PrepTest 139, Section 3, Question 22
Calvaria major is a rare but once-abundant tree(473 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(9 more words not shown)
- ACalvaria major germination,(11 more words not shown)
- BThe appeal of(18 more words not shown)
- CTemple's experimentation with(19 more words not shown)
- DTemple's dramatic but(12 more words not shown)
- ECalvaria major would(13 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
We've already predicted the main point: Temple's dodo theory has some appeal, but the evidence at the end undermines it. Younger trees and unabraded seeds that germinate show that Calvaria major did not become wholly dependent on the dodo for reproduction.
What we’re looking for
The answer should capture that overall evaluation, not just Temple's proposal or one isolated finding from his critics.
Working the answers
- A
The likely sufficiency of current germination is evidence against the theory, but it is only one part of the final paragraph. This leaves out the central dispute over whether the dodo's extinction explains the tree's scarcity.
- BCorrect
This captures both the theory's appeal and the author's skeptical conclusion. The critics' evidence weakens the claimed dependence on dodos, and the ending identifies other possible causes of the decline. The qualification “probably” fits that evaluation without claiming the actual cause has been conclusively proved.
- C
The author does not say Temple's experiments produced a probable solution. The later evidence challenges his explanation. Nor does the criticism establish that his experimental methods were carelessly or improperly conducted.
- D
This makes the final takeaway a defense of Temple despite limited research. The author instead develops substantial reasons to doubt the hypothesis. Possible correctness is not the direction of the overall argument.
- E
This asks us to reconstruct what would have happened if the dodo had survived. The author identifies other possible causes, but that does not turn a hypothetical history into the main claim being argued here.
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