#15 - Global Reference, Main Point

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (C).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

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

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

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

[ljuarez3]

Hi, can someone explain please explain why the right answer is C? I chose D but was stuck between C and D.

[Luke Haqq]

Hi ljuarez3!

This passage involves the presentation of four different hypotheses that seek to explain the latitudinal gradient of species introduced by this passage. The author of the passage sees problems with the first three of these hypotheses but sees the fourth option as promising ("A fourth and most plausible hypothesis" (line 42)).

This makes answer choice (C) preferable to answer choice (D). The question stem asks us for the main idea of the passage, but (D) doesn't really distinguish one of the hypotheses as being better than the others. (C), however, does this--it mentions that several hypotheses have been introduced and additionally mentions that one of them seems the most promising.