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Re: There are recent reports of apparently drastic declines in amphibian
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27 Aug 2020, 20:34
OE
Q1. The primary purpose of the passage is to
A. assess the validity of a certain view
B. distinguish between two phenomena
C. identify the causes of a problem
D. describe a disturbing trend
E. allay concern about a particular phenomenon
Main idea
This question requires understanding, in general terms, the purpose of the passage as a whole. The first paragraph identifies an area of concern: declines in amphibian populations may constitute a crisis, one that indicates humans’ catastrophic effects on the environment. The rest of the passage then goes on to evaluate, as the second paragraph states, whether claims of crisis-level extinctions as a result of human activity are valid. In making this evaluation, the passage discusses the possible causes of extinctions, biologists’ prioritization of population declines over extinctions, and the fact that we lack extensive longterm data on amphibian populations.
A. Correct. The passage’s main purpose is to assess whether the view that humans are causing crisislevel declines in amphibian populations is valid.
B. The passage takes care, particularly in the third paragraph, to distinguish between populationdeclines and extinctions, but this is not its primary purpose.
C. The passage makes clear that it is difficult to identify the real extent of the problem facing amphibian populations, much less identify its causes.
D. The first paragraph notes what may seem to be a disturbing trend—the decline in amphibian populations—but the rest of the passage is concerned not with describing that trend in greater detail, but rather with determining whether it is in fact occurring.
E. While the passage provides possible grounds for concluding that concern about declining amphibian populations is overblown, it concludes by suggesting that we might, because we lack data, doom species and ecosystems to extinction. Thus, the overall purpose is not to allay concern.
The correct answer is A.
Q2. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes which of the following to be true of the environmentalists mentioned in lines 5–6?
A. They have wrongly chosen to focus on anecdotal reports rather than on the long-term data that are currently available concerning amphibians.
B. Their recommendations are flawed because their research focuses too narrowly on a single category of animal species.C. Their certainty that population declines in general are caused by environmental degradation is not warranted.
D. They have drawn premature conclusions concerning a crisis in amphibian populations from recent reports of declines.
E. They have overestimated the effects of chance events on trends in amphibian populations.
Inference
This question asks about the author’s view of the environmentalists mentioned in the first paragraph. These environmentalists have claimed, based on amphibian population declines, that the situation is a crisis and that immediate action must be taken. The author, however, states that the declines are only apparently drastic and questions whether they are real, thus suggesting that the environmentalists are drawing conclusions in the absence of a complete consideration of the situation.
A. The passage indicates that anecdotal reports are insufficient, but so too are other resources. The fourth paragraph of the passage makes clear that there is not enough long-term data available on which to base conclusions about amphibian populations.
B. The passage does not indicate that the environmentalists under discussion have conducted research on any animal species.
C. The passage does not indicate that the environmentalists in question hold, with certainty, any particular view regarding population declines in general.
D. Correct. The author argues that the recent declines may have several different causes, and that environmentalists have jumped to a conclusion about the cause of the declines as well as their significance.
E. The environmentalists, in attributing population declines to intentional human activity, have more likely underestimated than overestimated the effects of chance events on amphibian populations.
The correct answer is D.
Q3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes which of the following to be true of the amphibian extinctions that have recently been reported?
A. They have resulted primarily from human activities causing environmental degradation.
B. They could probably have been prevented if timely action had been taken to protect the habitats of amphibian species.
C. They should not come as a surprise, because amphibian populations generally have been declining for a number of years.
D. They have probably been caused by a combination of chance events.
E. They do not clearly constitute evidence of general environmental degradation.
Inference
The author suggests throughout the passage that recently reported amphibian extinctions may have several different causes: they may be due to any number of chance events, for example, or may simply be the result of a small population that finds itself unable to continue under difficult conditions, whatever causes those conditions.
A. The author states in the second paragraph that extinctions may occur without a proximate cause in human activities and does not make a commitment to any particular explanation of the amphibian extinctions.
B. That chance events can cause extinctions suggests that even if habitats had been protected, extinctions still might have occurred.
C. In the second paragraph, the author says that extinctions should come as no great surprise, but this option is imprecise. The amphibian populations have not generally been declining for a number ofyears. The author says in the third paragraph that amphibian populations show strong fluctuations; further, in the fourth paragraph, the author says that there is insufficient long-term data to conclude that amphibian populations have been, or are, in decline.
