PrepTest 137 - Section 1 - Passage 3 - Question 17

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Passage A.

Conservationists' old view · Introducing non-native species to a habitat is only a problem for disturbed habitats

Conservationists' (and author's) current view · Non-native species are a threat to even healthy habitats

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Example 1 · Non-native Melaleuca trees are damaging the habitat in Everglades Park in Florida

The trees grow tall and outcompete some native plants for sunlight. Also, leaf litter from trees impedes water flow, which hurts native plants.

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Example 2 · Non-native Scotch broom plants in Australia have harmed native reptiles

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Author's perspective · Non-native species don't actually harm nature

They threaten our ideas of what "nature" is supposed to be. Biodiversity in an area often goes up when non-native species are introduced.

Elaboration · Non-native species do change an ecosystem, but that's not necessarily bad

Contrast change in an ecosystem with destruction of an ecosystem. Destruction is bad. But change may not be bad.

Passage Style

17.

The author of passage B █████ ██ ████ ██████ ██ █████ ████ █████ ███ ██ ███ █████████ ██████████ █████ ███ ████ █████████ ██ ██ ██ ████ ██ ███ ██████ ████████ ██ ███ ██████ █████████ ██ ███████ ██

Question Type

Author’s perspective

Implied

Passage B asserts that there’s no clear difference between an ecosystem rich in native species and one full of non-native species. Rather, an invasion of native species simply makes an ecosystem different. This kind of change might go against humans’ ideas of what a natural environment is, but it doesn’t make an environment non-natural. This suggests Passage B would say that the term “natural” in Passage A doesn’t refer to an actual state of a habitat. Rather, it refers to humans’ idea of a natural habitat.

It correctly characterizes █ ██████████ ███████ ████████ ███ █████████ █████████████

It’s not clear that Passage B believes in a distinction between pristine and disturbed environments.

It contradicts a ███████ ██ ██████ ███ █████ █████████ ██ ███████ ██

Passage B wouldn’t accuse Passage A’s use of “natural” to be self-contradictory. There’s nothing that suggests “natural” goes against something else mentioned in Passage A.

It helps to ███████ █ ██████████ ███████ ███ ██████ ███ ███ ██████████

It’s not clear that Passage B believes in a distinction between “wild” and “natural.”

It introduces an ██████████████ ██████████ ██ ███████

There’s no evidence Passage B considers Passage A’s use of “natural” as introducing an unconventional definition of nature. If anything, it uses a conventional definition. Passage B is the one that pushes for a different understanding of “natural.”

It conflates physical ██████ ████ ██ █████████ █████ ██ ███████

This best captures Passage B’s view about “natural.” “Natural” doesn’t refer to an actual state of a habitat. Rather, it refers to humans’ idea of a natural habitat.

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PrepTest 137 - Section 1 - Passage 3 - Question 17

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