animals with feathers, fur, or quills may also be linked to emotional responses.
E. In humans, goose bumps represent an older physiological response than ﬂushing.

2 
 2. Which of the following best describes the primary function of the next-to-last sentence (“Like . . . music”)?

A. It makes a distinction between two types of mechanisms.
B. It corrects a common misconception about the role of goose bumps in humans.
C. It suggests reasons for the connection between emotional responses and goose bumps in humans.
D. It suggests that ﬂushing and goose bumps signal the same emotional state.
E. It helps explain a possible role played by goose bumps in humans.

RC Butler 2022  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 279 Date: 13-Jul-2022
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2022 .  Click here for Details

summerindecember · Answer

hi  Sajjad1994

Why is the answer for no. 2 is E not B?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. Which of the following best describes the primary function of the next-to-last sentence (“Like . . . music”)?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

Choice E  is the correct answer. The next-to-last sentence says that goose bumps in humans now serve as an outward sign of strong emotion. If so, this would explain how they could have taken on another role, so  Choice E  is correct.

The sentence does not make a distinction (Choice A), correct a misconception (Choice B), suggest any reason for the connection between emotion and goose bumps (Choice C), or suggest that flushing and goose bumps signal the same state (Choice D).

Answer: E

abhishektyga · Answer

Can you please explain why  B  is correct choice for Q1 instead of  C ?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

C is out of scope, i see no reason for C to be correct. One may debate between A and B, but C is nowhere near. C implies that the presence of more substantial human hair would prevent goose bumps from having a new role. The passage does not make this assumption, and it doesn't discuss the relationship between human hair thickness and the acquisition of this new role.

ThatIndianGuy · Answer

Hi  Sajjad1994

Please help in Q1 - b/w A and B?

Genivs1 · Answer

For those of you who chose D. Remember to consider not just the sentence itself and its function, but rather the context of the surrounding sentences as well. If you consider the sentence before and after you'll clearly see that the correct answer is E. Hope this helps!

anuj7243sharma · Answer

pls explain why A is not the answer and why B is the answer in question 1

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. In explaining the “new role” (Highlighted) that goose bumps in humans may have acquired, the author assumes which of the following?

Difficulty Level:   700-750

Explanation

The passage addresses the question of why the pilomotor reﬂex has survived in human beings despite the fact that its original functions—to insulate and to appear larger to predators—are no longer useful. The suggested reason is that the reﬂex  “has acquired a new role,”  namely, as a means to signal to others that one is experiencing a strong emotion. This assumes that the ability to send such a signal is useful to human beings; therefore  Choice B  is correct.

Answer: B

In humans, the pilomotor reex leads to the response commonly known as

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

In humans, the pilomotor reex leads to the response commonly known as

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

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