#7 - Author's Perspective

[ellieeiff4]

Hi Powerscore team,

I am struggling to understand (1) how to approach these MBT AP questions, (2) why A is incorrect here, and (3) why D is correct.

I was drawn to A because the passage frequently touched on the idea that scientists still do not understand how Kinglets survive cold temperatures. After looking closer at answer A, I can see that maybe "small birds" is too general which might rule the answer out.

I eliminated D because it felt like a stretch/didn't fully relate to the passage. How can I avoid making mistakes like this in the future?

Thank you!

[Luke Haqq]

Hi ellieeiff4!

Regarding (1), a good way to approach this type of question is to go to the passage for support. If not explicitly stated, the correct answer choice can at least be inferred from material from the passage. So when you are considering answer choices, see if you can find support for a contender answer choice in the passage, and if you do not find such support, then eliminate it.

To address (2), we don't know that the author would agree with that based on the passage. It's compatible with the passage, for example, that the author thinks naturalists have already achieved much understanding about the ability of small birds to survive extremely cold temperatures overnight. We don't know one way or another, which is why we can eliminate answer choice (A).

Finally, regarding (3), answer choice (D) has support in the final paragraph of the passage. The support specifically starts at line 47, where the author discusses a recent study about goldcrests. There the author mentions "[a]nother theory ... which may be borne out by a recent study." So the author thinks that a study about goldcrests may have potential implications for understanding kinglets.