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Unmaintained areas of contiguous stands of forest are particularly 05 Oct 2021, 07:44
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Sajjad1994
Unmaintained areas of contiguous stands of forest are particularly vulnerable to hard-to-control wildfires, and logging practices can exacerbate conditions when unsellable lumber debris is scattered or, worse still for firefighters, piled and abandoned. Prescribed burning, carried out with careful consideration for air quality and the potential for runoff of ash into streams and lakes, need not occur yearly nor need the area be completely burned. Once maintenance is established and assuming normal rainfall patterns, a partial burn every three to four years will prevent fuel continuity, reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire. Once previous burns have decreased available deadwood fuel, foresters may employ patchy burns, leaving stands of unburned vegetation in the midst of treated areas rather than allowing the fire to progress to full coverage of the area.

The practical results of prescribed burns go well beyond fire control and mitigation of damage caused by wildfire to businesses and personal investments in increasingly populated forest areas. After well-managed burns, biodiversity increases because of the destruction of fast-growing species that would otherwise monopolize resources, crowding out other plants and decreasing available varieties of habitat. One category of unwanted species, in particular, is kept in check by prescribed burns: such pests as insects and plant diseases. In addition, species that are fire dependent for propagation benefit from controlled burns, so the aesthetic value of scenic and recreational areas is also enhanced. Particularly when well-planned patchy burns are prescribed and the top story of vegetation is preserved, the resulting visual contrasts are pleasing to the eye.

1. The passage suggests that

A. homeowners should avoid forested areas when choosing a place to live. - Nowhere in the passage, residence by homeowners and impact of forest burning is stated. Hence, Out of scope.
B. prescribed burns are not needed in grassland or coastal plain areas where trees are not concentrated. IMO this is correct answer because 2nd para states - "After well-managed burns, biodiversity increases because of the destruction of fast-[color=#ff0000]growing species that would otherwise monopolize resources, crowding out other plants and decreasing available varieties of habitat."[/color]
C. aesthetic results should be the guiding principle of prescribed burning. - Aesthetic result is an outcome not the guiding principle.
D. because prescribed burns can become uncontrolled burns, evacuation of affected areas should precede any prescribed burns. - Passage is not about evacuation.
E. careful practices by logging companies would reduce the danger of catastrophic wildfire. - Could be yes, but we don't know what is 'careful'. Rather 1st para says - "logging practices can exacerbate conditions when unsellable lumber debris is scattered"


2. What function does the second paragraph perform in the passage?

2nd para begins with - The practical results of prescribed burns go well beyond fire control and mitigation of damage.... thus, obviously we are looking for benefits of prescribed burnings. IMO - A

A. It explains that prescribed burns control pests and increase biodiversity. - The statement is correct. But it is not the 'function' of 2nd para. Para goes beyond benefit of biodiversity.
B. It describes conditions under which prescribed burns may safely be carried out so foresters and area residents remain safe. - Safety of residents is out of scope
C. It presents benefits of prescribed burns, thus adding a further argument to the need for prescribed burns. - Correct
D. It persuades area residents to allow prescribed burns near their businesses and homes. - Out of scope.
E. It catalogues the plant and animal species that benefit from prescribed burns. No explicitly mention of plants and animals. Wrong answer.


3. Which statement below, if added to the passage, would most likely convince homeowners whose houses are near the areas of prescribed burns to agree that such burns are necessary, despite the temporary declines in air quality and aesthetics?

I refer to line "Unmaintained areas of contiguous stands of forest are particularly vulnerable to hard-to-control wildfires, and logging practices can exacerbate conditions when unsellable lumber debris is scattered"
IMO option A is correct answer.

A. Well-managed burns protect seed trees while eliminating ground debris. - Correct, residents would not like debris!
B. Burning at a time of high winds and warm temperatures risks greater scorch damage to trees marked for preservation. - why homeowners think about 'trees marked for preservation'? Wrong
C. Logging businesses can pile unsellable wood so that it is less of a hindrance to tractor plows working the area. - Could be correct answer. But not all residents would be using tractor to plow the working area.
D. If not burned off, piles of deadwood hinder the construction of fire lines that hold back advancing wildfires. - This is rather weakening the position.
E. Prescribed burns are usually carried out several weeks before seed fall of the dominant species.

- Residents are not directly concerned with seed fall of the dominant species.

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Unmaintained areas of contiguous stands of forest are particularly 05 Oct 2021, 07:57
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1. The passage suggests that

A. homeowners should avoid forested areas when choosing a place to live. no mention of homeowners in passage
B. prescribed burns are not needed in grassland or coastal plain areas where trees are not concentrated. no mention of grasslands/coastal plains in passage
C. aesthetic results should be the guiding principle of prescribed burning. incorrect inference that too with limited scope
D. because prescribed burns can become uncontrolled burns, evacuation of affected areas should precede any prescribed burns.no mention of evacuation in passage
E. careful practices by logging companies would reduce the danger of catastrophic wildfire. suggested in passage

2. What function does the second paragraph perform in the passage?

A. It explains that prescribed burns control pests and increase biodiversity. limited scope
B. It describes conditions under which prescribed burns may safely be carried out so foresters and area residents remain safe. no such mention
C. It presents benefits of prescribed burns, thus adding a further argument to the need for prescribed burns. suggested in passage
D. It persuades area residents to allow prescribed burns near their businesses and homes. no such mention
E. It catalogues the plant and animal species that benefit from prescribed burns. limited scope

3. Which statement below, if added to the passage, would most likely convince homeowners whose houses are near the areas of prescribed burns to agree that such burns are necessary, despite the temporary declines in air quality and aesthetics?

