PrepTest 135, Section 1, Question 9
Some paleontologists have suggested that Apatosaurus , a(60 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(12 more words not shown)
- AGalloping would probably(7 more words not shown)
- BIt is possible(14 more words not shown)
- CThe claim of(12 more words not shown)
- DIf galloping would(14 more words not shown)
- EModern bones are(13 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Could an animal that large really gallop? The author says probably not, because doing so would likely break its legs. I'd immediately want to know how we can tell what those legs could withstand.
The evidence comes from experiments with modern bones. That raises a reasonable question: are modern bones a good guide to this dinosaur's bones? The final sentence responds to part of that concern. The calculation accounts for the diameter and density of Apatosaurus leg bones; it isn't simply assuming that every bone has the same strength.
We could still ask whether those are all the properties that matter. But the task is to identify the conclusion, not to settle the science. Follow what all this evidence is meant to establish: the paleontologists' claim that Apatosaurus could gallop is unlikely to be right.
What we’re looking for
The bone calculation supports the claim that galloping would break its legs. That claim, in turn, supports the rejection of the galloping theory. The last step is the overall conclusion.
Working the answers
- A
This gives the immediate reason for rejecting the theory. If galloping would probably break the dinosaur's legs, that helps explain why the author doubts its ability to gallop. A stops one step short of the overall point.
- B
The calculation is part of the evidence. It supports the claim about broken legs, which supports the conclusion about galloping. The argument isn't ultimately trying to convince us that a calculation is possible; it uses the calculation to challenge the paleontologists' theory.
- CCorrect
The claim that Apatosaurus could gallop is likely to be incorrect. This is what “This, however, is unlikely” refers to. The following discussion of bone strength explains why the author rejects that claim. Keep the degree of confidence: likely incorrect, not established as absolutely impossible.
- D
This gives a conditional connection between broken legs and inability to gallop. The argument goes further: it offers evidence that galloping would break the legs and uses that evidence to reject the theory. D describes a possible link in the reasoning without stating the conclusion reached about this dinosaur.
- E
The comparison with modern bones may require relevant similarities, but the argument isn't mainly trying to establish those similarities. They help explain why modern-bone experiments could inform the calculation. The overall point remains that the galloping claim is unlikely to be correct.
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