The bond between the domestic dog and humans is such that the dog exis

Question

New Project RC Butler 2019  -  Practice 2 RC Passages Everyday   
Passage # 49, Date : 25-FEB-2019
 This post is a part of New Project RC Butler 2019 .  Click here for Details

The bond between the domestic dog and humans is such that the dog exists in every part of the world inhabited by people. The relationship between the two species stretches back tens of thousands of years, to the first domestication of the wolf. Every modern breed of domestic dog, of which there are more than 400 today, is descended from this wild ancestor. Prehistoric humans had contact with other wild canids, such as jackals, foxes, dholes, and African hunting dogs, but only the wolf possessed the characteristics that allowed for integration into human life, which implies social assimilation, as opposed to mere domestication, which requires only a taming of wild instincts in the animal. So while dogs have been integrated, animals such as cows, sheep, and goats have not.

The traits in the wolf that allowed for integration are threefold. First, the wolf is a highly social animal, living in packs, akin to the social networks of humans. In the absence of this behavior, it would have been difficult for the first captive wolf pups to remain in a human settlement, constantly surrounded by other creatures. Wild canids such as the jackal and fox are solitary animals and would not have adapted easily, if at all, to social living. Second, wolves possess a system of social stratification remarkably similar to that of humans: each member of the group is aware of its rank in the chain of dominance and is loyal to higher-ranking members. Humans exploited this innate sensitivity to hierarchy by raising wolf cubs to be submissive. Third, wolves are highly intelligent creatures, able to learn tasks quickly. Without this attribute, the wolf would have been of little use to early man, since it does not provide meat, milk, or wool. The more intelligent the captive wolf, the more likely humans would have sought to breed it, resulting in perpetuation of this inborn intelligence and culminating in the remarkable cognitive abilities of modern dogs.

The development of different breeds from the wolf appears to have begun as early as 2000 B.C. in ancient Egypt and parts of western Asia. The first recorded instances of physically distinct breeds come from these areas. In Egypt, dogs resembling modern greyhounds were prevalent, while in western Asia dogs resembling modern mastiffs were common. The distinct body types of these breeds perhaps reflect the different purposes for which they were bred: greyhounds for chasing swift prey, such as hares, and mastiffs for grappling with larger prey, such as boars or antelope. But this is only speculation; the historical record from this period is too sparse to allow certainty on the matter.   1 
 1. Which of the following most accurately states the main idea of the passage?

(A)Humans value dogs more than they value any other domestic animal. 
(B) The domestication of the wolf has no parallel in any other animal. 
(C) Certain desirable traits not present in other animals allowed the wolf to become the modern dog. 
(D)Domestication of the wolf has been unquestionably successful. 
(E) Wolves are similar to humans in several important aspects.

2 
 2. The passage suggests which of the following about the modern dog?

(A) It is the best social companion of all domesticated animals. 
(B) Its intelligence is unsurpassed among household animals. 
(C) It cannot survive outside of a social environment. 
(D) Its body type always reflects the purpose for which it was bred. 
(E) It perceives humans as superior to itself.

3 
 3. All of the following statements are supported by the passage EXCEPT:

(A) Sheep are not part of the social fabric of human life. 
(B) It is not possible to domesticate jackals or foxes. 
(C) Submissiveness is a desirable trait in domesticated animals. 
(D) Humans tended to domesticate those animals that provided some benefit to them. 
(E) The purpose of early breeds of dog is not known.

nightblade354 · Accepted Answer

OE:

1. The question asks for the main idea of the passage. The passage focuses on the evolution of the dog from the wolf, with emphasis on the characteristics of the wolf 
that allowed the transformation. The correct answer must take the entirety of the passage into account without misrepresenting this focus. 
 
(A) This choice does not address the evolution of the dog from the wolf. 
 
(B) This choice misrepresents the focus of the passage. The passage is broader than this choice would suggest. Moreover, the passage never stated or implied that no other animal has had a similar path to domestication; this is an extreme claim. 
 
(C) CORRECT. This choice takes the entirety of the passage into account without misrepresenting its focus. 
 
(D) This choice misrepresents the focus of the passage. While the author appears to approve of this domestication, it is only one small part of the overall passage. In addition, the word "unquestionably" is extreme. 
 
(E) This choice misrepresents the focus of the passage. While similarities between humans and wolves are mentioned in one paragraph, this is only a small piece of the overall passage.

2. The question asks us to infer something about the modern dog on the basis of the information contained in the passage. This inference must be based only on the information presented, without any additional assumptions or information necessary. 
 
(A) The passage does not provide any information about the "best" social companion. In addition "best" is an extreme word. 
 
(B) The passage does not provide any information about which household animal is most intelligent. In addition "unsurpassed" is an extreme word. 
 
(C) The passage does not provide any information about the dog's ability to survive outside a social environment. In addition "cannot survive" is extreme. 
 
(D) The passage does not imply anything universal about the dog's body type and breeding. In addition "always" is extreme. 
 
(E) CORRECT. In the second paragraph, the author discusses the fact that domesticated wolf cubs were raised to be submissive to humans. The modern dog, a descendant of the domesticated wolf, would share this quality, and would perceive humans as superior to itself.

3. The question asks us which of the choices cannot be inferred from the passage. We will go through the choices and eliminate any that can be inferred. The True / False technique is useful for EXCEPT questions: those statements which can be supported are labeled True and the one which cannot be supported is labeled False. 
 
(A) True. In the first paragraph, sheep are given as an example of animals that have not been integrated (i.e., accepted socially) into human life. 
 
