#2 - For years, a rare variety of camel was endangered

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Resolve the Paradox. The correct answer choice is (A)

The paradox in this stimulus is that after a situation endangering a rare variety of camel—the use of
the camel’s habitat as a weapons testing range—was removed, the camel population began falling
even more quickly. It seems reasonable to assume that no longer using the habitat as a weapons
range would at least slow the rate of population decline, yet the reverse occurred.

The question stem identifies this as a Resolve the Paradox question, and asks that you choose the
answer choice that most helps to explain the increased rate of population loss among the camels. Our
prephrase is that the correct answer choice will show how closing down the testing range led to the
camel population falling even more quickly than before.

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice. Ironically, the weapons fire from the testing
range that threatened the camels also protected them from the even greater threat of being hunted by
wildlife poachers. This choice helps explain the increased rate of population loss by suggesting that
after the weapons range was closed, the poachers began to hunt the camels, killing them at a greater
rate than did the testing range.

Answer choice (B): This would explain increased camel deaths when the range first opened, but that
explanation is irrelevant to the paradox, because it has to do with a time before the range closed. The
issue in the stimulus is the increased rate of population loss after the range closed.

Answer choice (C): This is a tempting answer choice because, unlike answer choice (B), it deals
with the proper time frame, i.e., after the range closed down. However, saying that the land was
“still somewhat dangerous” after the range closed implies the land became less dangerous after the
range closed rather than more dangerous. The surprising situation was that the land became more
dangerous for camels after the range closed.

Answer choice (D): As with answer choice (B), this choice deals with the wrong time period. It
describes one cause of camel deaths during the time the range was open, while the issue in the
stimulus is the increased rate of population loss after the range closed.

Answer choice (E): Again, as with answer choices (B) and (D), this information deals with the
wrong time period. In this case, the answer choice relates to when the range was open, while the
stimulus relates to the period after the range closed.

[karlaurrea]

I understand why Answer Choice A is correct; but what makes answer choice C wrong? Answer choice C also explains a reason why the population would go down, strengthening the argument, does it not?

[Jon Denning]

Hey karlaurrea - thanks for the question. This is a Resolve the Paradox question, where the paradox can be summarized as: camel habitat no longer used for weapons testing, camel population decreases even more rapidly. So we need an answer that provides a reason why the area formerly used for testing weapons would harm the camels once testing stopped.

Answer choice A gives that reason: once testing stopped, poachers would use the area (presumably to hunt the rare camels). It essentially replaces one potential harm (weapons) with another, potentially worse, harm (poachers).

Answer choice C might give a reason why some camels could die after the testing ended, but it doesn't provide a reason why the camel population would decrease at a greater rate. That is, there's no reason to think that some unexploded bombs would do more harm to the camels than active weapons testing, whereas with A it's entirely reasonably that poachers could do more harm than the weapons did.

Make sense?

[karlaurrea]

Gotcha!! Thanks