PrepTest 119, Section 4, Question 10
Charlene: Environmental cleanup increasingly relies on microorganisms to(60 more words not shown)
Olaf's reply suggests that he(6 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Cold for that region, or cold compared with somewhere else? That's where these speakers miss each other.
At first, Charlene's point might sound like 'microbes don't work as well in cold places.' Then Olaf's comparison of Arctic and subtropical microbes would seem relevant. But read her condition carefully: activity drops when a region's temperature falls below normal. She is comparing a region with its own usual temperature.
Imagine a region where the normal temperature is 50 degrees. Its microbes might work well at 50 and slow down at 40. In another region, microbes might work well at the normal 100 degrees and slow down at 90. These are hypothetical numbers, but they show the difference: both groups can function well at their usual temperatures even though one group's usual temperature is much colder.
What we’re looking for
Olaf compares cold and warm regions and finds similar rates of eating oil. That doesn't tell us what happens when either region becomes colder than usual. The question asks which term he appears to misinterpret. I'd choose 'normal': Charlene means the temperature typical of a particular region, not one temperature against which all regions are judged.
Working the answers
- A
'Relies' concerns using microorganisms for cleanup. Olaf's response also discusses organisms that digest pollutants, so he isn't challenging or misunderstanding that use. His comparison concerns the temperatures at which they operate.
- BCorrect
Charlene's 'normal' depends on the region. What is normal in the Arctic can be much colder than what is normal in a subtropical region. Equal activity across those two regions doesn't refute her claim that activity declines when the temperature in either region drops below its own normal level.
- C
Nothing in the reply suggests a disagreement about what cleanup means. Both speakers concern themselves with microorganisms consuming pollutants. The mismatch is in the temperature comparison, not the activity being performed.
- D
Olaf disputes Charlene's claimed limitation, but that doesn't mean he misunderstands the word 'limitations.' He misunderstands the condition under which she says the limitation applies: below a region's normal temperature.
- E
Both speakers are addressing how actively the organisms digest pollutants. Olaf even measures a rate of oil consumption. He responds to a comparison between cold and warm places, while Charlene describes a change from a region's usual temperature. 'Normal' captures that difference; 'active' doesn't.
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