New evidence supporting conclusion ·Neurophysiological studies
Studies reveal two sensory receptors in pores on platypus bills: mechanoreceptors (respond to physical pressure), and electroreceptors (respond to electrical fields).
Puzzle ·How does platypus locate prey at a distance?
If a platypus isn't touching its prey with its bill, how can it find the prey? (Probably has to do with the electroreceptos, since we discussed the mechanoreceptors earlier.)
Scheich's speculation ·All invertebrates that platypus eats produce electric fields
We already know that shrimp prey of platypus produces an electric field.
Passage Style
Phenomenon-hypothesis
Single position
16.
The primary purpose of the ███████ ██ ██
Question Type
Implied
Purpose of passage
In a Phenomenon-Hypothesis passage, the primary purpose is to present the hypothesis or the author’s opinion about the hypothesis. Here, the passage focuses on the biologists’ hypothesis (expressed at the beginning of P1) regarding how the platypus uses its bill: “biologists concluded on the basis of new evidence that the animal uses its bill to locate its prey while underwater.”
a
explain how the ████████ ███████ ████ ██ █ ████████
How the platypus locates prey at a distance is the subject of P2. But P2 is part of the support for the biologists’ conclusion at the beginning.
This best captures the primary purpose. The author presents recent research on the purpose of the platypus’s bill. This research is described in P1 and P2 and supports the claim that the platypus uses its bill to locate prey underwater.
c
assess the results ██ ███████████ ████████████ ████ █████ ███ ████████
Bohringer’s work is just some of the research presented in this passage, and it’s not any more important than Scheich’s research discussed later. So it wouldn’t make sense for (C) to be the primary purpose. Also, the author doesn’t “assess” the results of Bohringer’s work; rather, she merely reports on the results.
Scheich’s work is just some of the research presented in this passage, and it’s not more important than Bohringer’s work discussed earlier. So it wouldn’t make sense for (D) to be the primary purpose.
e
describe two different █████ ██ █████ ██ ███ ██████████ ████
This is too narrow. Although the author does describe two different kinds of receptors within pores, the author focuses on the function of those receptors and how they relate to how the platypus uses its bill.
Difficulty
85% of people who answer get this correct
This is a moderately difficult question.
It is similar in difficulty to other questions in this passage.
CURVE
Score of students with a 50% chance of getting this right
25%130
143
75%156
Analysis
Implied
Purpose of passage
Phenomenon-hypothesis
Science
Single position
Answer Popularity
PopularityAvg. score
a
11%
162
b
85%
165
c
1%
153
d
1%
161
e
2%
155
Question history
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