Mitochondrial DNA from both ancient and modern chicken specimens may

Question

Mitochondrial DNA from both ancient and modern chicken specimens may provide evidence about the origin of these birds in South America. Cooper’s contradiction of Storey’s hypothesis that the chicken was introduced to the region by traveling Polynesians hundreds of years ago is bolstered by evidence that chickens found in the two regions are genetically distinct. Cooper also challenges Burley’s contention that Polynesians must have reached the New World because they found Easter Island and share common flora, such as the bottle gourd and sweet potato, with South America. Cooper’s claim that a connection between the South Pacific islands and the South American continent does not exist is based upon his team’s comparison of the DNA from chicken bones collected at Polynesian archaeological sites and feathers from modern Polynesian chickens with the DNA of both ancient and modern South American chickens.

However, modern DNA has limited applicability in determining the origin of a species in one part of the world. For instance, chickens, among other animals and objects, moved around the world as people traveled; the chickens on the Pacific Islands today do not necessarily represent those that existed in the region several centuries ago. Furthermore, Cooper’s belief severs the historical connection between the regions and displaces the South American plants that are generally accepted as products of Polynesian trade. Therefore, Cooper’s dispute may require a broader view of the strong research supporting both sides of the chicken origin debate.    1 
 1. The author of the passage mentions plants that are common to both South America and Polynesia most likely in order to

A. suggest that DNA evidence is mainly useful for comparing modern species
B. point out a potential challenge to the idea that South American chickens did not originate in Polynesia
C. suggest that animals were involved in local, as opposed to international, trade
D. suggest that the chicken probably arrived in South America not from Polynesia but from another region
E. provide evidence that disproves Cooper’s claim about the South American chicken’s origin

2 
 2. The passage suggests which of the following about Cooper’s DNA evidence?

A. It did not provide a definitive indication of whether Polynesians traded with South Americans.
B. It demonstrated that modern chickens in Polynesia were not related to ancient South American chickens.
C. It used primarily modern, rather than ancient, genetic material.
D. It is consistent with the prevailing theory regarding plants that occur in Polynesia and South America.
E. It bolstered the theory that Polynesians introduced chickens to South America.

3 
 3. According to the passage, Cooper and Burley disagree on which of the following points?

A. Whether voyaging Polynesians traveled to South America
B. The idea that the South American sweet potato exists in Polynesia
C. The time period in which chickens appeared in South America
D. How Polynesians located Easter Island 
E. The extent to which modern DNA is useful in ascertaining the regional origin of a species

avinashiitp · Answer

Answer for the passage
1.E,
2.A,
3.A

Archit3110 · Answer

1 b
2 b
3

1. The author of the passage mentions plants that are common to both South America and Polynesia most likely in order to

A. suggest that DNA evidence is mainly useful for comparing modern species  ; this isnt what the author is referring to 
 B. point out a potential challenge to the idea that South American chickens did not originate in Polynesia  correct 
C. suggest that animals were involved in local, as opposed to international, trade  not in line with passage 
 
  D. suggest that the chicken probably arrived in South America not from Polynesia but from another region  not in line with passage
 E. provide evidence that disproves Cooper’s claim about the South American chicken’s origin  not in line with passage

2. The passage suggests which of the following about Cooper’s DNA evidence?

A. It did not provide a definitive indication of whether Polynesians traded with South Americans.  dna was done for chicken not for trade as in general evaluation
 B. It demonstrated that modern chickens in Polynesia were not related to ancient South American chickens.  correct
 C. It used primarily modern, rather than ancient, genetic material.  irrelevant
 D. It is consistent with the prevailing theory regarding plants that occur in Polynesia and South America.  dna was not done plants 
 E. It bolstered the theory that Polynesians introduced chickens to South America.  cannot be inferred from passage

3. According to the passage, Cooper and Burley disagree on which of the following points?

A. Whether voyaging Polynesians traveled to South America  not discussed
 B. The idea that the South American sweet potato exists in Polynesia  not discussed
 C. The time period in which chickens appeared in South America  not discussed
 D. How Polynesians located Easter Island   not discussed
 E. The extent to which modern DNA is useful in ascertaining the regional origin of a species  correct

