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555-605 Level|   Long Passage|   Science|                        
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 22 Nov 2018, 22:58
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Hey,

One way to manage time and read passages effectively is to read what is important and what is not because you can solve 80% of the passage by reading 20% of the passage.

To know more about how you can read better, please check the youtube link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43X5yJI ... c_0aAFpICK

All the very best.

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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 27 Nov 2018, 03:50
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Dear Verbal Expert,

even after reading the discussion I am still not able to fully understand Question 2... I understand why B is correct, but I do not understand why C is incorrect. Is it because of the "not a preferred food"? The passage never talks about explicitly about preference.

Thank you in advance!!!

(Book Question: 440)
According to the passage, which of the following types of nectar-feeding pollinators is likely to be an unreliable pollinator of a particular cactus flower?
A. A dietary specialist whose abundance is typically high in relation to that of the flower
B. A dietary specialist whose abundance is at times significantly lower than that of the flower
C. A dietary generalist for whom that flower???s nectar is not a preferred food but is the most consistently available food
D. A dietary generalist for whom that flower???s nectar is slightly preferred to other available foods
E. A dietary generalist that evolved from a species of dietary specialists
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 09 Jun 2019, 21:12
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Dear Verbal Expert,

even after reading the discussion I am still not able to fully understand Question 2... I understand why B is correct, but I do not understand why C is incorrect. Is it because of the "not a preferred food"? The passage never talks about explicitly about preference.

Thank you in advance!!!

(Book Question: 440)
According to the passage, which of the following types of nectar-feeding pollinators is likely to be an unreliable pollinator of a particular cactus flower?
A. A dietary specialist whose abundance is typically high in relation to that of the flower
B. A dietary specialist whose abundance is at times significantly lower than that of the flower
C. A dietary generalist for whom that flower???s nectar is not a preferred food but is the most consistently available food
D. A dietary generalist for whom that flower???s nectar is slightly preferred to other available foods
E. A dietary generalist that evolved from a species of dietary specialists
The passage does mention preference explicitly in lines 22-24:

    Or, they can be dietary specialists, but their abundance may vary widely from year to year, resulting in variable pollination of their preferred food species.

However, the role of preference is implied throughout the passage.

  • The distinction between "generalist" and "specialist" begins with the premise that animals pollinate food species (in other words, animals pollinate what they feed on).
  • Some pollinators (the generalists) pollinate whatever food species are available, while other pollinators (the specialists) do have a special preference, which can only be satisfied by a narrow range of food species.

So how we do we eliminate choice (C)? Well, here's the author says when describing reasons what could make a pollinator unreliable:

    Pollinators can be unreliable for several reasons. They can be dietary generalists whose fidelity to a particular species depends on the availability of alternative food sources.

According to the passage, a dietary generalist will be faithful to a particular food species if it's available. They don't have special food preferences. If they're feeding on a certain type of nectar, but an alternative food sources become available, then the generalists will begin pollinating that alternative food source instead. Is that what choice (C) says?

Quote:
C. A dietary generalist for whom that flower's nectar is not a preferred food but is the most consistently available food
(is likely to be an unreliable pollinator of that flower).
Nope. (C) tells us that this flower is the most consistently available food for that generalist. If that's true, then we'd expect the generalist to be a reliable pollinator for this flower, because the generalist pollinates whatever is available.

But choice (C), as it's written, states that the generalist is likely to be an unreliable pollinator for this flower.

This contradicts the expected behavior of generalists -- so we must eliminate it.

I hope this helps!
Show more

Thanks for sharing this. A few things. Wouldn't the term "generalist", which suggests that they can pollinate more than one flower, indicate that a generalist would pollinate according to preference, and not abundance? It would make more sense for a specialist to prioritize abundance, since they can only feed on a select few flowers, whereas a generalist has more choices and can therefore be more picky. This would make Answer C more correct.

