Okapis

Answer choices

1. A

   Too Narrow4% picked this

   Information gathered by means of radio-tracking collars has finally provided answers to the questions about okapis that zoologists have been attempting to answer since

   This relates to the 2nd paragraph, but it accuses the passage of conveying a vibe like, "Now that we've got these collars, we've got all the answers we were looking for!" The last paragraph is specifically reminding us that there are many unanswered questions.

   4%
2. B

   Too Specific: start of 20th7% picked this

   Because of their physical characteristics and their infrequent capture by hunters, okapis presented zoologists with many difficult questions at the

   This answer is somewhat tempting. The main clause reflects the overarching idea we're looking for ("we've got a lot of questions about the okapi"). The causal reasons provided in the warm-up clause are indeed relevant factors. But they aren't all of the relevant factors (for example, the fact that they feed almost entirely on leaves and don't travel in groups also contribute to their elusiveness), and there's no reason in the passage to elevate the two causal factors that are mentioned. However perhaps the easiest, though pettiest, way to disqualify this answer is that it says the difficult questions happened at the beginning of the 20th century, the early 1900s'. Our thesis says, "since we discovered the okapi in the early 1900s we've had lots of questions", but that doesn't mean that all our important questions happened in the early 1900s.

   7%
3. C

   Correct83% picked this

   Research concerning okapis has answered some of the questions that have puzzled zoologists since their discovery, but has also raised other questions regarding

   Why this is right

   This looks like the overarching Theme we want (i.e. "we've got questions about the okapi"). And it nicely captures how some of the questions presented in the passage had answers, while others didn't.

   Skill tested: Main Point · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

   83%
4. D

   Too Narrow3% picked this

   A new way of tracking okapis using radio-tracking collars reveals that their apparent scarcity is actually a result of their coloration, their

   This doesn't sound anything like our big-picture idea, which is about having lots of questions about the okapi. This sounds more like what you'd say the Main Point was, if you had only read paragraphs 2 and 3. But this answer, like (A), conveys too much of a "now our confusion is resolved" type feel. Meanwhile, the passage itself made sure that the final taste in our mouth was "there's still a lot we don't know".

   3%
5. E

   Too Strong: mostly3% picked this

   Despite new research involving radio tracking, the questions that have puzzled zoologists about okapis since their discovery at the start of the

   This has the right big picture focus (on "questions about okapi"), but it comes off overly negative. It's saying, "Despite some progress, we're still mostly in the dark". The passage felt more like, "We've made some progress! (Although in some areas we're still in the dark)" When we check on the wording that starts the final paragraph, we can't find support for the idea that questions are mostly unanswered. It just says "other questions arise".

   3%