PAB2019 · Answer

1. The author of the passage mentions plants that are common to both South America and Polynesia most likely in order to

A. suggest that DNA evidence is mainly useful for comparing modern species
 No where in the passage there a mention of DNA being mainly useful for comparing modern species

The passages states from the beginning that DNA may help elude 
B. point out a potential challenge to the idea that South American chickens did not originate in Polynesia
 The plants have been mentioned to support the idea described by Burnley’s that there is connection between Polynesians and south American chicken

C. suggest that animals were involved in local, as opposed to international, trade
 The Flora mentioned here were not related to any trade

D. suggest that the chicken probably arrived in South America not from Polynesia but from another region
 Talking of chiken coming from another region sounds out or scope for us

E. provide evidence that disproves Cooper’s claim about the South American chicken’s origin
The flora is mentioned as a supporting clue to Burnley’s position which opposes Cooper’s position and his conviction that both chicken are distinct

2. The passage suggests which of the following about Cooper’s DNA evidence?

A. It did not provide a definitive indication of whether Polynesians traded with South Americans.
 The DNA based evidences are not used in the passage to show anything about how the trades were happening

B. It demonstrated that modern chickens in Polynesia were not related to ancient South American chickens.
The passage says that DNA may elude the origin of the ancient and modern chicken, and that cooper believe these chicken to be different based on their DNAs

C. It used primarily modern, rather than ancient, genetic material.
 This answer is out of scope

D. It is consistent with the prevailing theory regarding plants that occur in Polynesia and South America.
 The theory regarding plants that occur in Polynesia is not supported by cooper’s view

E. It bolstered the theory that Polynesians introduced chickens to South America.
 Cooper opposes this theory, he does not bolter it

3. According to the passage, Cooper and Burley disagree on which of the following points?

A. Whether voyaging Polynesians travelled to South America
 They do not oppose about the traveling paths of Polynesians

B. The idea that the South American sweet potato exists in Polynesia
 Nor do they oppose on whether there is sweet potato in polynesia

C. The time period in which chickens appeared in South America
 This answer is out of scope

D. How Polynesians located Easter Island
 This answer also is out of scope

E. The extent to which modern DNA is useful in ascertaining the regional origin of a species
For Cooper, the usage of DNA is enough to find origin of birds, but for Burley and for the author, it is not reliable enough

Ritax · Answer

I took too long on this passage, 10 mins. Looking forward to see other's explanation. Main Idea: P1 : The passage first present with Cooper's contradiction with Storey's and Burley's Hypothesis. Storey said because chickens in 2 regions have different genetics , hence Chicken has been travelled with traveling Polynesians. Burley said polynesians must travel from one continent to another because 2 region shared common flora, bottle gourd and sweet potato. Cooper attack both ideas based on DNA result. P2 : about resons why author did not agree with Cooper's idea.

Deleted Q1 Q2 explanation because incorrect answer 3. According to the passage, Cooper and Burley disagree on which of the following points? Prethink : Cooper's idea contrasted to Burley in terms of the travelling of animal and plant species. A. Whether voyaging Polynesians traveled to South America ✓ Yes the whole point of Cooper's idea is to said there is no such travelling B. The idea that the South American sweet potato exists in Polynesia X Not totally about this , sweet potato only given as an example C. The time period in which chickens appeared in South America X not related to time period D. How Polynesians located Easter Island X No such information about how they travelled E. The extent to which modern DNA is useful in ascertaining the regional origin of a species X No such contradict about DNA is useful or not, DNA only provided as support evidence by Cooper

av1901 · Answer

1. The author of the passage mentions plants that are common to both South America and Polynesia most likely in order to

A. suggest that DNA evidence is mainly useful for comparing modern species

The passage mentions 'Mitochondrial DNA from both ancient and modern chicken specimens may provide evidence about the origin of these birds in South America'; its basically implied with this statement itself DNA evidence is useful for comparing both ancient as well as modern chicken specimens

B. point out a potential challenge to the idea that South American chickens did not originate in Polynesia

CORRECT. Burley thought that Polynesians came to South America due to common flora and thus their chickens also came along with them and that is how chickens originated in South America. That is why this view is opposed by Cooper

