PrepTest 104, Section 2, Question 18
Many birds that form flocks compete through aggressive(453 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(7 more words not shown)
- AA hypothesis is(11 more words not shown)
- BA natural phenomenon(12 more words not shown)
- CBehavior is described,(16 more words not shown)
- DA scientific conundrum(10 more words not shown)
- EA scientific theory(18 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
First we get the idea: plumage might signal status and save birds from costly fights. Then we evaluate two sets of evidence. The Harris sparrow studies fall short of the individual-status claim; the greater titmouse studies support it. That's the sequence our answer needs to capture.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
The hypothesis is introduced, and relevant studies are evaluated. This is broader than our prediction, but it includes both the criticism of the sparrow evidence and the stronger titmouse evidence.
- B
We aren't comparing several explanations for why birds fight. Competition over resources supplies the background; the studies test whether plumage signals status.
- C
This also turns the discussion into a comparison of possible causes. We don't get a list of rival causes followed by an assessment of how likely each is.
- D
There is no history of the issue. The discussion moves through studies, not through the development of a scientific problem over time.
- E
The positive and negative assessments make this tempting. But criticism of one study isn't necessarily an argument against the hypothesis itself. The writer rejects Rohwer's claimed support, then offers stronger support from another species. We aren't comparing two opposing sides, each with its own opinion about whether status signaling is valid and experiments supporting that position.
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