Pathogens

Answer choices

1. A

   Too Strong: just as virulent Contradicted10% picked this

   A new hypothesis about the host-incapacitating behavior of some pathogens suggests that directly transmitted pathogens are just as virulent as vector-borne pathogens, due to

   The main clause here is that the New idea is that "directly transmitted are just as virulent as vector-borne". Yes, some directly transmitted (such as diphtheria and tuberculosis) are just as lethal / virulent. But the whole reason the author is writing this passage is to inform us of this general relationship they've now realized is going on in which "vector-borne tend to be more virulent than directly transmitted".

   10%
2. B

   Contradicted: most vs. some Wrong Emphasis2% picked this

   A new hypothesis about the host-incapacitating behavior of some pathogens suggests that, while most pathogens reproduce so extensively as to cause their hosts to

   The main clause of this answer is that there's a new hypothesis which says "some pathogens eventually develop a benign coexistence with their hosts". That's not the New idea. The benign coexistence is the Old, prevailing view. We'd rather hear this answer say, "while most pathogens develop a benign coexistence with their hosts, some pathogens may achieve evolutionary success even while reproducing so extensively as to cause their hosts to become gravely sick or even die". The main focus of the passage was the more-virulent pathogens, which are the exceptions not the usual. This answer also fails to mention the main takeaway, which is that there's a strong connection between mode of transmission and virulence.

   2%
3. C

   Wrong Justification12% picked this

   A new hypothesis about the host-incapacitating behavior of some pathogens suggests that they are able to achieve reproductive success because they reproduce to a

   This says that the big new takeaway is that some super virulent pathogens are able to still have reproductive success because they reproduce to a high level of concentration in their hosts. That is part of the story, but not enough. On its own, reproducing to a high level in the host just overwhelms, incapacitates, and potentially kills the host. The secret sauce of how this can be a successful evolutionary strategy is the idea of the vector (or in rare cases, the sit-and-wait capacity). The true measure of reproductive success is that "replication leads to a level of transmission into new hosts that exceeds the loss of pathogens resulting from the host's incapacitation."

   12%
4. D

   Opposite1% picked this

   A new hypothesis about the host-incapacitating behavior of some pathogens suggests that they are generally able to achieve reproductive success unless their reproduction

   This makes the New idea out to be, "some pathogens are able to achieve reproductive success unless their reproduction causes the death of the host". The main point was really, "some pathogens are able to achieve reproductive success even if their reproduction causes the death of the host", as long as they're being transmitted by a vector and so the level of transmission into new hosts exceeds the loss of pathogens resulting from the old host's death.

   1%
5. E

   Correct75% picked this

   A new hypothesis about the host-incapacitating behavior of some pathogens suggests that pathogen virulence is generally a function of their mode of transmission, with

   Why this is right

   According to the main clause of this answer, the New idea is that "pathogen virulence is generally a function of mode of transmission, with vector usually more virulent than direct". That looks like a really strong match for our Author's Take on the New, at the beginning of the final paragraph. This answer even adds a little qualifier idea at the end to wrap its arms around the exceptional cases of mean & nasty directly transmitted pathogens alluded to in the final paragraph.

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

   75%