C. suggest that animals were involved in local, as opposed to international, trade

The passage mentions nothing about local v/s international trade and thus is irrelevant

D. suggest that the chicken probably arrived in South America not from Polynesia but from another region

Cooper was against the idea that South American chickens originated in Polynesia and that is why rejected theories of both Storey and Burley. Now Burley's theory stated that Polynesians travelled due to common flora thus indicating that the chickens also came along with them, so the author by using the common flora part is actually telling us how Burley thought that chickens came along with Polynesians when they came for the common flora. So, its opposite to what is discussed in the passage

E. provide evidence that disproves Cooper’s claim about the South American chicken’s origin

The passage simply mentions a reason why Polynesians came to South America, not really concrete evidence about the origin of the chicken

===================================================================

2. The passage suggests which of the following about Cooper’s DNA evidence?

A. It did not provide a definitive indication of whether Polynesians traded with South Americans.

According to Cooper and his DNA evidence, there was no historical connection between the two (Passage excerpt: Cooper’s claim that a connection between the South Pacific islands and the South American continent does not exist is based upon his team’s comparison of the DNA...) and also mentioned towards the end of the second paragraph is that his belief servers the historial connection and displaces the products generally thought be products of trade

B. It demonstrated that modern chickens in Polynesia were not related to ancient South American chickens.

CORRECT. As per the passage, Cooper's team compared the DNA of ancient and modern chickens from both Polynesia and South America and concluded that there was no connection between the two places, thus suggesting that neither chickens were related to each other in any manner (including modern chickens from Polynesia and ancient from South America)

C. It used primarily modern, rather than ancient, genetic material.

Author has mentioned on multiple occasions that DNA from both modern and ancient chickens were used for testing and comparison

D. It is consistent with the prevailing theory regarding plants that occur in Polynesia and South America.

The prevailing theory was that either there was a connection between the two places because of common flora or they were part of trade but Cooper's belief and his DNA evidence is contrary to both these claims

E. It bolstered the theory that Polynesians introduced chickens to South America.

On the contrary, it does the opposite. Cooper's entire DNA testing has proved a lack of historical connection and thus debunking the theory that Polynesians introduced the chickens to South America

===================================================

3. According to the passage, Cooper and Burley disagree on which of the following points?

A. Whether voyaging Polynesians traveled to South America

Cooper and Burley disagreed to whether Polynesians brought their chicken to South America and that is how chickens originated in the latter, not about whether the Polynesians travelled to South America

B. The idea that the South American sweet potato exists in Polynesia

Its clearly stated in the passage that Polynesians found and came to South America because of common flora (bottle gourd and sweet potato) and this has never been refuted by Cooper

C. The time period in which chickens appeared in South America

Time period has not been mentioned anywhere in the passage and is thus irrelevant

D. How Polynesians located Easter Island

Not specified in the passage and not of any consequence either

E. The extent to which modern DNA is useful in ascertaining the regional origin of a species

CORRECT. Burley thinks that because Polynesians travelled to South America, chicken they brought with them must have become the origination of chickens in South America BUT Cooper believes differently that since their DNA tests have shown no connection, it cannot be the case

zyt · Answer

para 1: explains DNA is used by Cooper to disprove theories about chicken origin
para 2: modern chicken DNA analysis may not be completely reliable.

1. The author of the passage mentions plants that are common to both South America and Polynesia most likely in order to

A. suggest that DNA evidence is mainly useful for comparing modern species
DNA evidence is used to compare modern and ancient species
 
 B. point out a potential challenge to the idea that South American chickens did not originate in Polynesia
CORRECT: The author by stating plants are common to South America and Polynesia challenges Cooper's hypothesis which states that South American chickens did not originate in Polynesia

C. suggest that animals were involved in local, as opposed to international, trade
No mention of local vs international trade in the passage

D. suggest that the chicken probably arrived in South America not from Polynesia but from another region
No other region apart from Polynesia mentioned

E. provide evidence that disproves Cooper’s claim about the South American chicken’s origin
It challenges Cooper's claim, disprove is too strong to use, as the language of the text is only suggestive not certain

2. The passage suggests which of the following about Cooper’s DNA evidence?

A. It did not provide a definitive indication of whether Polynesians traded with South Americans.
Cooper DNA evidence is too provide evidence of origin of chicken not trade.

