For this passage, the answers are in the details. A good strategy, like with most GMAT RC passages, is to create an outline in your head, encapsulating the main points of the passage:

OTs forage throughout lactation period (last up to 3 yrs)
PH. are larger and were thought to fast during their much shorter lactation periods.

Harbor seal, PH., challenges this traditional view, since it forages during lactation.

Possible theory: the harbor seal is much smaller than average PH, which have lots of blubber and can fast,
and is similar in size to OT, which don't have much fat stores.

Size is connected to foraging behavior and lactation.

Now to the questions

1) Otariids have a lactation period that is "4 months to 3 years"; phocines have one that "lasts from 4 and 50 days. Therefore, (A).

2) Harbor seals feed during lactation, which is uncommon in phocines (the second passage contrasts the grey seal, a phocine, which fasts throughout lactation). The point of the passage is to account for this behavior (the theory is that size plays a major role in lactation and foraging). The first paragraph mainly provides context for the difference between the two seal species in this regard.

(C) shifts the focus to current theories on harbor seals and how these theories are incorrect. The point of the passage is that the harbor seal represents an instance that should lead experts to reconsider their views on phocine as a whole, when it comes to foraging and lactation.

(E) goes too far since the passage never implies that the harbor seals belongs to the otariids, just that its behavior is atypical for a phocine, and therefore that not all phocine follow a pattern similar to that of the grey seal.

3) The last part of the first paragraph points to the idea that zoologists thought that all phocines fast throughout lactation, "fasting strategy in which mother phocids, having accumulated large energy stores before they arrive at breeding sites, fast throughout the entire lactation period". The "however" clues us into the fact that the behavior of the harbor seal changes this view.

4) The last part of the second paragraph arrives at the conclusion that the foraging behavior of the harbor seal is related to its size. To further back up this claim, the passage mentions the "ring seal", another small phocine that has similar foraging behavior during lactation as the harbor seal. The phrase "maternal strategy" represents foraging and lactation behavior.


Hope that helps
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This passage is supremely good at using technical details to distract us. One really important thing to keep in mind on any GMAT RC passage: you don't need any prior knowledge to nail these passages. If you have no idea what a pinniped or a phocid or a otariid is, no problem -- the passage defines them for you.

So let's break down the purpose of each paragraph and avoid getting bogged down in details whenever we can.

Paragraph 1

• There are two kinds of pinnipeds: phocids (let's call them Group P) and otariids (let's call them Group O).
• Group O uses a foraging strategy, while Group P uses a fasting strategy.
• However, recent studies show that harbor seals (which belong to Group P) do forage as well.

What's the purpose of Paragraph 1? To identify how the maternal strategies of Group O and Group P differ, then present the harbor seal as an exception to the strategy of Group P.

Paragraph 2

• Harbor seals from Group P might forage because of their small size and rate of fat store depletion.
• There is evidence to support this explanation.
• The behavior of ringed seals (also in Group P) may also support this explanation

What's the purpose of Paragraph 2? To explain why the harbor seal is an exception (their smaller size and high fat depletion rate), and provide evidence to support this explanation.

Now that we've gotten a handle on the structure and meaning of each paragraph, we see that author wrote this passage to explain how and why harbor seals don't follow the maternal strategies of their group. Let's eliminate answer choices that don't match, and search for the one choice that gets closest to what we've read.


This choice is wrong about why the author is writing the passage (it's not simply to present evidence). It's also wrong about the author's primary focus (it's not several species from Group P that illustrate that group's strategy, but one species from Group P that deviates from that group's strategy). Eliminate (A).


This choice only captures a portion of Paragraph 1. We're looking for the purpose of the passage as a whole. Eliminate (B).


The author never argues that zoologists' understanding of harbors seals' strategy is incorrect. Eliminate (C).


This matches our understanding the passage almost exactly. Paragraph 1 tells us the expected behavior, then informs us that harbor seals' behavior is unexpected. Paragraph 2 presents an explanation (size and rate of fat depletion) for harbor seals' behavior. Let's keep (D) around and see if (E) is any better.


Is the author's main point that the harbor seal belongs to Group O, not Group P? In other words: Did the author write this passage to tell us that we're putting harbor seals in the wrong group? No. We haven't seen any language from the author suggesting that this is the case. In fact, the author consistently refers to harbor seals and even ringed seals as phocids, without ever suggesting that they should be categorized differently.

The author structured this passage to help us understand the maternal strategies of Group O and Group P, then explain why harbor seals use a strategy that doesn't match their group's. This is not the same as telling us that harbor seals belong to a different group altogether. That's why we eliminate (E) and keep (D) as the best answer choice.