A. Well-managed burns protect seed trees while eliminating ground debris. could be true but C seems to be better choice
B. Burning at a time of high winds and warm temperatures risks greater scorch damage to trees marked for preservation. contradiction of our answer
C. Logging businesses can pile unsellable wood so that it is less of a hindrance to tractor plows working the area. this will positively convince the homeowners
D. If not burned off, piles of deadwood hinder the construction of fire lines that hold back advancing wildfires. bit out of scope
E. Prescribed burns are usually carried out several weeks before seed fall of the dominant species. bit out of scope
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Unmaintained areas of contiguous stands of forest are particularly 05 Oct 2021, 08:05
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Hello everyone!

Thank you for participating in Day 1 questions, OAs are revealed and also the competition mode is off now, Don't edit or modify your explanations. Day 2 questions have been posted.
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Unmaintained areas of contiguous stands of forest are particularly 05 Oct 2021, 13:22
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I have read all the responses submitted here for this passage, It is not easy to comment on every response individually (due to time constraints) but I will talk about the highlights.

Question #1

Difficulty Level: 550
Official answer: E
Second lucrative answer is C

Question #2

Difficulty Level: 400-450
Official answer: C
No other option was near even.

Question #3

Difficulty Level: 650
Official answer: D
Second lucrative answer is A

Top explanations submitted are by:

Gaudapada (10/10)
c93liu (10/10)
800gal
snscatter
zyt
RohitSaluja

I really like the format followed by Gaudapada and request others to follow the same or at least differentiate the reasoning you wrote from the answer options so I can easily identify them.

If anyone has any doubt regarding the answers they can follow the explanation given by Gaudapada and c93liu.

Thank you
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Unmaintained areas of contiguous stands of forest are particularly 03 Dec 2022, 06:01
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Unmaintained areas of contiguous stands of forest are particularly vulnerable to hard-to-control wildfires, and logging practices can exacerbate conditions when unsellable lumber debris is scattered or, worse still for firefighters, piled and abandoned. Prescribed burning, carried out with careful consideration for air quality and the potential for runoff of ash into streams and lakes, need not occur yearly nor need the area be completely burned. Once maintenance is established and assuming normal rainfall patterns, a partial burn every three to four years will prevent fuel continuity, reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire. Once previous burns have decreased available deadwood fuel, foresters may employ patchy burns, leaving stands of unburned vegetation in the midst of treated areas rather than allowing the fire to progress to full coverage of the area.

Summary: Forest areas which are not maintained properly are vulnerable to wildfires. when unsellable debris is left to scatters & get piled after Process of logging, this further increase problems for firfighters . Prescribed burning after considering air quality and rainfall patterns etc are carried out to prevent catastrophic wildfires. Once deadwood which acts as fuel is decreases, foresters employ patchy burns which leave stands of unburned vegetation and stops fire to progress further.

The practical results of prescribed burns go well beyond fire control and mitigation of damage caused by wildfire to businesses and personal investments in increasingly populated forest areas. After well-managed burns, biodiversity increases because of the destruction of fast-growing species that would otherwise monopolize resources, crowding out other plants and decreasing available varieties of habitat. One category of unwanted species, in particular, is kept in check by prescribed burns: such pests as insects and plant diseases. In addition, species that are fire dependent for propagation benefit from controlled burns, so the aesthetic value of scenic and recreational areas is also enhanced. Particularly when well-planned patchy burns are prescribed and the top story of vegetation is preserved, the resulting visual contrasts are pleasing to the eye.

Summary: Prescribed burning also has other benefits such as increasing biodiversity by destroying fast growing species. Fire dependent species also gets benefit. Visual contrast also increase.


1. The passage suggests that

A. homeowners should avoid forested areas when choosing a place to live.
B. prescribed burns are not needed in grassland or coastal plain areas where trees are not concentrated.
C. aesthetic results should be the guiding principle of prescribed burning.
D. because prescribed burns can become uncontrolled burns, evacuation of affected areas should precede any prescribed burns.
E. careful practices by logging companies would reduce the danger of catastrophic wildfire.
logging practices can exacerbate conditions when unsellable lumber debris is scattered or, worse still for firefighters, piled and abandoned

2. What function does the second paragraph perform in the passage?

A. It explains that prescribed burns control pests and increase biodiversity.
B. It describes conditions under which prescribed burns may safely be carried out so foresters and area residents remain safe.
C. It presents benefits of prescribed burns, thus adding a further argument to the need for prescribed burns.
Passage B clearly talks about prescribed burns benefits.
D. It persuades area residents to allow prescribed burns near their businesses and homes.
E. It catalogues the plant and animal species that benefit from prescribed burns.

3. Which statement below, if added to the passage, would most likely convince homeowners whose houses are near the areas of prescribed burns to agree that such burns are necessary, despite the temporary declines in air quality and aesthetics?

A. Well-managed burns protect seed trees while eliminating ground debris.
B. Burning at a time of high winds and warm temperatures risks greater scorch damage to trees marked for preservation.
C. Logging businesses can pile unsellable wood so that it is less of a hindrance to tractor plows working the area.
D. If not burned off, piles of deadwood hinder the construction of fire lines that hold back advancing wildfires.
So it means, eventually there will be a wildfire which is going to be more dangerous.
E. Prescribed burns are usually carried out several weeks before seed fall of the dominant species.
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Unmaintained areas of contiguous stands of forest are particularly 03 Apr 2025, 02:58
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