B. It demonstrated that modern chickens in Polynesia were not related to ancient South American chickens.
CORRECT: Cooper says that as DNA of ancient and modern chicken is not corresponding, modern chickens in Polynesia were not related to ancient South American chickens.

C. It used primarily modern, rather than ancient, genetic material.
It used both ancient and modern DNA from Polynesia and South America

D. It is consistent with the prevailing theory regarding plants that occur in Polynesia and South America.
No Cooper is contradicting the prevailing theories  
 
 E. It bolstered the theory that Polynesians introduced chickens to South America.
No Copper is contradicting the theory that Polynesians introduced chickens to South America, not bolstering it.

3. According to the passage, Cooper and Burley disagree on which of the following points?

A. Whether voyaging Polynesians traveled to South America
CORRECT: Cooper says Polynesians did not travel and Burley claims they travelled to South America

B. The idea that the South American sweet potato exists in Polynesia
No both agree Sweet potato exists but the origin of it is debated between them

C. The time period in which chickens appeared in South America
No timing is not debated

D. How Polynesians located Easter Island
No this is not debated

E. The extent to which modern DNA is useful in ascertaining the regional origin of a species
Cooper says modern DNA is useful, the author of the passage, not Burley, disagrees about modern DNA(start of second para)

pintukr · Answer

Paragraph 1 : Cooper's assertions contradict the earlier claims that Polynesians, forming part of South Pacific Islands, had links with the South Americans on basis of distinct DNA findings.

Paragraph 2 : Drawbacks of Cooper's assertions, particularly discounting historical connection and trade links

Overall : DNA findings may not fully solve the chicken origin debate, since there are several other factors responsible for origins of a particular space in specific regions. Additional sronger reserach techniques will lead to conclusive findings.

1. The author of the passage mentions plants that are common to both South America and Polynesia most likely in order to

A. suggest that DNA evidence is mainly useful for comparing modern species
 DNA evidence claims have been used for comparisons of modern species with ancient species as well in the passage

B. point out a potential challenge to the idea that South American chickens did not originate in Polynesia
 The author counters Cooper's assertion that South American chickens did not originate in Polynesia through the examples of plants..CORRECT answer

C. suggest that animals were involved in local, as opposed to international, trade
 No such claims have ben made in the passage
 
D. suggest that the chicken probably arrived in South America not from Polynesia but from another region
 No mention of any other region except Polynesian and South America in the passage
 
E. provide evidence that disproves Cooper’s claim about the South American chicken’s origin
 chicken origins can't be disproved through examples of flora; at best, it can challenge the idea about similarity in origins of living species by drawing comparisons

2. The passage suggests which of the following about Cooper’s DNA evidence?

A. It did not provide a definitive indication of whether Polynesians traded with South Americans.
 DNA evidence has been used to trace the origins of species, not trade links

B. It demonstrated that modern chickens in Polynesia were not related to ancient South American chickens.
 Cooper uses DNA evidence to counter earlier claims that species in the two regions were related..CORRECT answer

C. It used primarily modern, rather than ancient, genetic material.
 Both ancient and modern material have been used , as per last four lines of 1st paragraph

D. It is consistent with the prevailing theory regarding plants that occur in Polynesia and South America.
 Opposite of this prompt has been claimed through DNA evidence!!

E. It bolstered the theory that Polynesians introduced chickens to South America.
 In fact, the DNA evidence challenges the theory

3. According to the passage, Cooper and Burley disagree on which of the following points?

A. Whether voyaging Polynesians traveled to South America
 On basis of distinct DNA claims, Cooper counters Burley's claims whether voyaging Polynesians traveled to South America..CORRECT answer

B. The idea that the South American sweet potato exists in Polynesia
 Polynesians' travel to South America has been talked about, ie, existence of Polynesian sweet potato in South America

C. The time period in which chickens appeared in South America
 Time periods' disagreement is not hinted at

D. How Polynesians located Easter Island
 Irrelevant..No such claims in the passage

E. The extent to which modern DNA is useful in ascertaining the regional origin of a species
 Only Cooper bases his claims on the DNA evidence

happypuppy · Answer

1. B
2. A
3. A

Question 1
1. The author of the passage mentions plants that are common to both South America and Polynesia most likely in order to

