PrepTest 138, Section 2, Question 10
People who are allergic to cats are actually(71 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(9 more words not shown)
- AAny particular individual(12 more words not shown)
- BNo cat is(12 more words not shown)
- CNot all cats(14 more words not shown)
- DThe allergic reactions(19 more words not shown)
- EThere is no(17 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Being allergic to cats doesn't mean reacting to every cat in exactly the same way.
The passage gives us a more specific way to think about the allergy: proteins in skin secretions and saliva cause the reaction, and different people react to different proteins. Imagine someone sensitive to protein A and someone else sensitive to protein B. A cat carrying A could cause a reaction in the first person without causing one in the second.
All cats spread skin and saliva, so none is incapable of provoking an allergic reaction. But that doesn't mean each cat provokes every person who has a cat allergy. The passage explicitly says a given cat commonly affects some sufferers but not others.
What we’re looking for
For the most-supported question, keep that variation in view. I don't have a detailed prediction beyond the idea that the reactions depend on the particular cat and the particular person's sensitivity. Let's find the answer that fits that account without turning a common pattern into an absolute rule.
Working the answers
- A
This makes two unsupported moves. It says any individual will have this pattern, and it organizes the differences by breed. We haven't been told that each person reacts to some breeds and tolerates others, or that a breed determines the relevant protein profile. Some individuals might also have no cat allergy at all.
- B
The passage says it's common for a cat to affect some sufferers but not all. That doesn't rule out a cat whose protein profile could trigger all the relevant sensitivities. Imagine a cat carrying all the proteins involved. B's absolute 'no cat' goes beyond the common pattern described.
- CCorrect
Differences in cats' protein profiles fit the account of reactions depending on the particular cat and the proteins to which a person is sensitive. A cat associated with protein A needn't have the same profile as one associated with protein B. C keeps the conclusion limited: not every cat is identical in these proteins. It doesn't say that every cat has a unique profile or that the differences line up neatly with breeds.
- D
Whether a reaction happens is different from how intense it is. The passage discusses which proteins trigger which people, not whether one person's reaction is more severe than another's.
- E
Variation doesn't mean prediction is impossible. If we knew a person's sensitivity and a cat's relevant proteins, that information might help us predict a reaction. The passage doesn't establish that no method of prediction could work.
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