Summary
Most land-dwelling vertebrates have rotating limbs with fingers, a feature useful for land movement. The Acanthostega, a newly discovered ancestor of all land vertebrates, possessed rotating limbs with fingers, but its skeleton was too feeble for land movement. The Acanthostega breathed using only internal gills, indicating that it was exclusively aquatic.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
Some physical features common to certain aquatic animals are useful for land movement.
A
Many anatomical characteristics common to most land animals represent a disadvantage for survival underwater.
This answer is unsupported. We only know that rotating limbs with fingers are common to most land animals. To say that there are “many” characteristics in common with most land animals is too strong.
B
None of the anatomical characteristics common to most aquatic animals represent an advantage for survival on land.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know anything from the stimulus about the physical characteristics of most aquatic animals. We only know that the Acanthostega had rotating limbs with fingers.
C
Acanthostega originated as a land-dwelling species, but evolved gills only after moving to an underwater environment.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know where the Acanthostega species originated from the stimulus.
D
All anatomical characteristics not useful for land movement but common to most land animals represent an advantage for survival underwater.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know from the stimulus if there are characteristics common to most land animals that are useful for surviving underwater. We only know that most land animals have at least one feature that is useful for land movement.
E
Certain anatomical characteristics common to some aquatic animals represent an advantage for survival on land.
This answer is strongly supported. We know from the stimulus that the Acanthostega had rotating limbs with fingers, a characteristic useful for land movement, even though this species was exclusively aquatic.
Raoul: Life consists not of a linear process of personality development, but rather of a series of completely disjointed vignettes, from many of which the discerning observer may catch glimpses of character. Thus, the short story depicts human lives more faithfully than does the novel.
Speaker 1 Summary
Tony thinks that novels are the only type of narrative that can accurately depict human lives (especially compared to short stories). Why? Because only novels can show characters’ personalities gradually developing through experience.
Speaker 2 Summary
Raoul thinks that short stories are a more accurate way to depict human lives, rather than novels. Why? Because life isn’t made up of linear progress. Instead, life is a series of independent scenes where people’s character can be glimpsed. This, we can infer, is better reflected by the format of short stories.
Objective
We’re looking for a point of disagreement. Tony and Raoul disagree on which narrative format more accurately reflects life, the gradual progress of novels or the disjointed vignettes of short stories.
A
human lives are best understood as series of completely disjointed vignettes
Tony disagrees with this claim, and instead thinks that life is best understood as a gradual progression over time. Raoul agrees with this claim. This articulates the point of disagreement.
B
novels and short stories employ the same strategies to depict human lives
Both speakers disagree with this claim. Both Raoul and Tony acknowledge the different strategies used by novels and short stories, their argument is just about which one is a better reflection of life.
C
novels usually depict gradual changes in characters’ personalities
Both speakers agree with this claim. Tony explicitly discusses the gradual change depicted by novels. Raoul also alludes to this idea when talking about “a linear process of personality development.”
D
only short stories are used as novelists’ sketch pads
Neither speaker makes this claim. Tony says that short stories are used as novelists’ sketch pads, but never says that they’re the only thing that is used that way. Novelists could have other sketch pads, we don’t know.
E
short stories provide glimpses of facets of character that are usually kept hidden
Neither speaker makes this claim. Raoul talks about vignettes providing glimpses of character, which we can infer also refers to short stories. However, Raoul never mentions whether these glimpses are usually hidden.