A. suggest that DNA evidence is mainly useful for comparing modern species
- wrong - This comes later, not for this example
 B. point out a potential challenge to the idea that South American chickens did not originate in Polynesia
- Correct - In last para, plants are used to challenged the whole DNA evidence of Cooper. Hence this is correct.  
C. suggest that animals were involved in local, as opposed to international, trade
- Wrong - Nothing talked about international trade etc. 
D. suggest that the chicken probably arrived in South America not from Polynesia but from another region
- wrong - author doesn't say about another region of origin
E. provide evidence that disproves Cooper’s claim about the South American chicken’s origin
- wrong - Not the true reason for mentioning plants common to both.

Question 2
2. The passage suggests which of the following about Cooper’s DNA evidence?

A. It did not provide a definitive indication of whether Polynesians traded with South Americans.
- Correct - DNA evidence didn't indicate about the trade. It took no stand. Hence correct. 
B. It demonstrated that modern chickens in Polynesia were not related to ancient South American chickens.
- Wrong - This is jumbled and wrong. DNA comparision was between "chicken bones collected at Polynesian archaeological sites and feathers from modern Polynesian chickens with the DNA of both ancient and modern South American chickens"
C. It used primarily modern, rather than ancient, genetic material.
- wrong - It used both for comparision
D. It is consistent with the prevailing theory regarding plants that occur in Polynesia and South America.
- wrong - It did not compare plants but chicken DNA
E. It bolstered the theory that Polynesians introduced chickens to South America.
- wrong - Opposite

Question 3
3. According to the passage, Cooper and Burley disagree on which of the following points?

A. Whether voyaging Polynesians traveled to South America
- Correct - Cooper disagreed over it as per "Cooper also challenges Burley’s contention that Polynesians must have reached the New World because they found Easter Island and share common flora, such as the bottle gourd and sweet potato, with South America."  
B. The idea that the South American sweet potato exists in Polynesia
- Wrong - Cooper's stand on sweet potato is not known. 
C. The time period in which chickens appeared in South America
- wrong - 'time period' per say is not discussed.
D. How Polynesians located Easter Island
- wrong - Out of scope
E. The extent to which modern DNA is useful in ascertaining the regional origin of a species
- wrong - This is only true for Cooper, Burley's stand is not clear on this

Snehaaaaa · Answer

Question 1
1. The author of the passage mentions plants that are common to both South America and Polynesia most likely in order to
A. suggest that DNA evidence is mainly useful for comparing modern species- not the author's intent
 B. point out a potential challenge to the idea that South American chickens did not originate in Polynesia- this is the author's intent. This is the correct answer 
C. suggest that animals were involved in local, as opposed to international, trade- Out of scope
D. suggest that the chicken probably arrived in South America not from Polynesia but from another region- Author does not wants to state this
E. provide evidence that disproves Cooper’s claim about the South American chicken’s origin- This is not an evidence

Question 2
2. The passage suggests which of the following about Cooper’s DNA evidence?
 A. It did not provide a definitive indication of whether Polynesians traded with South Americans.- This is the only option that remains on elimination. This is the correct choice 
B. It demonstrated that modern chickens in Polynesia were not related to ancient South American chickens.- This is a trap, words are changed here
C. It used primarily modern, rather than ancient, genetic material.- not stated in passage
D. It is consistent with the prevailing theory regarding plants that occur in Polynesia and South America.- Out of scope
E. It bolstered the theory that Polynesians introduced chickens to South America.- This is opposite

Question 3
3. According to the passage, Cooper and Burley disagree on which of the following points?
 A. Whether voyaging Polynesians traveled to South America- This is the correct answer. This is stated in the passage 
B. The idea that the South American sweet potato exists in Polynesia- Not the actual point of disagreement
C. The time period in which chickens appeared in South America- This is not the concern
D. How Polynesians located Easter Island- Not the actual point of disagreement
E. The extent to which modern DNA is useful in ascertaining the regional origin of a species- Out of scope

sanjitscorps18 · Answer

1. The author of the passage mentions plants that are common to both South America and Polynesia most likely in order to
B. point out a potential challenge to the idea that South American chickens did not originate in Polynesia
--> The author mentions plants because it is an accepted theory and hence challenges Cooper's view

2. The passage suggests which of the following about Cooper’s DNA evidence?
B. It demonstrated that modern chickens in Polynesia were not related to ancient South American chickens.
--> Clear from the lines "does not exist is based upon his team’s comparison of the DNA from chicken bones collected at Polynesian archaeological sites and feathers from modern Polynesian chickens with the DNA of both ancient and modern South American chickens."

