Shelton: The recent sharp decline in the number of moose in this region was caused by a large increase in the white-tailed deer population. While the deer do not compete with moose for food, they carry a dangerous parasite that can be transferred to any moose living nearby.
Russo: The neighboring region has also experienced a large increase in the white-tailed deer population, but the moose population there has remained stable.
"Surprising" Phenomenon
An increase in white-tailed deer caused a corresponding decline in moose in one region, whereas similar conditions didn’t produce the same phenomenon in the neighboring region.
Objective
The right answer will be a hypothesis that explains a key difference between the two regions in question. That difference must likely result in the first region being more susceptible to parasite transfer from deer to moose, or in the neighboring region being less susceptible to parasite transfer.
A
The region with the declining moose population is larger than the neighboring region and, even after the decline, has more moose than the neighboring region.
We already know that the first region’s moose declined. This doesn’t explain why the neighboring region’s moose didn’t experience a decline, too.
B
The region with the declining moose population consists mainly of high-quality moose habitat, but the quality of moose habitat in the neighboring region is marginal.
How would poorer-quality habitat help the moose in the neighboring region? We need to know why the neighboring population didn’t suffer the same problems after an increase in white-tailed deer.
C
Wolf packs in the region with the declining moose population generally prey on only moose and deer, but in the neighboring region the wolf packs prey on a wider variety of species.
For this to work, we would need to know how many moose and deer are being killed relative to one another, as well as how those numbers compare across the regions. We don’t have enough information for this to resolve the conflict.
D
There is a large overlap in the ranges of moose and white-tailed deer in the region with the declining moose population, but not in the neighboring region.
In the region where moose are declining, the parasite transfer is actually occurring. In the neighboring region, moose and deer live in separate areas and thus rarely interact. This explains why the moose in the neighboring region aren’t being infected.
E
Moose require a habitat with very little human settlement, whereas white-tailed deer often thrive in and around areas with considerable human settlement.
We have no idea if either region has human settlement.
The other rivers might have just gotten much dirtier, while the Lalolah River stayed the same. If so, the author can’t conclude that the cleanup efforts are working.
A
interprets lack of evidence for a claim as support for an opposing claim
B
relies on an ambiguity in the expression “most polluted”
C
does not disclose the basis for the ranking used
D
confuses the state of the individual rivers in the water district with that of the water district as a whole
E
equates a decrease relative to the other ranked rivers with an absolute decrease
A
The family members of the organizer of the contest were not permitted to participate in the contest.
B
The manner in which the contest winner would be selected was publicized prior to the selection of the winner.
C
The contest entry forms were submitted at a consistent rate throughout the registration period.
D
The rules of the contest were posted conspicuously by those who organized the contest.
E
The number of people entering the contest far exceeded the expectations of the contest organizers.
A
Cuttlefish feed primarily on small fish and mollusks.
B
Groups of small fish are likely to attract a cuttlefish’s predators.
C
Small fish are more easily scared off by a startle display than are a cuttlefish’s predators.
D
Cuttlefish have acute senses and are able to change colors.
E
Unlike insects that use startle displays, cuttlefish are usually able to move faster than their predators.
A
There had been an increase in police patrolling of the area.
B
Bright lights must be specially ordered from a security company, and installation by the company usually takes at least five months.
C
The store owner reported that all the stores adjacent to the perimeter also experienced a reduction in vandalism, although stores one block away did not.
D
The store’s budget did not allow for the installation of bright lights around the perimeter.
E
The store owner brought in a watchdog to protect the store from vandals.
A
People who use mnemonic devices to help remember their passwords are able to easily remember passwords that are long, complex, and unpredictable.
B
User accounts that are automatically locked after a certain number of incorrect password guesses are usually unlocked after a reasonable time.
C
When a password is written down, it increases the chances that someone will be able to use that password to gain unauthorized access to the user’s account.
D
When users who forget their passwords are locked out of their own accounts, they must often go through a complicated process in order to have their accounts unlocked.
E
Passwords that conform to rules of length, complexity, and unpredictability are no harder to guess than passwords that do not conform to such rules.
Lipton: That’s like arguing that we shouldn’t worry about enforcing laws since, in the larger scheme of things, laws change and nations come and go. But of course it is good that laws are enforced.
A
grammar violations should be resisted
B
a language can evolve into an entirely new language
C
users of a language can easily adapt to changes in that language
D
people only rarely violate grammar rules
E
languages evolve through an accumulation of changes in usage and rules
Student: My university recently enacted new penalties for drinking alcohol in on-campus student housing. But the university has attempted to curb on-campus drinking many times in the past, and these attempts have never been successful. Thus, these new penalties are bound to be just as ineffective.
Summarize Argument
The student concludes that the new penalties for on-campus drinking will be ineffective. He supports this by saying that past attempts to curb on-campus drinking were ineffective.
Identify and Describe Flaw
The student draws an analogy between the new efforts to stop on-campus drinking and the past efforts, claiming the new efforts will be just as ineffective. He assumes that the new and past efforts are relevantly similar, ignoring the possibility that there may be important differences that could make the new efforts more successful.
A
fails to specify what new penalties the university enacted for drinking alcohol in on-campus student housing
The student doesn’t need to explain what the new penalties are. Instead, he needs to explain why they’ll be ineffective. Even if he did specify them, his argument would still be flawed because he assumes the new penalties will fail simply because past efforts did.
B
overlooks the possibility that many students did not drink alcohol in on-campus student housing even before the new penalties were enacted
The student doesn’t overlook this possibility. Many students at the university may not drink at all; the penalties only target those students who do drink in on-campus housing.
C
presumes, without providing justification, that students’ preferred location for drinking alcohol is on-campus student housing
The student doesn’t assume that students prefer to drink on campus, just that some students do drink on campus. Whether students prefer to drink elsewhere is irrelevant; the penalties only target on-campus drinking.
D
overlooks the possibility that the new penalties are relevantly different from the university’s past attempts to curb on-campus drinking
The student assumes that the new penalties are relevantly similar to the university’s past attempts to curb on-campus drinking. If they’re relevantly different, he can’t conclude that the new ones will be ineffective simply because the old ones were.
E
fails to consider whether the new penalties will have any other positive consequences besides reducing drinking in on-campus student housing
It doesn't matter whether the new penalties have other positive consequences. The student only addresses whether these penalties will effectively reduce drinking in on-campus housing.