I hope this helps you foster a seal -- I mean, foster great reading habits when it comes to identifying the primary purpose!
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Desi, the key to answering Main Point questions is to read for that point from the beginning. As you read, you should be asking yourself "Why did the author write this? What is the point?" Before you get to a single question, you should be able to state to yourself not only what the author's overall point is, but also how each paragraph relates to that point. ("The point here is that contrary to zoologists' previous beliefs, not all P's differ in strategy from O's. Harbor seals (P's) forage, just like O's do! The first paragraph explains the distinction and the previous belief, and reveals that harbor seals provide an exception. The second paragraph looks at possible explanations for this exception.")

What you don't have to do is memorize/digest all the technical detail. Read for the big picture and come back to the details as required by the questions. Even on passages that don't have a Main Point question, you'll benefit greatly from having a high-level understanding of the passage as a whole.
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6 min 18 secs - Answered all questions correctly.

1) It can be inferred from the passage that the females of all phocid species differ from the females of all otariid species in that the female phocids

Lactation period of otarids - 4 months to 3 yrs
Lactation period of phocids - 4 days to 50 days

Answer: A

2) The primary purpose of the passage is to

The passage first distinguishes between the maternal strategy of otarids and phocids. Next, the passage takes up the example of harbor seals, a phocid which does not follow the phocid maternal strategy. The passage explains possible reasons for the behavior exhibited by harbor seals.

Answer: D

3) According to the passage, until recently zoologists believed which of the following about all phocid mothers?

Refer to the lines: "Zoologists had assumed that females of all phocid species, by contrast, use a fasting strategy in which mother phocids, having accumulated large energy stores before they arrive at breeding sites, fast throughout the entire lactation period, which lasts from 4 to 50 days depending on the species."

Answer: E

4) The author of the passage mentions ringed seals most probably in order to

Refer to the line: " In addition, there is already some evidence suggesting that the ringed seal, a phocid species that is similar in size to the harbor seal, may also use a maternal foraging strategy."

Answer: E

DmitryFarber, I feel overwhelmed by the amount of information in such passages. I also lose out on retaining a lot of information since there are so many technical terms ( + keywords). Would you recommend any particular strategy tackling such (scientific/technical) passages?

PS: I'm almost always stumped by passages on animals :/

This passage is great practice, especially because it is among the most boring things I have ever read.

Full of detail, difficult vocabular about a farily unexiciting topic... a great example of a challenging Gmat RC passage.
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2.The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. present evidence that several phocids species use the maternal fasting strategy

B. explain why the maternal strategy typically used by phocids is different from the maternal strategy used by otariids

C. argue that zoologists 'current understanding of harbor seals' maternal strategy is incorrect

D. describe an unexpected behavior observed in harbor seals and propose an explanation that may account for the behavior

E. describe evidence concerning the maternal strategy of the harbor seal and suggest that the harbor seal belongs to the otariid rather than to the phocids family


I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of info. in the passage.. took about 10 mins and got 3/4. (the second question got me).

I understand that D is the answer but I selected E. GMATNinja daagh Bunuel could you guys plz help?

4/4
7:02.
On the contrary, I found this passage interesting and easy to follow. First paragraph showed a peculiar finding and second paragraph explained that finding.
There were long sentences but nothing was hidden in vocabulary of the passage. Just rewrite the passage in your mind in your own words.
trick was to follow why the thing was written by the author, rather than what.
I feel it is a good 700+ passage.

PS:- I am no expert in RC passages. just gave my thoughts.!!

Chris/Blog - I have a question in response to #1:

I see where the passage states the lactation periods of PH and OT, but I didn't select that as an answer and hoping for some clarification: The question asks what information the passage INFERS. The passage directly states the lactation periods of both species, so I discarded that answer choice.

IMO the answer is C because the reader can infer that PH and smaller species deplete their fat stores quicker than larger animals.

Thanks
Cody

Can anyone please explain question no 3?
It is asking that what the zoologists had assumed about the mother of all phocids species?
So they had assumed that the mother phocids uses fasting strategy, where the fast during the entire lactation period! So how is option E correct?

Posted from my mobile device

Yes, the researchers had assumed that all phocid mothers used a fasting strategy, which means that they did not eat at all during the lactation period. The phocid moms did this by acquiring a large amount of fat BEFORE giving birth, and then losing that fat while lactating. AFTER the lactation period, they would be free to forage again and replenish their fat stores.

This is exactly what (E) is telling us:

The researchers believed that phocid mothers built up a lot of fat, lost a large proportion of that fat while lactating and not eating anything, and then replenished their fat stores after the lactation period ended. (E) is the correct answer to question #3.

