#7 - Global Reference, Must Be True

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (E).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer choice.


This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[trashpanda]

I chose A, and the correct answer was E. I think initially, I was a little unsure about E because of the phrase "potentially grave consequences for the human species"; I thought that it should have included a reference to not just humans, but other species suffering as a result of human actions. After reading the last paragraph again, I understand why E is correct, but I am not entirely sure what makes A incorrect? Is it because of the vague phrasing "for science and society as a whole"? The passage didn't really discuss implications for science/society and instead discussed more about the negative implications on humans and other animal species

Thanks in advance!

[Jeremy Press]

Hi trashpanda,

I think you're right to suggest that the focus on "science and society" in answer choice A doesn't fit very well with the passage's description of the consequences of a dramatic decrease in biodiversity. It's only paragraph 1 that really discusses this with any specificity, and the author doesn't get very specific about the expected consequences ("The ultimate consequences of this biological collision are beyond calculation, but they are certain to be harmful."). Notice how that statement doesn't specifically target science and society.

There's another reason answer choice A isn't ideal, and that is the use of the term "irreversible." We do know that any species that is lost cannot be replaced ("every species is unique and irreplaceable"), but the author doesn't indicate whether loss of biodiversity is truly "irreversible." Indeed, there are hints in the passage that at certain points in the Earth's history, biodiversity made a comeback from an earlier era of loss ("It took 5 million years, well into Mesozoic times, for species diversity to begin a significant recovery.") Long story short, we cannot be sure whether the author thinks the loss of biodiversity is truly "irreversible." We just know the author has significant concerns about its consequences.

I hope this helps!

[g22694]

I was torn between D and E, and ended up going with D because I felt that E failed to reference the entire second paragraph of the passage, about biodiversity before the human era.

I see now that D is concretely flawed in that "massive extinction episode" is not supported at all, and that it fails the fact test for that reason. But I'm still a little surprised that E is correct - it feels strange that a correct Main Point answer would fail to refer to a solid chunk (at least 25%) of the passage.

[atierney]

Hello,

One thing to keep in mind on MP questions is that while the specific chunks of the passage may not be explicitly referenced in the content of the correct answer choice, such chunks might be incorporated as implicit support for the overall idea. In other words, some paragraphs might find their purpose in terms of supporting in an indirect way the main idea, and therefore not directly touch on its content. I think here, the part of the passage that does so, is intended to emphasize the time length of the increase in biodiversity and the extent to which setbacks can delay this process, the severity of which has never heretofore been observed prior to the current declines the passage claims we are experiencing.

Hope that helps clear things up.

[g22694]

That makes sense. Thank you!

[sakfi]

Hello,

I was deciding between D and E, and ended up choosing D, because the language "Grave consequences" sounds too strong. Then I saw the second last sentence in paragraph 1, "beyond calculation", maybe that's the same as "Grave"?
Please help! Thank you!

[Adam Tyson]

There's more evidence for "grave" than just "beyond calculation," sakfi. Look at all the negative tone indicators, such as :

"certain to be harmful"
"crisis"
"devastating effect"
"serious strategic error"
"increasingly regretted"

The whole passage is sounding a warning of the terrible potential consequences of the loss of diversity caused by human activity. "Grave consequences" isn't too strong at all, because the whole passage is using strong language to convey a serious message.