PrepTest 110, Section 3, Question 13
Though many insects die soon after reproducing for(34 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(8 more words not shown)
- ASurvival of the(13 more words not shown)
- BInsects that do(19 more words not shown)
- CMost bees live(10 more words not shown)
- DThose bees that(12 more words not shown)
- EMost insects are(13 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Some bees keep living after the next generation is secure. That's the connection to carry into the answers.
The passage gives us two groups of insects: those that die soon after reproducing for the first time, and those that may live for years afterward. The word latter points to the second group. Bees are given as an example within that longer-surviving group.
What we’re looking for
So we can reject the idea that reproducing always means a bee will die soon afterward. We have bees that don't fit that rule. The question asks what follows from the information, so keep the conclusion that limited. We know some survive; we haven't been told how common that survival is.
Working the answers
- A
We aren't told what most insect populations are trying to achieve. Survival of a species and survival of an individual are different ideas, but the passage doesn't compare them as goals. It describes how long some insects live.
- B
Some insects that benefit the ecosystem live a long time after reproducing. That doesn't tell us how likely other insects are to die. We'd need a comparison between the groups to establish B. Also, benefiting the ecosystem doesn't automatically mean playing a vital role in it.
- C
Some bees survive well beyond reproduction, but that doesn't establish that most do. Most could die soon afterward while a smaller group survives for years. The passage would still be true. C turns the existence of surviving bees into a claim about the majority.
- DCorrect
Not always means there are exceptions. Bees are included among the insects that can live for years after the next generation's survival is secured, so reproduction doesn't always bring a quick death. D states that limited conclusion without claiming all or most bees survive.
- E
We haven't been told whether young insects need care from adults. An adult's survival doesn't by itself show that the young need care, and the death of some adults doesn't establish that most insects hatch self-sufficient. E adds information the passage never supplies.
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