The Levant—the area that borders the eastern Mediterranean—was heavily populated in prehistoric times. The southern Levant was abandoned about 6,000 years ago, although the northern Levant, which shared the same climate, remained heavily populated. Recently archaeologists have hypothesized that the sudden depopulation in the southern Levant was due to an economic collapse resulting from deforestation.
Summary
The Levant has a northern and a southern part, and both used to have high populations. The northern part still has a high population, but the southern part does not. This is because of a sudden economic collapse resulting from deforestation more than 6,000 years ago.
Notable Valid Inferences
The northern Levant did not face economic collapse about 6,000 years ago. Climate must not be part of the reason why the southern Levant is abandoned. The economic collapse is what caused the depopulation of the southern Levant, as opposed to some other factor.
A
The sheep and goats herded by the peoples of the southern Levant until 6,000 years ago grazed extensively on the seedlings and saplings of indigenous tree species.
This could be true. No information in the stimulus suggests the goats and sheep that existed prior to the deforestation and depopulation of the southern Levant did not graze on indigenous tree species’ seedlings and saplings.
B
Trees were used in the production of lime plaster, a building material used extensively throughout the southern Levant until 6,000 years ago.
This could be true. No information in the stimulus suggests trees were not used to produce lime plaster prior to the deforestation and depopulation of the southern Levant.
C
Organic remains from the northern Levant reliably indicate that tree species flourished there without interruption during the period when the southern Levant was being abandoned.
This could be true. No information in the stimulus suggests the northern Levant had any issues with deforestation.
D
Carbon dating of organic remains from the southern Levant reliably demonstrates that there were no forests present in that area prior to 6,000 years ago.
This must be false. We know the southern Levant faced economic collapse due to deforestation. Such deforestation could not have occurred if there were no forests in the region in the first place.
E
Since there are few traces of either quarried stone or of mud brick in buildings excavated in the southern Levant, it is likely that the buildings built there prior to 6,000 years ago were made almost entirely of timber.
This could be true. No information in the stimulus suggests the southern Levant’s buildings were not made solely from timber.
Critic: Most chorale preludes were written for the organ, and most great chorale preludes written for the organ were written by J. S. Bach. One of Bach’s chorale preludes dramatizes one hymn’s perspective on the year’s end. This prelude is agonizing and fixed on the passing of the old year, with its dashed hopes and lost opportunities. It does not necessarily reveal Bach’s own attitude toward the change of the year, but does reflect the tone of the hymn’s text. People often think that artists create in order to express their own feelings. Some artists do. Master artists never do, and Bach was a master artist.
Summary
Bach was a master artist. Master artists never create music to express their feelings, but other artists (i.e., some non-master artists) do. This can be diagrammed as follows:
Notable Valid Inferences
Bach never created music to express his feelings. This means the chorale prelude discussed in the stimulus was not made to reveal Bach’s attitudes toward the change of the year.
A
Bach believed that the close of the year was not a time for optimism and joyous celebration.
This could be true. The stimulus doesn’t offer information on how Bach felt about the year ending. While his prelude on this topic wasn’t celebratory, we know that Bach’s music wasn’t designed to express his feelings.
B
In composing music about a particular subject, Bach did not write the music in order to express his own attitude toward the subject.
This must be true. Bach was a master artist, which implies that he never created music to express his feelings.
C
In compositions other than chorale preludes, Bach wrote music in order to express his feelings toward various subjects.
This must be false. Master artists such as Bach never create music to express their feelings. If someone does create music to express their feelings, they must not be a master artist, and therefore must not be Bach, as shown in the diagram below.
D
Most of Bach’s chorale preludes were written for instruments other than the organ.
This could be true. While we know that most great chorale preludes written for the organ were composed by Bach, we don't have information about his preludes for other instruments. Bach's organ preludes may have been fewer in number compared to his preludes for other instruments.
E
Most of the great chorale preludes were written for instruments other than the organ.
This could be true. We know there are some great chorale preludes written specifically for the organ—we don’t know how these compare in number to the great chorale preludes for other instruments.
Pat: I agree with your conclusion, but not with the reasons you give for it. Some good actions actually do not have favorable consequences. But no actions considered to be bad by our society have favorable consequences, so your conclusion, that some actions our society considers bad are actually good, still holds.
A
presupposing that if a certain property distinguishes one type of action from another type of action, then that property is one of many properties distinguishing the two types of action
B
presupposing that if most actions of a certain type share a certain property, then all actions of that type share that property
C
presupposing that if a certain property is shared by actions of a certain type in a given society, then that property is shared by actions of that type in every society
D
presupposing that if an action’s having a certain property is necessary for its being a certain type of action, then having that property is sufficient for being that type of action
E
presupposing that if a certain property is shared by two types of action, then that property is the only property distinguishing the two types of action from actions of other types
Every morning, the crows leave the roost to hunt and scavenge. Most flocks of crows keep their hunting to within 100 to 130 km from the roost.
Normally a flock of crows stays in the same roost for several years.
When a flock abandons a roost to form a new roost, the new roost is usually less than 8 km away from the abandoned roost.