"Surprising" Phenomenon
Students found computers helpful for studying arithmetic, but not so helpful for studying other subjects.
Objective
A satisfactory hypothesis must state a difference between the study of arithmetic and the other subjects. This difference may relate to the subjects themselves or to the way computers are used to study those subjects, and it must result in computer-assisted education being more useful for arithmetic than for the other subjects.
A
Students in these schools began reading and doing arithmetic before learning to use computers.
This fails to draw a distinction between arithmetic and the other subjects. It does not state that students started learning science and writing after first using computers, so it does not explain why computers were more helpful for learning arithmetic than for other subjects.
B
Of the disciplines and skills mentioned, the exactness of arithmetic makes it most suitable to computer-assisted education.
This explains the success of computer-assisted learning in arithmetic. Arithmetic is the best-suited for computer-based education, and unsurprisingly, students have found computers most helpful for studying that subject.
C
Many elementary school teachers are reluctant to use computer technology in their classrooms.
This does not identify a difference between arithmetic and the other subjects. It does not imply that teachers who are reluctant to use computer technology favor using it for one subject over another.
D
Young students are more likely to maintain interest in training programs that use the newest computers and video graphics than in those that do not.
This distinguishes between newer and older computers, not between arithmetic and the other subjects. It does not state whether arithmetic is more often taught on newer computers with more modern graphics.
E
The elementary schools have offered more computer-assisted programs in reading and writing than in arithmetic and science.
This places arithmetic and science in the same category rather than distinguish between arithmetic and the other subjects. It does not explain why students find computers more useful for arithmetic than for science.
"Surprising" Phenomenon
Why does this moral system recognize some habitual actions as praiseworthy if actions can only be praiseworthy when they result from overcoming strong temptation?
Objective
A hypothesis reconciling this conflict must provide evidence that some habitual actions can be performed only after overcoming a powerful temptation.
A
People who perform good actions out of habit have often acquired this habit after years of having resisted temptation.
This explains why habitual actions can be praiseworthy. Though the actions may not require overcoming temptation in the moment, they result from overcoming temptation over an extended period.
B
Most people face strong moral temptation from time to time but few people have to endure it regularly.
This strengthens the conflict. If few people endure temptation regularly, then their habitual actions rarely or never involve overcoming temptation, and thus should not be praiseworthy.
C
People virtually always perform actions they think are good, regardless of what other people may think.
This does not explain how habitual actions can involve overcoming temptation. It addresses the requirement that praiseworthy actions be good, but does not address the primary conflict—that habitual actions can sometimes be praiseworthy.
D
Since it is difficult to tell what is going on in another person’s mind, it is often hard to know exactly how strongly a person is tempted.
This explains why habitual actions may sometimes be praised, but not why they are praiseworthy. If a person is incorrectly believed to have overcome temptation, the moral system described would not consider their actions praiseworthy based on that misconception.
E
It is far more common for people to perform good actions out of habit than for them to do so against strong temptation.
This explains the prevalence of certain actions without addressing the moral issue at hand. If people rarely perform good actions against strong temptation, then there is rarely reason to praise those actions.
"Surprising" Phenomenon
Why do many cedars on cliff faces, which are relatively undernourished, live longer than cedars in forests?
Objective
A hypothesis explaining this discrepancy must state a key difference between cedars on cliff faces and cedars in forests. This difference must result in many cedars on cliff faces living longer than most cedars in forests.
A
The conditions on cliff faces are similar to those in most other places where there are few tall trees.
This does not explain the relative longevity of cedars on cliff faces. It suggests that environmental conditions cause cedars on cliff faces to grow shorter, but states no relationship between a cedar's height and its life span.
B
In areas where eastern white cedars grow, forest fires are relatively frequent, but fires cannot reach cliff faces.
This explains why cedars on cliff faces more often live to old age. Forest fires kill many cedars in forests, but do not reach cedars on cliff faces, so cedars in forests are exposed to a survival risk that cedars on cliff faces are not.
C
Trees that are older than a few hundred years start to lose the protective outer layer of their bark.
This is not a difference between cedars in forests and cedars on cliff faces. If all cedars lose their bark’s outer layer in old age, then cedars in both places should be equally affected.
D
The roots of cedars on cliff faces lodge in cracks in the cliff, and once the roots are so large that they fill a crack, the tree is unable to grow any taller.
This explains why cedars on cliff faces are shorter, but not why more of them grow old. It states no relationship between the height of a tree and its longevity.
E
Eastern white cedar wood is too soft to be used for firewood or modern buildings, but it is occasionally used to make furniture.
This rules out a possible explanation, rather than provide one. It implies that cedars are only infrequently harvested for wood, casting doubt on the possibility that cedars in forests are killed in large numbers by humans.
"Surprising" Phenomenon
Why is the most common bird in the marsh the least commonly spotted?
Objective
The correct answer must fail to explain why this marsh hen is seen less frequently. Every wrong answer will identify a difference between the marsh hen and the other species—such as a difference in appearance, location, or behavior—that explains this discrepancy.
A
The coloration of the marsh hen blends in particularly well with the marsh grass where the marsh hen nests.
This explains why these marsh hens are seen less frequently than other species. Because of their special camouflage, they are spotted rarely even though they are common.
B
The marsh hen’s call is harsh and repetitive, whereas the calls of many other marsh birds are pleasant and melodious.
This does not explain why this marsh hen is spotted less frequently than other species. A harsh repetitive call would attract attention and make the marsh hen more likely to be spotted, not less.
C
Unlike many small marsh birds, which dash along the banks of the marsh, the marsh hen remains completely still for long periods of time.
This explains why this marsh hen is seen less frequently than other species. The others move around the banks, making them visible to human visitors, while the marsh hen is stationary and therefore harder to spot.
D
Many marsh birds are most active during daylight hours, but the marsh hen is usually most active at night.
This explains why the marsh hen is seen less frequently than other species of birds. It is active at night, when the cover of darkness makes it difficult to see.
E
Although many small marsh birds fly in groups to several feeding areas each day, the marsh hen tends to be solitary and flies only when it is in danger.
This explains why the marsh hen is seen less frequently than other species of birds. Other species travel often and in groups, making them more easily sighted by visitors, while the marsh hen is more solitary and sedentary.