#5 - Global Reference, Must Be True, Except

[kan1dice]

Hi, I didn't pick E because of lines 38 & 39. I know that I fell in to a trap, but I don't see how? Also is this a (MBT X) question?

[Shannon Parker]

Hi,

The passage simply states that the Okapi do leave much of the preferred foliage uneaten, it does not offer any explanation for why, and thus answer choice "E" is incorrect.

Yes this is a version of a MBTX question.

~Shannon

[lsat]

I'm having trouble seeing how the statement that they leave preferred foliage uneaten because they choose to sample other leaves does not answer the question "why okapis leave much preferred foliage uneaten."

Don't the okapi leave the preferred foliage uneaten because they choose to sample other leaves? Is (E) right because we know they choose to sample other leaves, but we actually don't know why they choose to do this?'

[Claire Horan]

Yes, I think you have answered your own question.

I would say that choosing to sample other leaves is what okapis do instead of continuing to eat preferred foliage. The fact that they sample other leaves does not explain why okapis engage in this behavior. An example of something that would explain why could be that their need a variety of leaves to obtain all of the necessary nutrients.

[lsat]

That makes sense. Thank you so much for your explanation!!

[saharsh]

But the passage says "Okapi never eat only one plant to the exclusion of other plants". Does not it explains why okapi leaves preferred foilage uneaten(E)?

[Adam Tyson]

Answer E and the text you referred to describe WHAT the okapi do, saharsh, but they fail to tell us WHY they do that. Do they leave some preferred foliage uneaten in order to maintain a thick foliage cover in which to hide? Do they make that choice in order to ensure the health of the plants? Do they do it because they enjoy a variety of tastes and textures at each meal? Is it because they are easily bored and constantly seeking something new and different? Those lines describe a behavior without providing any explanation for that behavior, and "why" is about providing an explanation.

If I asked you why the okapis leave much of their preferred foliage uneaten, based solely on this passage how would you answer? You couldn't! Telling me "because they never eat one plant to the exclusion of others" doesn't explain anything, but just adds more unexplained information. Would you be satisfied with that answer, feeling like you now grasp why the okapi behaves that way? It's still a mystery, and so E is the one answer choice that is left unexplained by the passage.

[saharsh]

Got it. Thank you.