(B) CORRECT. False. The passage offers no information on whether it is possible to domesticate the jackal or fox. Paragraph 1 states that among the jackals, foxes, et al, only the wolf possessed the characteristics that allowed for the integration into human life, however, the other animals might be able to be domesticated. 
 
(C) True. In the second paragraph, the passage states that wolf cubs were raised to be submissive. 
 
(D) True. In the second paragraph, the passage states that the wolf was domesticated for its intelligence and other animals for their milk, meat, or wool. 
 
(E) True. This statement is implied by the last paragraph.

Diya52 · Answer

I have doubt regarding question 1. The correct answer (C) Certain desirable traits not present in other animals allowed the wolf to become the modern dog.

How did desirable traits allow wolf to become the modern dog? Didn't evolution allow the wolf to become the modern dog?

thangvietnam · Answer

clueless question is the one which dose not head word with which we can find our the relevant sentences which yield the answer. we need to fully understand the passage and nearly realize which answer choice is most likely to be correct. then you return the the passage , using the head word from this answer choice to confirm this answer choice. because it is hard to realize the most likely-to be- correct answer choice, level of inference is easy and confirmation is easy.

once again, read the passage slowly even if you think that the passage is easy. the passage is never easy but look easy and gmat trick us to read fast.

once again, read the passage slowly even if you think that the passage is easy. the passage is never easy but look easy and gmat trick us to read fast.

SudsMeister · Answer

I think you are using general reasoning rather than what the paragraph actually says when you're stating evolution to be the cause.
Had this been a normal conversation, your point would have been fairly appropriate.  But the passage doesn't talk about evolution even once. 
I think the GMAC doesn't want candidates to use more of general reasoning and less of the points mentioned in the paragraph. I am not sure whether the GMAC gives the candidate this much leeway that they can use a scientifically complex term such as evolution to paraphrase a few points in the choices.
But let’s try a slightly different approach that does include evolution as part of our thought process while trying to answer the question: 
If one uses general reasoning along with the paragraph's information, then:
Let's assume that evolution is the correct answer as per general reasoning, but evolution isn't the sole cause of the wolf becoming the modern dog. The word evolution would also include the fact that the wolf has certain traits that allowed it to become the modern dog (arrived at this by using general reasoning). Thus, it isn't wayward to assume that evolution is somewhat equivalent to having certain special traits.
So, even if the answer choice doesn't mention the word evolution, it does indicate to one of the aspects of evolution, and  especially that aspect which is supported by the passage in the first paragraph  :  but only the wolf possessed the characteristics that allowed for integration into human life, which implies social assimilation, as opposed to mere domestication, which requires only a taming of wild instincts in the animal. 
C is the choice that is  supported by the passage   and also fits within the umbrella of evolution.

Now in case the other choices of Q1 seem alluring, the earlier post from nightblade354 is really good and squashes the other options.
A few of my thoughts:
 Option A - Humans value dogs more than they value any other domestic animal. 
The passage doesn't seem to talk primarily talk about the value of dogs to humans. No paragraph even hints at this being its main idea.

Option B - The domestication of the wolf has no parallel in any other animal. 
The wolf isn't really domesticated, it is socially integrated. Now one may claim that the former is needed before the latter may occur, but we are not interested in the domestication of the wolf as much as we are with the integration because all the three paragraphs talk about social integration.
Also the phrase 'no parallel in any other animal' requires a proper comparison of the wolf and a few other animals with the comparison being the highlight of the passage. No such  detailed/important  comparisons with other animals take place.

Option C - Certain desirable traits not present in other animals allowed the wolf to become the modern dog. 
 Traits  - the whole of the second paragraph is attributed to it.  The transformation of the wolf into the modern dog  - the first paragraph strongly implies this and the following paragraph is the reason for why was this possible. The third paragraph is a bit different but notice that in its initial lines it already accepts the fact that the wolf and the modern dog have certain shared traits, and it goes on to cite few evidences as to when did the breeds become distinct. Seems like the correct choice.

Option D - Domestication of the wolf has been unquestionably successful. 
Again, the passage talks very less about domestication of the wolf. It does talk about how other animals were domesticated but it is more interested in and verbose about the wolf's social integration - its traits.

Option E - Wolves are similar to humans in several important aspects. 
Nowhere does the passage strongly imply this. The only similarity mentioned is in the second paragraph 'Second, wolves possess a system of social stratification remarkably similar to that of humans' and that too is just one sentence with no further implications or explanations.

ArupRS · Answer

Sajjad1994   bm2201   nightblade354

Option C : it seems the scope of this option is confined only in second paragraphs in which those traits mentioned.

Please explain.

Regards,
Arup

bM22 · Answer

Hi  ArupRS ,

True that Option C is mostly discussed in the 2nd paragraph, but we need to understand the whole context first. How and why did the author come to discuss the desirable traits of wolf that allowed it to integrate into human life. In the passage, the author discusses about  how dogs came to exist in every part of the world inhabited by people and how it traces back to the domestication of the wolf . We can see the author making claims about what characteristics of wolf could have led to such easy integration into human life. Thus we need to look for that option that covers the gist of the passage and that is correctly option C.

Hope This Helps.
Thanks.

ArupRS · Answer

Yes it does. Thanks for the explanation. I think this is the best among other choices.

VerbalBot · Answer

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The bond between the domestic dog and humans is such that the dog exis

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The bond between the domestic dog and humans is such that the dog exis

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