Dr. Theresa Pagano, a biologist,

Answer choices

1. A

   Strengthens2% picked this

   Checkerspot butterfly colonies observed under laboratory conditions are critically affected by

   This states that in lab conditions, butterfly colonies are critically affected by small temperature changes, heightening the plausibility that climate-induced temperature shifts impact their movement.

   2%
2. B

   Strengthens4% picked this

   Climate does not affect checkerspot butterflies themselves directly, but the plants they depend on thrive

   This makes the author's hypothesis more plausible. While climate change doesn't directly affect the butterflies, it influences their food sources, which thrive in warm climates. It indirectly supports the hypothesis by linking climate change to butterfly movement through their dependency on plants.

   4%
3. C

   Correct88% picked this

   Experimental evidence suggests that the checkerspot butterfly can adapt easily to a wide range of

   Why this is right

   This suggests that the Checker Spot Butterfly can adapt easily to various temperatures and conditions, which does nothing to strengthen, and may even undermine the idea that a warming shift would make enough different to influence the butterfly's habitat.

   Skill tested: Strengthen · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   88%
4. D

   Strengthens2% picked this

   In recent years, abnormally low average temperatures have been correlated with a reduced

   This provides data showing fewer butterflies in lower temperatures, backing the idea that higher temperatures are favorable, and supporting the causal link between climate change and their movement. Since the author thinks warmer temps in the north led to more butterflies, this is the classic "no cause / no effect" strengthener, where an absence of warmth goes hand in hand with an absence of butterflies.

   2%
5. E

   Strengthens4% picked this

   Several studies have shown that several other species of butterfly closely related to the checkerspot butterfly survive

   This boosts the plausibility of the author's hypothesis, noting that closely related butterfly species only survive in warm climates, offering analogous reasoning to support the idea that checkerspot Butterflies might similarly require warm climates.

   4%