3. According to the passage, Cooper and Burley disagree on which of the following points?
A. Whether voyaging Polynesians traveled to South America
--> Cooper suggests that there is no connection between Polynesians and South America while Burley provides reasons for establishing a connection.

BBA

vrsthe1 · Answer

P1  -->  May provide  evidence of the origin of chicken in SA. and how cooper claimed that.
 P2  -->  However  - contrast to what was said in  P1 . how cooper's claims have error and further research is required to concretely conclude.

Main Point  --> probable evidence of origin of chicken in SA. 2 errors in the evidence and propose more research to conclude.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Q1. The author of the passage mentions plants that are common to both South America and Polynesia most likely in order to

A. suggest that DNA evidence is mainly useful for comparing modern species 
 Not Correct  --> Against what the passage says. origins cannot be confirmed from modern species DNA.

B. point out a potential challenge to the idea that South American chickens did not originate in Polynesia 
 Correct  --> Very true. Plants are used as example to point how a species can be carried from place A to place B.

C. suggest that animals were involved in local, as opposed to international, trade 
 Not Correct  --> No such suggestion was made. Entire passage is about origins of a species not trade.

D. suggest that the chicken probably arrived in South America not from Polynesia but from another region 
 Not Correct  --> Passage only discusses chicken related to South America and Polynesia only.

E. provide evidence that disproves Cooper’s claim about the South American chicken’s origin 
 Not Correct  --> strong wording  "disproves" . whereas passage mentions requiring more research, which is better worded in option B as "Potential Challenge to the idea".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Q2. The passage suggests which of the following about Cooper’s DNA evidence?

A. It did not provide a definitive indication of whether Polynesians traded with South Americans. 
 Not Correct  --> The passage is not concerned with trade, but about the origins of chicken.

B. It demonstrated that modern chickens in Polynesia were not related to ancient South American chickens. 
 Correct  --> True. As per the last sentence in the 1st paragraph, feathers from modern polynesian chickens.

C. It used primarily modern, rather than ancient, genetic material. 
 Not Correct  --> both ancient and modern genetic material of SA chicken are used as per last sentence of 1st paragraph.

D. It is consistent with the prevailing theory regarding plants that occur in Polynesia and South America. 
 Not Correct  --> Copper's evidence is opposite to this.

E. It bolstered the theory that Polynesians introduced chickens to South America. 
 Not Correct  --> Copper's idea/claim actually opposed this statement.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Q3. According to the passage, Cooper and Burley disagree on which of the following points?

A. Whether voyaging Polynesians traveled to South America 
 Correct  --> Clearly from the 3rd statement in 1st paragraph this is what cooper challenges Burley about.

B. The idea that the South American sweet potato exists in Polynesia 
 Not Correct  --> This is the example to contention made by burley.

C. The time period in which chickens appeared in South America 
 Not Correct  --> cooper and burley disagreed on Polynesians reaching South America not any time period.

D. How Polynesians located Easter Island  
 Not Correct  --> This is not the point that was challenged.

E. The extent to which modern DNA is useful in ascertaining the regional origin of a species 
 Not Correct  --> Totally irrelevant to why Burley was mentioned.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hello Everyone!

This is a hard passage and OAs are: BAA

pintukr   Roy867   Snehaaaaa  did a good job here.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. The author of the passage mentions plants that are common to both South America and Polynesia most likely in order to

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

The subject of the question is plants that are common to both South America and Polynesia and the task of the question is referenced by the phrase most likely in order to, so this is a purpose question. Determine what the passage says about these plants. The first paragraph says that Cooper challenges Burley’s contention that Polynesians must have reached the New World because they found Easter Island and share common flora, such as the bottle gourd and sweet potato, with South America. The second paragraph states that Cooper’s belief severs the historical connection between the regions and displaces the South American plants that are generally accepted as products of Polynesian trade. Therefore, plants are mentioned as another piece of evidence regarding the contested connection between South America and Polynesia. Evaluate the answer choices individually, looking for one that reflects this idea.

