PT153 S2 Q15 ExplanationThe better we understand the behavior

Answer choices, explained

1. A

   Too Strong: will2% picked this

   many endangered species will become extinct before we have the knowledge that is necessary

   The paragraph was phrased in timeless generalities. This answer is making a specific prediction about the future. We weren't provided any information about the present or the future.

   2%
2. B

   Too Strong: impossible2% picked this

   continued reduction of wildlife habitat will make the preservation of many

   These "volume dial" relationships don't really allow us to support something binary like "impossible to save species". Maybe we could say something weaker like, "If we don't understand the niche of an endangered species at all, then our chances of saving it will be as low as they can be", but there's no way from this paragraph to derive a claim do definitively hopeless.

   2%
3. C

   Correct81% picked this

   knowledge that contributes to saving endangered species becomes harder to get as species

   Why this is right

   This is a confusing reinforcement of what we predicted: "the fewer individuals of a species we study, the worse chance we have of saving it" As species become more endangered, we will presumably have fewer individuals of that species to study, so the worse we will understand that species. And since less knowledge about a species (specifically about its behavior and ecological niche) makes it harder to save, we can put this all together and say that as a species becomes more endangered, we will have a harder time saving it (because we'll have a harder time acquiring a better understanding of its niche).

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

   81%
4. D

   Unknown Comparison14% picked this

   to save endangered species it is more important to acquire the right kind of knowledge

   We somewhat know what the "right" kind of knowledge is (understanding the behavior and ecological niche of an endangered species", but the author never brought up taking action and doesn't give us any way to say that good knowledge is better than taking action.

   14%
5. E

   Out of Scope0% picked this

   the impact of human study of endangered species is sometimes more

   Out of Scope: study harms the species There's nothing in this paragraph that would get us to an idea that by studying an endangered species we actually did more harm than benefit.

   0%