PrepTest 136, Section 3, Question 14
Traditional theories of animal behavior assert that animal(454 more words not shown)
The author of the passage(12 more words not shown)
- Adescribe a kind(11 more words not shown)
- Bsuggest that repetitive(21 more words not shown)
- Cprovide evidence to(17 more words not shown)
- Dprovide an example(11 more words not shown)
- Eprovide an example(18 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
The tortoises stretch their necks, and the one perceived as taller wins. That makes the opening theory visible: a repeated display settles a contest without an escalated fight. The tortoises illustrate the traditional model before the spiders create a challenge for it.
What we’re looking for
Keep an illustration separate from proof about how most species actually behave. One example can show us what the theorists mean without establishing their entire generalization.
Working the answers
- A
We aren't told how few species use this behavior. Neither the neck-stretching example nor the broader description of ritualized contests establishes that count.
- B
The tortoises illustrate animals that do follow the display model. The later spiders, not this example by itself, provide the contrast showing why the model may not fit every species.
- C
This would make the tortoises evidence for a broad claim about most species. Here they illustrate the kind of ritual traditional theorists describe; the author isn't using this one species to assess how widely the pattern holds.
- D
Nothing establishes that this behavior is unique. Another species could use a similar display without affecting the example's purpose.
- ECorrect
The neck-stretching contest exemplifies the ritualized behavior traditional theorists regard as normal. The wording accurately ties that expectation to the theorists. It doesn't ask us to treat one tortoise example as proof about the majority of animal species.
More Purpose of Claim questions
Learn the LSAT our way
Our platform drills Purpose of Claim questions at your level and adjusts as you improve.