I hope that helps!
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because idea sentence , " use differen merteral strategy", is simple and is understood immediately, the passage is not hard. why the passage is not hard whenthe idea sentences are simple.

the reason is that when we can understand the idea sentences, we can read and understand the detail sentences quickly, able to read long passase with easy.
I am not afraid of this passage.

but if the idea sentence is abstract and , so, is hard to undersand, we have to spend a lot of time reading and rereading it. look at 700 level passage "it is ood but indisputable facts...", to realize the abstract idea sentences.

Passage Map:
P1: Discuss previous belief of the phocid maternal strategies
P2: discuss evidence leading to the belief that phocids are not different from Otariids in terms of maternal foraging

Q1 - Inference
P1 discusses the key differences
A - True. We are told that P has lactation of 4-50 days, and O has lactation of 4months to 3 years
B - not supported
C - not supported
D - Not supported. We are told of phocid depletion in P2.

Q2- Main Idea
A - false. We are told the contrary.
B - No. We are given information supporting the argument that they are not so different.
C - The passage tends to explain moreso than argue against a point here.
D - true. The harbour seals unexpected behaviour is foraging during maternity, explanations are then given in P2.
E - The first part of this is true, but the second part is false.

Q3- Detail
Quite clearly E here.
As found in P1: "mother otariids alternately forage at sea, where they replenish their fat stores, and nurse their young at breeding sites. Zoologists had assumed that females of all phocids species, by contrast, use a fasting strategy"

Implying that fat stores are replenished after fasting.

Q4- Detail
POE through, but the last sentence of P2 gives this away quite easily.
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Passage notes:

Para 1: recent stud changed scientists belief that Ph and OT have different maternal strategy. They have same. Like OT Ph do not fast but forage during lactation

Para 2: Possible reason for maternal strategy of Ph – small size, faster fat depletion.

Question 1. It can be inferred from the passage that the females of all phocids species differ from the females of all otariid species in that the female phocids

A. have shorter lactation periods
Yes, Phocids have a lactation period: 4 to 50 days i.e less than 2 months
Otariid: 4 months to 3 years
B. consume more food during lactation
No such info

C. consume a higher proportion of fat stores
Incorrect. We only know in general the two are of similar size so probably they consume similar proportion.

D. forage for food occasionally during their lactation periods
No such info.

E. deplete a smaller percentage of their fat stores during their lactation periods
Incorrect. We only know in general the two are of similar size so probably they consume similar percentage.

Question 2.The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. present evidence that several phocids species use the maternal fasting strategy
Factually incorrect. They do not fast. That was the long held belief.

B. explain why the maternal strategy typically used by phocids is different from the maternal strategy used by otariids
Factually incorrect. Strategy is same.

C. argue that zoologists ‘current understanding of harbor seals’ maternal strategy is incorrect
That is not WHY the author wrote the passage

D. describe an unexpected behavior observed in harbor seals and propose an explanation that may account for the behavior
Correct. Studies were used to showcase the behavior and second para then proposes an explanation.

E. describe evidence concerning the maternal strategy of the harbor seal and suggest that the harbor seal belongs to the otariid rather than to the phocids family
No where has the author said that the phocids have been ‘misclassified’

Question 3.According to the passage, until recently zoologists believed which of the following about all phocids mothers?

A. Their fasting periods after giving birth were typically shorter than those of otariids. Not mentioned.
B. Their lactation periods were generally as long as those of comparably sized otariids.
Not mentioned.
C. They acquired only moderate energy stores in the form of blubber before arriving at breeding sites.
Opposite. “having accumulated large energy stores before they arrive at breeding sites”

D. They depleted less than a third of their stored body fat during lactation.
‘Less than a third’ no where mentioned

E. They replenished their fat stores only after their lactation period ended.
Correct. Zoologists believed that they fasted throughout the lactation period.

Question 4.The author of the passage mentions ringed seals most probably in order to

Reason: That maternal strategy is related to the size

A. provide an example of a phocid species that fasts throughout its entire lactation period
Factually incorrect. They forage.

B. provide an example of a phocid species whose maternal strategy is typical of phocid species

C. provide an example of a phocid species that may deplete an even higher proportion of its fat stores during lactation than harbor seals do
Factually incorrect. They were of similar size so we have no reason to believe this.

D. support the assertion that harbor seals are smaller than many other phocids
Incorrect.

E. support the assertion that harbor seals’ maternal strategy may be related to their small size.
Exactly. As we pre-thought. That is the idea of the second paragraph.
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GMATNinja - enjoyed your explanation of the passage. How to not get bogged down while attempting such passages during the real exam? It is a fairly simple passage if one has an ability to steer away from those technical jargons that the passage is throwing at him/her. Please suggest any tips.

The short answer is to make sure you are reading for purpose and structure, and not obsessing over details. For more on that, please check out our RC guide for beginners if you haven't already, or the RC videos listed here.

I hope those help a bit!
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