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22 Jul 2008, 14:10
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Anyone help tackle this...
The Manhattan CAT passage is below. My question is related to the following question:
The primary intent of the passage is to do which of the following?
Describe the lifecycle of a species
Advocate future actions
Discuss a problem
Evaluate past actions
Criticize the government
I answered C, but the OA is B. My reasoning was that only the final paragraph discusses future actions that should be taken. In my opinion, a large majority (minus the last paragraph) discusses a problem. Any insight into how one should attack this? The typically strategy is looking at the entire passage, but here it looks like we are only looking at the last.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite its 1989 designation as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act, the desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, has declined in numbers by ninety percent since the 1980s. Although federal protection made it illegal to harm desert tortoises or remove them from the wild of the southwestern North American deserts, this measure has been insufficient to reverse the species’ decline, and further intervention is required.
Recovery has been slow, partly due to the desert tortoise’s low reproductive potential. Females breed only after reaching full size at fifteen to twenty years of age, and even then may only lay eggs when adequate forage is available. Although the number of eggs in each clutch varies, and each female might lay a few clutches in one season, the average mature female produces only a few eggs annually. From these precious eggs, hatchlings emerge wearing soft shells that will harden slowly into protective armor over the next five years. The vulnerable young are entirely neglected by adult tortoises, and only five percent ultimately reach adulthood.
Predators are blamed for most tortoise deaths; ravens, specifically, are estimated to cause more than half of the juvenile tortoise deaths in the Mojave Desert. Tortoise eggs and juveniles, with their delicate shells, can fall prey to many birds, mammals, and other reptiles. For protection from predators, as well as from desert temperature extremes, tortoises of all ages burrow into the earth. However, if rabbits and rodents are scarce, larger mammalian predators may dig tortoises out of their burrows, devouring even mature tortoises despite their hardened shells.
Even with current protections from human interference, the desert tortoise faces a tough recovery, so additional measures must be taken. First, the limited habitat of desert tortoises, with soil suitable for their burrows, must be protected from development. Next, urban expansion often has the unintended effect of increasing raven populations, so aggressive measures to control the birds are necessary to increase desert tortoise hatchling survival rates. Finally, released captive tortoises typically perish, and can pass upper respiratory tract disease into the wild population with devastating consequences, so continuing education of pet tortoise owners is essential.
The Manhattan CAT passage is below. My question is related to the following question:
The primary intent of the passage is to do which of the following?
Describe the lifecycle of a species
Advocate future actions
Discuss a problem
Evaluate past actions
Criticize the government
I answered C, but the OA is B. My reasoning was that only the final paragraph discusses future actions that should be taken. In my opinion, a large majority (minus the last paragraph) discusses a problem. Any insight into how one should attack this? The typically strategy is looking at the entire passage, but here it looks like we are only looking at the last.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite its 1989 designation as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act, the desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii, has declined in numbers by ninety percent since the 1980s. Although federal protection made it illegal to harm desert tortoises or remove them from the wild of the southwestern North American deserts, this measure has been insufficient to reverse the species’ decline, and further intervention is required.
Recovery has been slow, partly due to the desert tortoise’s low reproductive potential. Females breed only after reaching full size at fifteen to twenty years of age, and even then may only lay eggs when adequate forage is available. Although the number of eggs in each clutch varies, and each female might lay a few clutches in one season, the average mature female produces only a few eggs annually. From these precious eggs, hatchlings emerge wearing soft shells that will harden slowly into protective armor over the next five years. The vulnerable young are entirely neglected by adult tortoises, and only five percent ultimately reach adulthood.
Predators are blamed for most tortoise deaths; ravens, specifically, are estimated to cause more than half of the juvenile tortoise deaths in the Mojave Desert. Tortoise eggs and juveniles, with their delicate shells, can fall prey to many birds, mammals, and other reptiles. For protection from predators, as well as from desert temperature extremes, tortoises of all ages burrow into the earth. However, if rabbits and rodents are scarce, larger mammalian predators may dig tortoises out of their burrows, devouring even mature tortoises despite their hardened shells.
Even with current protections from human interference, the desert tortoise faces a tough recovery, so additional measures must be taken. First, the limited habitat of desert tortoises, with soil suitable for their burrows, must be protected from development. Next, urban expansion often has the unintended effect of increasing raven populations, so aggressive measures to control the birds are necessary to increase desert tortoise hatchling survival rates. Finally, released captive tortoises typically perish, and can pass upper respiratory tract disease into the wild population with devastating consequences, so continuing education of pet tortoise owners is essential.
Archived Topic
Hi there,
This topic has been closed and archived due to inactivity or violation of community quality standards. No more replies are possible here.
Where to now? Join ongoing discussions on thousands of quality questions in our Reading Comprehension (RC) Forum
Still interested in this question? Check out the "Best Topics" block below for a better discussion on this exact question, as well as several more related questions.
Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!
22 Jul 2008, 14:16
Kudos
Bookmarks
I think it's B.
I've read this before, and took a quick look over it. The final paragraph is almost completely devoted to the author's ideas of how to increase the numbers of desert tortises.
The first part of the passage does describe the lifecycles of the desert tortise, but I believe this is just to set up the actions suggested by the author. The author does more than merely discuss a problem.
The author makes specific suggestions as to actions that can be taken in order to increase the numbers of desert tortises.
The author also evaluates past actions, like listing the desert tortise on the Endangered Species List, but the author also goes on to say that this isn't enough and does advocate future actions.
The author barely mentions the government, and doesn't really criticie the government when the author does mention/imply government involvement.
I've read this before, and took a quick look over it. The final paragraph is almost completely devoted to the author's ideas of how to increase the numbers of desert tortises.
The first part of the passage does describe the lifecycles of the desert tortise, but I believe this is just to set up the actions suggested by the author. The author does more than merely discuss a problem.
The author makes specific suggestions as to actions that can be taken in order to increase the numbers of desert tortises.
The author also evaluates past actions, like listing the desert tortise on the Endangered Species List, but the author also goes on to say that this isn't enough and does advocate future actions.
The author barely mentions the government, and doesn't really criticie the government when the author does mention/imply government involvement.
jimmyjamesdonkey
Archived Topic
Hi there,
This topic has been closed and archived due to inactivity or violation of community quality standards. No more replies are possible here.
Where to now? Join ongoing discussions on thousands of quality questions in our Reading Comprehension (RC) Forum
Still interested in this question? Check out the "Best Topics" block above for a better discussion on this exact question, as well as several more related questions.
Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!
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