D. The author suggests that the extinctions may have been caused by chance events, but there is not enough data to know whether or not this is probable.
E. Correct. The reported extinctions could have resulted from several different causes; thus, they are not clear evidence of general environmental degradation.
The correct answer is E.
Q4. According to the passage, each of the following is true of endangered amphibian species EXCEPT:
A. They are among the rarest kinds of amphibians.
B. They generally have populations that are small in size.
C. They are in constant danger of extinction.
D. Those with decreasing populations are the most likely candidates for immediate extinction.
E. They are in danger of extinction due to events that sometimes have nothing to do with human activities.
Application
This question asks what the passage does not say is true of endangered amphibian species. The second paragraph discusses endangered species, stating that they are always rare, almost always small, and, by definition, under constant threat of extinction, which may be caused by chance events. The possibility of their extinction, the passage states, depends only on the population size, and not whether that population is increasing or decreasing.
A. The second paragraph mentions rarity as a characteristic of endangered amphibian species.
B. According to the second paragraph, endangered amphibian species are generally those of small populations.
C. The second paragraph states that an endangered population is under constant threat of extinction.
D. Correct. The last sentence of the second paragraph states that the probability of extinction due to chance events is independent of how a population changes in size. Immediate extinction would more likely come from such events, whereas population decline is gradual, even if fairly rapid.
E. Endangered species, according to the second paragraph, may become extinct due to chance events—
that is, events that have nothing to do with human activities.
The correct answer is D.
Q5. Which of the following most accurately describes the organization of the passage?
A. A question is raised, a distinction regarding it is made, and the question is answered.
B. An interpretation is presented, its soundness is examined, and a warning is given.
C. A situation is described, its consequences are analyzed, and a prediction is made.
D. Two interpretations of a phenomenon are described, and one of them is rejected as invalid.
E. Two methods for analyzing a phenomenon are compared, and further study of the phenomenon is recommended.
Evaluation
This question asks about the organization of the passage as a whole. In the first paragraph, the author tells about a situation that has been interpreted in a particular way by environmentalists. The passage then proceeds to consider whether that interpretation is valid, and while it does not come to a definitive conclusion on that point, the final paragraph warns about the possible consequences of not taking theaction recommended by the environmentalists.
A. The passage does initially raise a question regarding whether the environmentalists’ interpretation of events is valid, but it does not answer that question, for the appropriate long-term data are not available.
B. Correct. The passage presents environmentalists’ interpretation of recent news regarding amphibians, then examines the soundness of that interpretation. Finally, the author warns that postponing environmental action may have disastrous consequences.
C. The first paragraph describes a situation of possibly drastic declines in amphibian populations but does not follow this description with an analysis of its consequences.
D. The passage suggests that apparent declines in amphibian populations may or may not constitute a crisis, but it does not reject either idea.
E. While the passage does imply, in its final paragraph, that long-term data on amphibian populations should be collected, the passage does not compare two methods for analyzing amphibian populations or population declines in those populations.
The correct answer is B.
Q6. Which of the following best describes the function of the sentence in lines 35–38?
A. To give an example of a particular kind of study
B. To cast doubt on an assertion made in the previous sentence
C. To raise an objection to a view presented in the first paragraph
D. To provide support for a view presented in the first paragraph
E. To introduce an idea that will be countered in the following paragraph
Evaluation
The sentence in question discusses the way in which anecdotal reports of population decreases cannot help biologists determine whether those decreases are normal fluctuations, take populations to lower levels that are not actually worrisome, or actually threaten extinctions. This indicates that the view mentioned in the first paragraph—reports of declines indicate a catastrophic crisis—may be mistaken.
A. The sentence does not address a particular kind of study; it objects to the use of anecdotal reports in place of actual study.
B. The previous sentence describes the possibilities referred to in the sentence in question. The sentence does not cast doubt on any of those possibilities.
C. Correct. The view that reports of amphibian population declines indicate a crisis, as presented in the first paragraph, is countered by the objection here that there are several possible causes for population declines, and anecdotal reports cannot distinguish among those possibilities.
D. The first paragraph is concerned with articulating the view that amphibian population declines
constitute a crisis. This sentence does not support that view; instead, it offers reason to question it.
E. The sentence introduces the idea that amphibian populations have fluctuated in the past, and the following paragraph supports this idea by stating that several amphibian species that appeared almost extinct in the 1950s and 1960s have recovered. Thus, the paragraph does not counter the sentence.
The correct answer is C.
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