In addition, Answer A specifically mentions "at times significantly lower", whereas the excerpt in the passage quotes "their abundance may be CHRONICALLY low relative to the availability of flowers". It seems to be the passage is suggesting the only chronically low abundance would be a reliability issue, but if it happens once in a while ("at times"), the effects are not significant enough to warrant the "unreliable" label.

Let me know if the above makes sense. Based on the logic above, I am still struggling to understand why B is correct and not C. Thank you!
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 12 Jun 2019, 07:01
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felixduan320

Thanks for sharing this. A few things. Wouldn't the term "generalist", which suggests that they can pollinate more than one flower, indicate that a generalist would pollinate according to preference, and not abundance? It would make more sense for a specialist to prioritize abundance, since they can only feed on a select few flowers, whereas a generalist has more choices and can therefore be more picky. This would make Answer C more correct.

In addition, Answer A specifically mentions "at times significantly lower", whereas the excerpt in the passage quotes "their abundance may be CHRONICALLY low relative to the availability of flowers". It seems to be the passage is suggesting the only chronically low abundance would be a reliability issue, but if it happens once in a while ("at times"), the effects are not significant enough to warrant the "unreliable" label.

Let me know if the above makes sense. Based on the logic above, I am still struggling to understand why B is correct and not C. Thank you!
Show more
The passage tells us that a generalist can be an unreliable pollinator because its "fidelity to a particular species depends on the availability of alternative food sources."

This tells us that a generalist doesn't really have a preference for which plant it eats -- it just eats whatever is most readily available. Let's say that out of plants X, Y, and Z, only plant X is available. Generalists will just eat plant X and be happy to do so! Now say that plants Y and Z move into the area -- the generalist doesn't remain faithful to plant X, but eats whatever is most convenient. Plant X will not get as much attention from the generalist -- so from plant X's perspective, the generalist is an unreliable pollinator when other plants are available for it to feed on.

The main point is that the generalist doesn't choose what it eats based on preference -- it chooses based on availability.

Take another look at (C):
Quote:
C. A dietary generalist for whom that flower’s nectar is not a preferred food but is the most consistently available food [is an unreliable pollinator].
Show more
Based on the discussion above, we know that generalists decide what to eat based on availability. So, it will reliably eat (and therefore pollinate) "the most consistently available food." This is essentially the opposite of answer choice (C), so (C) is incorrect.

To understand why (B) is correct, take a look at the two reasons identified in the passage to explain why a specialist may be an unreliable pollinator:
  • "their abundance may vary widely from year to year, resulting in variable pollination of their preferred food species." OR
  • " their abundance may be chronically low relative to the availability of flowers."

Now take a look at answer choice (B):
Quote:
B. A dietary specialist whose abundance is at times significantly lower than that of the flower
Show more
You are correct to point out that (B) doesn't align well with a case in which the specialist population is "chronically low." However, this answer choice does fit nicely with the other case, in which the specialists' "abundance may vary widely." Because (B) specifically tells us that the specialist's abundance is "at times significantly lower than that of the flower," we can say that it is not consistently available to pollinate all of the flowers. Therefore, this particular specialist is an unreliable pollinator, and (B) is correct.

I hope that helps!
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 19 Jun 2019, 00:55
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OG 2018-- using POE to pick Rt answer


439) The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. compare the adaptive responses of several species of columnar cacti in the Sonoran Desert with those in the arid tropical regions of southern Mexico
choice A -Eliminate because Main Purpose of Passage is not to compare adaptive responses. It just talks about adaptive response of Sonaran Dessert Cacti's evolution and its reason.[/b][/b]
B. discuss some of the possible causes of the relatively low abundance of migratory nectar-feeding bats in the Sonoran Desert
Choice B- Low Abundance of Bat is discussed but not its causes. So eliminate.
C. provide a possible explanation for a particular evolutionary change in certain species of columnar cacti in the Sonoran Desert
Choice C- Correct . It clearly explains main purpose of the passage. First talks about Evolution of the Columnar Cacti, Second para discusses reasons for evolution
D. present recent findings that challenge a particular theory as to why several species of columnar cacti in the Sonoran Desert have expanded their range of pollinators
Choice D- Eliminate as theory of evolutionary changes are discussed of columnar cacti but not CHALLENGED.
E. compare the effectiveness of nocturnal and diurnal pollination for several different species of columnar cacti in the Sonoran Desert
Choice E - Eliminate as Effectiveness of Nocturnal and diurnal pollination not discussed . Mix up trap where words from Passage are used to create trap answer choice.


