PrepTest 139, Section 3, Question 27
Calvaria major is a rare but once-abundant tree(473 more words not shown)
Based on the passage, it(21 more words not shown)
- AThe causes of(17 more words not shown)
- BThe notion that(26 more words not shown)
- CIn light of(24 more words not shown)
- DThere is good(12 more words not shown)
- ECalvaria major seeds(14 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
Four answers should fit the author's account, and one should not. The key findings are that younger trees exist and some unabraded seeds germinate. That defeats the claim that reproduction depends entirely on dodos, but leaves room for thick pit walls to make germination harder. And enough successful seeds to prevent extinction does not necessarily mean enough to make the tree abundant again.
Working the answers
- A
The critics dispute the proposed dependence on dodos; they do not definitively explain how the thick pit walls evolved. Temple offers an evolutionary story, but the counterevidence does not establish a final answer to that separate historical question.
- B
Some unabraded seeds grow, while most do not. That leaves open the possibility that pit thickness contributes to the decline, even though it does not prevent every seed from germinating. The critics have not ruled out that weaker claim.
- CCorrect
The reported germination rate is probably sufficient to keep the species from becoming extinct. That is not a basis for expecting abundance. Survival and a large population are different standards, so the continued scarcity is not shown to be surprising.
- D
Speke's conclusion supplies the reason: enough unabraded seeds probably germinate to prevent extinction. That supports this limited claim about avoiding imminent extinction, even though the decline is serious.
- E
Unabraded seeds can germinate, so passage through a bird's digestive system is not required for every seed. This follows directly from the counterevidence.
More Reading Comprehension questions
Learn the LSAT our way
Our platform drills questions at your level and adjusts as you improve.