LR Drill Set 11, Question 11
Before the advent of modern statehood and mass(88 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(5 more words not shown)
- Aclearly distinct(1 more words not shown)
- Bsmooth continuums between(1 more words not shown)
- Cminor physical differences(4 more words not shown)
- Da lack of(3 more words not shown)
- Especies that have(5 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
The border changes the pattern. Without a sharp division, neighboring dialects can blend gradually; with distinct boundaries, the passage says we get distinct languages.
Now carry that comparison over to biology. The evenly spread populations correspond to the earlier continuous stretch of dialects. Geographic isolation corresponds to the boundaries separating the modern language groups. So what should replace the blend between species once the populations are isolated?
What we’re looking for
Distinct species. That's my prediction for the blank: separate groups on the biology side should match separate languages on the language side.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
Clearly distinct species match the distinct languages that result on the other side of the analogy. The author moves from blended languages to separated languages, then from blended species to separated species. A completes both the contrast and the parallel structure.
- B
Smooth continuity is what the passage associates with populations spread evenly over a large area. The blank asks what to expect after geographic isolation. B repeats the starting situation instead of supplying the change that corresponds to distinct modern languages.
- C
Small differences between individual organisms don't answer whether the species blend together or have clear boundaries. Members of one species could vary in size while the species remained distinct from another. The analogy concerns the relationship between groups, not a claim about the amount of organism-by-organism variation.
- D
Homogeneity means relative sameness within the relevant group. The language example moves toward distinct, homogeneous languages, so a lack of homogeneity points the wrong way. More broadly, D focuses on internal variation when the needed completion is the separation between species.
- E
Distinct groups don't have to be unrelated. The languages in the example have common roots even though modern boundaries distinguish them. Similarly, species could be clearly distinct while having a shared history or other relationships. 'No relationship' goes far beyond the contrast the argument supplies.
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