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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 19 Jun 2019, 01:10
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Question: 440
According to the passage, which of the following types of nectar-feeding pollinators is likely to be an unreliable pollinator of a particular cactus flower?
A. A dietary specialist whose abundance is typically high in relation to that of the flower
Choice A- Says opposite to what is mentioned in second para of the passage.-", they can be dietary specialists, but their abundance may vary widely from year to year" So it does not say high abundance but says abundance vary.
B. A dietary specialist whose abundance is at times significantly lower than that of the flower
Correct Choice B-Refer para II Line 25[/b][color=#00a651]
C.A dietary generalist for whom that flower’s nectar is not a preferred food but is the most consistently available food[color=#111111]
Choice C - Mix up word trap- uses words from passage but conveys different meaning than what is said in passage. ( Ref line 24) Here if we go by meaning it should be reliable pollinator since flower nectar is most consistently available food .Eliminate C
D. A dietary generalist for whom that flower’s nectar is slightly preferred to other available foods
Answer Choice D-If Flower nectar is preferred - it will be reliable pollinator. Question talks about unreliable pollinator.- Eliminate D
E. A dietary generalist that evolved from a species of dietary specialists
Choice E -Passage does not discuss about this, so Eliminate.

For detail question we need to find match from the passage.


Question: 441
According to the passage, present-day columnar cacti in the Sonoran Desert differ from their close relatives in southern Mexico in that the Sonoran cacti
A. have flowers that remain open after sunset
Choice A- Uses one word off trap- where just one word is incorrect and changes the meaning from what is given in the passage. Passage says that Line 11"Sonoran Desert cacti have evolved to remain open after sunrise" Here it says Sunset. Hence Eliminate
B. are pollinated primarily by dietary specialists
Ans Choice B-Both are pollinated by dietary specialist- nectar feeding bats. So that is not the difference but common factor. So Eliminate. Dont forget we are looking for difference.
C. can be pollinated by nectar-feeding bats
Again same as ans Choice B- So Eliminate as it is common factor between both Sonaran Dessert Cacti and their close relatives in southern Mexico.
D. have stigmas that are unreceptive to pollination at night
Both are pollinated at night time though Sonaran Dessert cacti have evolved to getting pollinated day time also, but basically both get pollinated at night so there stigmas are receptive. This answer choice Note convery reverse of what is given in the passage. Hence Eliminate
E. are sometimes pollinated by diurnal pollinators
Correct- Passage talks about how Sonaran Dessert cacti have evolve to get pollinated by diurnal pollinators. unlike its close relative in southern mexico.

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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 12 Aug 2019, 22:44
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Hi, LeoGT
I had a query similar to yours for Q.2
Note that the passage describes in general about the cases when pollinators can be unreliable. However, the question mentions 'particular cactus flower', the answer for which is "during spring in the Sonoran Desert, the nectar-feeding bats are specialists feeding on carbon, saguaro, and organ-pipe flowers. However, whereas cactus-flower abundance tends to be high during spring, bat population densities tend to be low except near maternity roosts. Moreover, in spring, diurnal cactus-pollinating birds are significantly more abundant inthis region than are the nocturnal bats. Thus, with bats
being unreliable cactus-flower pollinators".

Hope this helps.
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 16 Oct 2019, 08:42
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Can someone share the note while reading the passage??
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 01 Nov 2019, 12:44
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According to the passage, present-day columnar cacti in the Sonoran Desert differ from their close relatives in southern Mexico in that the Sonoran cacti
A. have flowers that remain open after sunset
B. are pollinated primarily by dietary specialists
C. can be pollinated by nectar-feeding bats
D. have stigmas that are unreceptive to pollination at night
E. are sometimes pollinated by diurnal pollinators

Quote:
In these tropical regions, diurnal (daytime) visitors to columnar cactus flowers are ineffective pollinators because,]by sunrise, the flowers' stigmas become unreceptive or the flowers close.Yet the flowers of the Sonoran Desert cacti have evolved to remain open after sunrise, allowing pollination by such diurnal visitors as bees and birds.
Show more

=> I didn't choose (E) because I have concern over the word "sometimes". Why does the choice include "sometimes"? What I get from (E) is that Sonaran Dessert cacti are not regularly pollinated by diurnal visitors while the sentence "Yet the flowers of the Sonoran Desert cacti have evolved to remain open after sunrise, allowing that the act of pollination as a fact, which is permanent." seems to consider that pollination a permanent fact.
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 30 Dec 2019, 12:46
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Quote:
Question 3 (Book Question: 441)

According to the passage, present-day columnar cacti in the Sonoran Desert differ from their close relatives in southern Mexico in that the Sonoran cacti
A. have flowers that remain open after sunset
B. are pollinated primarily by dietary specialists
C. can be pollinated by nectar-feeding bats
D. have stigmas that are unreceptive to pollination at night
E. are sometimes pollinated by diurnal pollinators
Quote:
In these tropical regions, diurnal (daytime) visitors to columnar cactus flowers are ineffective pollinators because,]by sunrise, the flowers' stigmas become unreceptive or the flowers close.Yet the flowers of the Sonoran Desert cacti have evolved to remain open after sunrise, allowing pollination by such diurnal visitors as bees and birds.
=> I didn't choose (E) because I have concern over the word "sometimes". Why does the choice include "sometimes"? What I get from (E) is that Sonaran Dessert cacti are not regularly pollinated by diurnal visitors while the sentence "Yet the flowers of the Sonoran Desert cacti have evolved to remain open after sunrise, allowing that the act of pollination as a fact, which is permanent." seems to consider that pollination a permanent fact.
Show more
Sorry for the delay!

Yes, the flowers of the Sonoran Desert cacti have evolved to remain open after sunrise, and that capability doesn't come and go. But just because the cacti can remain open after sunrise does not necessarily mean that those cacti are ALWAYS pollinated by diurnal pollinators. What if the diurnal pollinators are only around certain times of the year?

The passage only really tells us about the spring:

    "... whereas cactus-flower abundance tends to be high during spring, bat population densities tend to be low except near maternity roosts. Moreover, in spring, diurnal cactus-pollinating birds are significantly more abundant in this region than are the nocturnal bats. Thus, with bats being unreliable cactus-flower pollinators, and daytime pollinators more abundant and therefore more reliable, selection favors the cactus flowers with traits that increase their range of pollinators."

We can certainly infer that the Sonoran Desert cacti are pollinated by diurnal pollinators in the spring, but we don't know what happens the rest of the year. That's why "sometimes" is appropriate in choice (E).

I hope that helps!
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 29 Feb 2020, 01:23
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Q2-B
refer to "Finally, they may be dietary specialists, but their abundance maybe chronically low relative to the availability offlowers.'' Here, 'relative to' means 'in proportion to'. The answer B says lower than that of flower is reasonable.
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 06 May 2020, 04:58
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Hi,
ChiranjeevSingh VeritasKarishma GMATNinja AnishPassiTGC GMATNinjaTwo
They can be dietary generalists whose fidelity to a particular species depends on the availability of alternative food sources. Or, they can be dietary specialists, but their abundance may vary widely from year to year, resulting in variable pollination of their preferred food species. Finally, they
may be dietary specialists, but their abundance may be chronically low relative to the availability of flowers.

In the above line what role does Contrasting word But plays. What is contrast in the line.
how they arrive to tell that they may be dietary specialists( Finally, they may be dietary specialists)
What is the role of BUT in last sentence and What purpose this line(but their abundance may be chronically low relative to the availability of flowers.) serves.
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 08 May 2020, 02:39
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Hi,
ChiranjeevSingh VeritasKarishma GMATNinja AnishPassiTGC GMATNinjaTwo
They can be dietary generalists whose fidelity to a particular species depends on the availability of alternative food sources. Or, they can be dietary specialists, but their abundance may vary widely from year to year, resulting in variable pollination of their preferred food species. Finally, they
may be dietary specialists, but their abundance may be chronically low relative to the availability of flowers.

In the above line what role does Contrasting word But plays. What is contrast in the line.
how they arrive to tell that they may be dietary specialists( Finally, they may be dietary specialists)
What is the role of BUT in last sentence and What purpose this line(but their abundance may be chronically low relative to the availability of flowers.) serves.
Show more

Look at a simpler example first:

Following are the reasons you shouldn't trust him to help you:
1. He may be a bad person.
2. He may be a good person but he may be busy with helping others.
3. He may be a good person but he may not know what to do.


On the same lines, the passage is listing the various reasons why pollinators can be unreliable.

1. They can be dietary generalists (they eat anything) whose fidelity to a particular species depends on the availability of alternative food sources. (so if they get some other food sources, they may not pollinate and hence that makes them unreliable)

2. They can be dietary specialists, but their abundance may vary widely from year to year, resulting in variable pollination of their preferred food species.

This is in contrast to point 1 above. They could be dietary specialists (not generalists) such that they would eat the nectar of this cacti only so they would be reliable, but their numbers may vary from year to year so that would make them unreliable.

3. They may be dietary specialists, but their abundance may be chronically low relative to the availability of flowers.

Another reason could be that their number could be lower than what is required to pollinate all flowers. So this would make them unreliable.
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 01 Sep 2020, 13:18
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Quote:
(Book Question: 441)
According to the passage, present-day columnar cacti in the Sonoran Desert differ from their close relatives in southern Mexico in that the Sonoran cacti
E. are sometimes pollinated by diurnal pollinators
Show more

Dear Experts,

For the correct answer choice in this question, there seems to be a confusion. The passage states that In these
tropical regions, diurnal (daytime) visitors to columnar cactus flowers are ineffective pollinators because, by sunrise, the flowers' stigmas become unreceptive or the flowers close. The word 'ineffective' doesn't mean that the columnar cacti in southern Mexico are never pollinated by diurnal pollinator. Right? Then there is no point in comparing the frequency of pollination by diurnal pollinators of the two regions. But, the correct answer choice "are sometimes pollinated by diurnal pollinators?" seems to do that.

Kindly help resolve.
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 07 Oct 2020, 16:03
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Question 3


sagarsangani123
Quote:
(Book Question: 441)
According to the passage, present-day columnar cacti in the Sonoran Desert differ from their close relatives in southern Mexico in that the Sonoran cacti
E. are sometimes pollinated by diurnal pollinators

Dear Experts,

For the correct answer choice in this question, there seems to be a confusion. The passage states that In these
tropical regions, diurnal (daytime) visitors to columnar cactus flowers are ineffective pollinators because, by sunrise, the flowers' stigmas become unreceptive or the flowers close. The word 'ineffective' doesn't mean that the columnar cacti in southern Mexico are never pollinated by diurnal pollinator. Right? Then there is no point in comparing the frequency of pollination by diurnal pollinators of the two regions. But, the correct answer choice "are sometimes pollinated by diurnal pollinators?" seems to do that.

Kindly help resolve.
Show more
The first sentence of the passage should make this more clear:

    "In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, the flowers of several species of columnar cacti—cardon, saguaro, and organ pipe—were once exclusively pollinated at night by nectar-feeding bats, as their close relatives in arid tropical regions of southern Mexico still are."