Choice (A)  is a memory trap from the passage, which states modern DNA has limited applicability in determining the origin of a species in one part of the world. This is not a reason why the passage mentions plants, so eliminate (A).

Choice (B)  is a good paraphrase of the information in the passage, so keep (B).

Choice (C)  is a reversal of the information in the passage, which states chickens, among other animals and objects, moved around the world as people traveled. Eliminate (C).

Choice (D)  is a memory trap. While the passage does mention plants to suggest that the chicken probably arrived in South America not from Polynesia but from another region, the passage also mentions the plants as a reason why there is a connection between South America and Polynesia. This answer choice does not address both claims about the plants in the passage. Eliminate (D).

Choice (E)  is also a memory trap as the plants are considered evidence that disproves Cooper’s claim about the South American chicken’s origin. But the plants are also mentioned as an argument in support of Cooper’s claim. Eliminate (E).

The correct answer is (B).

2. The passage suggests which of the following about Cooper’s DNA evidence?

Difficulty Level:   700+

Explanation

The subject of the question is Cooper’s DNA evidence and the task of the question is referenced by the word suggests, so this is an inference question. Determine what the passage says about Cooper’s DNA evidence. Cooper’s team conducted a comparison of the DNA from chicken bones collected at Polynesian archaeological sites and feathers from modern Polynesian chickens with the DNA of both ancient and modern South American chickens as evidence of Cooper’s contradiction of Storey’s hypothesis that the chicken was introduced to the region by traveling Polynesians hundreds of years ago. The passage then states modern DNA has limited applicability in determining the origin of a species in one part of the world and that Cooper’s dispute may require a broader view of the strong research supporting both sides of the chicken origin debate. Evaluate the answer choices, looking for one that reflects this idea.

Choice (A)  is a good paraphrase of the information in the passage. Keep (A).

Choice (B)  is a reversal of the information in the passage that says modern DNA has limited applicability in determining the origin of a species in one part of the world. Eliminate (B).

Choice (C)  is a reversal of the information in the passage that Cooper’s team used DNA of both ancient and modern South American chickens. Eliminate (C).

Choice (D)  is a reversal of the information in the passage as the prevailing theory regarding plants that occur in Polynesia and South America is also part of the debate on the origin of chickens in South America. Eliminate (D).

Choice (E)  uses the recycled language bolstered, but this is used to state that chickens found in the two regions are genetically distinct and not as a boon to Cooper’s DNA evidence. Eliminate (E).

The correct answer is (A).

3. According to the passage, Cooper and Burley disagree on which of the following points?

Difficulty Level:   600

Explanation

The subject of the question is what Cooper and Burley disagree on and the task of the question is referenced by the phrase According to the passage. This is a retrieval question, so determine what the passage says about Cooper and Burley’s disagreement. According to the passage, Cooper challenges Burley’s contention that Polynesians must have reached the New World because they found Easter Island and share common flora, such as the bottle gourd and sweet potato, with South America. Look for an answer that reflects this idea.

Choice (A)  is a good paraphrase of the information in the passage. Keep (A).

Choice (B)  is a reversal of the information in the passage as it is not explicitly stated that Cooper believes the South American sweet potato does not exist in Polynesia. Eliminate (B).

Choice (C)  is a reversal of the information in the passage. Cooper and Burley disagree on if chickens appeared in South America from Polynesia, not the time period. Eliminate (C).

Choice (D)  uses the recycled language Easter Island, but the passage does not give any indication that either disagree the Polynesians located the island. Eliminate (D).

Choice (E)  is a memory trap. One of the contentions in the passage is regarding the extent to which modern DNA is useful in ascertaining the regional origin of a species. However, this is not a disagreement between Cooper and Burley. Eliminate (E).

The correct answer is (A).

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Mitochondrial DNA from both ancient and modern chicken specimens may

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615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Mitochondrial DNA from both ancient and modern chicken specimens may

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards