The highest mountain ranges

Answer choices

1. A

   Correct71% picked this

   Patterns of extreme wind and precipitation often result from the dramatic differences in elevation commonly found in

   Why this is right

   This suggests that the mountains cause the erosive forces thereby explaining why the two are so positively correlated.

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

   71%
2. B

   Deepens the Paradox14% picked this

   The highest mountain ranges have less erosion-reducing vegetation near their peaks than do

   This makes it harder to understand how the highest mountains can withstand such prevalent erosive forces.

   14%
3. C

   Out of Scope2% picked this

   Some lower mountain ranges are formed by a different collision process, whereby one tectonic plate simply slides beneath

   Lower mountain ranges are not relevant to explaining the positive correlation between the highest mountain ranges and the prevalence of erosive forces.

   2%
4. D

   Too Weak8% picked this

   The amount of precipitation that a given region of the earth receives may vary considerably over the lifetime

   Since the precipitation may vary in a given region, it’s certainly possible that an area with high mountains sometimes receives more precipitation than at others. The statements however are about a generality and this does nothing to weaken the stated correlation. Nor does it address wind.

   8%
5. E

   Too Weak5% picked this

   The thickening of the earth's crust associated with the formation of the highest mountain ranges tends to cause the thickened portion of

   This may reduce the height of the highest mountain ranges, but they still remain the highest mountain ranges. That they may not be as high as they could have been does not change the apparent conflict.

   5%