From this, we know that the columnar cacti in Southern Mexico are ONLY pollinated at night by nectar-feeding bats, and NEVER pollinated by any daytime creatures. Cacti in the Sonoran Desert, by contrast, have adapted to allow for diurnal pollinators.

So, we can compare the frequency of diurnal pollination -- the cacti in Southern Mexico are never pollinated in the day, while the cacti in the Sonoran Desert are sometimes pollinated in the day.

(E) is the correct answer to question 3.

I hope that helps!
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 06 May 2021, 00:19
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In question 440, Why is Option B i.e. "Are pollinated primarily by dietary specialist" incorrect? We are given in "Southern Mexico" bats pollinate 100% of available flowers while in "Sonoran Desert" pollinating birds are more abundant than nocturnal bats.
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 06 May 2021, 00:48
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waytowharton
In question 440, Why is Option B i.e. "Are pollinated primarily by dietary specialist" incorrect? We are given in "Southern Mexico" bats pollinate 100% of available flowers while in "Sonoran Desert" pollinating birds are more abundant than nocturnal bats.
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Welcome to GMAT Club!

Please find the detailed explanation of the concerned question in the link below.

https://gmatclub.com/forum/in-the-sonor ... l#p2190172

Good Luck
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 07 May 2021, 00:53
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waytowharton
In question 440, Why is Option B i.e. "Are pollinated primarily by dietary specialist" incorrect? We are given in "Southern Mexico" bats pollinate 100% of available flowers while in "Sonoran Desert" pollinating birds are more abundant than nocturnal bats.
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According to the passage, present-day columnar cacti in the Sonoran Desert differ from their close relatives in southern Mexico in that the Sonoran cacti
A. have flowers that remain open after sunset
B. are pollinated primarily by dietary specialists
C. can be pollinated by nectar-feeding bats
D. have stigmas that are unreceptive to pollination at night
E. are sometimes pollinated by diurnal pollinators

We need to find the diff between cacti in Sonoran desert and those in Southern Mexico:

A. have flowers that remain open after sunset
Both are pollinated by nocturnal bats so they both have flowers open after sunset.

B. are pollinated primarily by dietary specialists
In Sonoran desert, both bats and birds pollinate. We know that bats are dietary specialists but we are not given whether birds are dietary specialists or not (whether they have only specific food sources or a wide variety of food sources). What we know is that the flowers allow both to pollinate. It is possible that birds are also dietary specialists.
In southern Mexico, we know that bats pollinate and they are dietary specialists.
Hence we can't say that this is a diff between the two.

C. can be pollinated by nectar-feeding bats
Both can be.

D. have stigmas that are unreceptive to pollination at night
Both are pollinated at night so their stigmas are receptive at night.

E. are sometimes pollinated by diurnal pollinators
Correct. Birds are diurnal pollinators. In Sonoran desert, birds pollinate too. In Southern Mexico, only bats pollinate.

Answer (E)
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 26 Sep 2021, 12:57
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Q1)
Passage: Sonoran Desert

Question: Primary Purpose

The Simple Story

In the Sonoran Desert, the flowers of several species of cacti have evolved to stay open during the day as well as at night, allowing daytime animals to pollinate the flowers. One potential explanation for this change is that the nighttime pollinators (bats) were unreliable. Pollinators may be unreliable for a particular plant for several different reasons (listed in the passage). In the Sonoran Desert, there are many cacti and relatively few bats in the spring, so this is likely why the plants evolved to attract other, daytime pollinators.

Sample Passage Map

Here is one way to map this passage. (Note: abbreviate as desired!)

P1: SD flowers open during day -> why?

P2: Maybe unreliable poll by bats?

– 3 poss reasons

P3: SD Probably b/c low pop of bats

Note: the passage lists several possible reasons why the bats might be unreliable pollinators. You can jot down each one or you can just note that three reasons exist—and now you know where to look in the passage if you are asked about one or more of those reasons.

Step 1: Identify the Question

The words primary purpose in the question stem indicate that this a Main Idea question.

