PT152 S2 Q13 ExplanationShelton: The recent sharp

Answer choices, explained

1. A

   Irrelevant Comparison4% picked this

   The region with the declining moose population is larger than the neighboring region and, even after the decline, has more

   We wouldn't care which of the two regions' moose populations is bigger. We're concerned with relative changes within a region (less moose than before vs. same moose as before).

   4%
2. B

   Opposite2% picked this

   The region with the declining moose population consists mainly of high-quality moose habitat, but the quality of moose habitat in

   We're looking for a way to explain why in the neighboring region the moose aren't declining, and this answer tells us "in that region, they have worse habitat". So that's the opposite of what we want.

   2%
3. C

   Too Weak18% picked this

   Wolf packs in the region with the declining moose population generally prey on only moose and deer, but in the neighboring region the wolf

   We're looking for a way to explain why in the neighboring region the moose aren't declining, and this answer tells us "in that region, the wolves at a wider variety of species". Does that mean that wolves don't eat the moose as much and that's why there's a stable number of moose? That's a stretch of a story. Not to mention, it doesn't have a good logical connection to what's different when it comes to more deer here vs. more deer there.

   18%
4. D

   Correct75% picked this

   There is a large overlap in the ranges of moose and white-tailed deer in the region with the declining moose population, but

   Why this is right

   What an answer for our COVID-19 times. In the neighboring region, the uptick in deer population isn't infecting the local moose with parasites as much because over there the moose and the deer have "socially distanced" habitats.

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

   75%
5. E

   Doesn't Provide Difference1% picked this

   Moose require a habitat with very little human settlement, whereas white-tailed deer often thrive in and around areas

   This just generalizes about moose and deer in a way that will hold true for both regions, both situations. So it's not going to help us explain why those two regions/situations are different.

   1%