PrepTest 147, Section 3, Question 4
In the last half-century, firefighters in North America(454 more words not shown)
The author cites the factors(13 more words not shown)
- Athe support provided(17 more words not shown)
- Ban argument that,(17 more words not shown)
- Can attempt to(12 more words not shown)
- Dan argument that(13 more words not shown)
- Ethe suggestion that(14 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
Why list topography, weather, and fuel? Read the next step: only fuel is controllable, so land managers should focus on fuel. The list narrows our attention to what managers can actually change.
What we’re looking for
This is a question about what those facts do in the argument. An answer can mention a true point about wildfires and still fail to explain why this particular list appears.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
Topography is fixed and weather is unpredictable; fuel is the available target for intervention. That comparison supports focusing on fuel to reduce the danger of crown fires.
- B
The writer is recommending effective ways to manage fire risk, not using the three factors to argue that management will always be somewhat ineffective. Being unable to control every factor does not erase the value of controlling fuel.
- C
The earlier discussion explains how fuel buildup makes devastating fires possible. Here, the three-factor comparison serves the more specific purpose of identifying where managers should direct their efforts.
- D
The list does not establish that particular fuel types and forest densities depend on topography and weather. It identifies three interacting factors, then distinguishes the one managers can control.
- E
Lightning-caused fires do appear later, but the list is not offered to establish their continuing role. The question asks why these factors are cited, and the immediate answer is to justify the focus on fuel.
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