Step 2: Find the Support

For main idea questions, review your overall understanding of the passage story.

Step 3: Predict an Answer

The passage poses a question (Why did the cacti evolve in a certain way?) and provides a potential explanation.

Step 4: Eliminate and Find a Match

(A) In the final paragraph, the passage discusses some detail about the cacti in southern Mexico but the purpose of this example is to forestall a possible objection to the proposed theory earlier in the passage; the passage asserts that the non-adaptation of southern Mexican cacti still fits with the theory because, in that region, there are enough bats to pollinate the cactus flowers. The main purpose of the passage is to put forth that overall theory.

(B) The low populations of bats is provided as a possible reason for the adaption of the cacti, but the passage does not provide any possible reasons why the bat population is low.

(C) CORRECT. The main purpose of the passage is to hypothesize about the reason behind the changes in the cacti in a particular region of the Sonoran Desert.

(D) The findings provided in the passage support the theory about the reason for the adaption of the cacti. A competing theory that the findings challenge is not provided in the passage.

(E) The passage suggests that, in certain circumstances, daytime pollination may be more effective. But the purpose of the passage is to explain the reason for the changes in the cacti; the discussion of daytime vs. nighttime pollination serves to support this point.
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In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, t 26 Sep 2021, 12:58
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Q3
Passage: Sonoran Desert

Question: Sonoran Cacti

The Simple Story

In the Sonoran Desert, the flowers of several species of cacti have evolved to stay open during the day as well as at night, allowing daytime animals to pollinate the flowers. One potential explanation for this change is that the nighttime pollinators (bats) were unreliable. Pollinators may be unreliable for a particular plant for several different reasons (listed in the passage). In the Sonoran Desert, there are many cacti and relatively few bats in the spring, so this is likely why the plants evolved to attract other, daytime pollinators.

Sample Passage Map

Here is one way to map this passage. (Note: abbreviate as desired!)

P1: SD flowers open during day -> why?

P2: Maybe unreliable poll by bats?

– 3 poss reasons

P3: SD Probably b/c low pop of bats

Note: the passage lists several possible reasons why the bats might be unreliable pollinators. You can jot down each one or you can just note that three reasons exist—and now you know where to look in the passage if you are asked about one or more of those reasons.

Step 1: Identify the Question

The words According to the passage in the question stem indicate that this a Specific Detail question.

Step 2: Find the Support

The Sonoran cacti and cacti from southern Mexico are compared in the first paragraph.

“In the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona, the flowers of several species of columnar cacti … were once exclusively pollinated at night by nectar-feeding bats, as their close relatives in arid tropical regions of southern Mexico still are. In these tropical regions, diurnal (daytime) visitors to columnar cactus flowers are ineffective pollinators because, by sunrise, the flowers’ stigmas become unreceptive or the flowers close. Yet the flowers of the Sonoran Desert cacti have evolved to remain open after sunrise, allowing pollination by such diurnal visitors as bees and birds."

Step 3: Predict an Answer

Note the key difference: Sonoran cacti have flowers that stay open during the day and thus can get pollinated by daytime pollinators. In contrast, the cacti of southern Mexico are still exclusively pollinated at night.

Step 4: Eliminate and Find a Match

(A) Cacti in both regions have flowers that remain open at night (i.e., after sunset). The difference is whether the flowers are open during the day.

(B) This description applies to cacti in both regions. The nectar-feeding bats, which are dietary specialists, pollinate at least some of the Sonoran cacti and the cacti in southern Mexico.

(C) The nectar-feeding bats pollinate cacti in both regions.

(D) It is true that the Sonoran cacti were having difficulty getting pollinated at night, but the passage proposes that this was due to the unreliability of the nighttime pollinators (the bats), not a problem with the stigmas.

(E) CORRECT. The Sonoran cacti have flowers that stay open during the day and thus can be pollinated by daytime (diurnal) pollinators. The southern Mexican cacti are still exclusively pollinated at night.
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