byRituparna Nath Content Writer at Study Abroad Exams
Reading Passage Question
Until recently, scientists did not know of a close vertebrate analogue to the extreme form of altruism observed in eusocial insects like ants and bees, whereby individuals cooperate, sometimes even sacrificing their own opportunities to survive and reproduce, for the good of others. However, such a vertebrate society may exist among underground colonies of the highly social rodent Heterocephalus glaber, the naked mole rat.
A naked mole rat colony, like a beehive, wasp's nest, or termite mound, is ruled by its queen, or reproducing female. Other adult female mole rats neither ovulate nor breed. The queen is the largest member of the colony, and she maintains her breeding status through a mixture of behavioral and, presumably, chemical control. Queens have been long-lived in captivity, and when they die or are removed from a colony one sees violent fighting for breeding status among the larger remaining females, leading to a takeover by a new queen.
Eusocial insect societies have rigid caste systems, each insect's role being defined by its behavior, body shape, and physiology. In naked mole rat societies, on the other hand, differences in behavior are related primarily to reproductive status (reproduction being limited to the queen and a few males), body size, and perhaps age. Smaller non-breeding members, both male and female, seem to participate primarily in gathering food, transporting nest material, and tunneling. Larger nonbreeders are active in defending the colony and perhaps in removing dirt from the tunnels. Jarvis' work has suggested that differences in growth rates may influence the length of time that an individual performs a task, regardless of its age.
Cooperative breeding has evolved many times in vertebrates, but unlike naked mole rats, most cooperatively breeding vertebrates (except the wild dog, Lycaon pictus) are dominated by a pair of breeders rather than by a single breeding female. The division of labor within social groups is less pronounced among other vertebrates than among naked mole rats, colony size is much smaller, and mating by subordinate females may not be totally suppressed, whereas in naked mole rat colonies subordinate females are not sexually active, and many never breed.
“Until recently, scientists did not know of a close vertebrate analogue” - is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.
This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 7 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.
Solution and Explanation
- Which of the following most accurately states the main idea of the passage?
(A) Naked mole rat colonies are the only known examples of cooperatively breeding vertebrate societies.
(B) Naked mole rat colonies exhibit social organization based on a rigid caste system.
(C) Behavior in naked mole rat colonies may well be a close vertebrate analogue to behavior in eusocial insect societies.
(D)The mating habits of naked mole rats differ from those of any other vertebrate species.
(E) The basis for the division of labor among naked mole rats is the same as that among eusocial insects.
Answer: C
Explanation: This passage is entirely about the behaviors of the naked mole rats. It describes all kinds of information about the naked mole rats. There is also a comparison between naked mole rats and eusocial insects. As we can see in the passage, there is a close relationship between the vertebrate analogue and naked mole rats. Thus, we aptly say that this passage is about naked mole rats and their behavioral similarities with other eusocial insect societies.
- The passage suggests that Jarvis’ work has called into question which of the following explanatory variables for naked mole rat behavior?
(A) Size
(B) Age
(C) Reproductive status
(D)Rate of growth
(E) Previously exhibited behavior
Answer: B
Explanation: In the third paragraph of this passage, it is clearly stated about Jarvi’s work. The work suggests that regardless of age, an individual can perform a task. It also suggests that the growth rates are influential over a period of time. Thus, the age of the naked mole society is the variable which has called into question Jarvi's work.
- It can be inferred from the passage that the performance of tasks in naked mole rat colonies differs from task performance in eusocial insect societies in which of the following ways?
(A) In naked mole rat colonies, all tasks are performed cooperatively.
(B) In naked mole rat colonies, the performance of tasks is less rigidly determined by body shape.
(C) In naked mole rat colonies, breeding is limited to the largest animals.
(D)In eusocial insect societies, reproduction is limited to a single female.
(E) In eusocial insect societies, the distribution of tasks is based on body size
Answer: B
Explanation: In the third paragraph, there is a brief description about the work of naked mole rats and eusocial insect societies. There it is stated that in eusocial insect societies the work is divided to them on the basis of their body shape. Whereas, in naked mole rats society the work, mainly the reproductive status is divided on the basis of the body size. So there is no important role of body shape here.
- According to the passage, which of the following is a supposition rather than a fact concerning the queen in a naked mole rat colony?
(A) She is the largest member of the colony.
(B) She exerts chemical control over the colony.
(C) She mates with more than one male.
(D)She attains her status through aggression.
(E)She is the only breeding female.
Answer: B
Explanation: In the second paragraph, there is a similarity between the queen of a beehive and a naked mole society. But it is also clearly stated that it is assumed that the queen of the naked mole society maintains the breeding status. It is maintained using chemical control besides through a mixture of behavioral things. It is clear that they breed through behavioral processes, but not sure about the process of chemical control. So it is assumed that the queen of naked mole rat colony uses chemical control for breeding.
- The Passage supports which of the following inferences about breeding among Lycaon pictus?
(A) The largest female in the social group does not maintain reproductive status by means of behavioral control.
(B) An individual’s ability to breed is related primarily to its rate of growth.
(C)Breeding is the only task performed by the breeding female.
(D)Breeding in the social group is not cooperative.
(E)Breeding is not dominated by a single pair of dogs.
Answer: E
Explanation: The last paragraph of the passage informs about the process of breeding in vertebrates and naked mole rats. The naked mole rats are not single breeding females. But the wild dog, Lycaon, is a single breeding female. Thus, we can say that dogs are not dominated by single breeding.
- According to the passage, naked mole rat colonies may differ from all other known vertebrate groups in which of the following ways?
(A) Naked mole rats exhibit an extreme form of altruism.
(B) Naked mole rats are cooperative breeders.
(C) Among naked mole rats, many males are permitted to breed with a single dominant female.
(D)Among naked mole rats, different tasks are performed at different times in an individual’s life.
(E)Among naked mole rats, fighting results in the selection of a breeding female
Answer: A
Explanation: The first paragraph of the passage itself talks about altruism of eusocial insect societies. This kind of insect shows high altruism. Scientists find the same feature in the naked mole society. So, we can say that naked mole rats show high altruism.
- One function of the third paragraph of the passage is to
(A) State a conclusion about facts presented in an earlier paragraph
(B) Introduce information that is contradicted by information in the fourth paragraph
(C)qualify the extent to which two previously mentioned groups might be similar
(D)Show the chain of reasoning that led to the conclusions of a specific study
(E) demonstrate that of three explanatory factors offered, two may be of equal significance
Answer: C
Explanation: The third paragraph talks about the work of eusocial insect societies and naked mole rats. It also informs the basic parameters of their work role. This paragraph talks about the similarities of their breeding process. Their breeding process is not dependent on their body shape, rather it depends on their body size. So it is clear that the third paragraph gives qualification to the matters in which the two groups are similar. The eusocial insect group and the naked mole rat group.
Suggested GMAT Reading Comprehension Samples
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- In Recent years, A Growing Belief that the Way Society Decides
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- When Anton Van Leeuwenhoek made the First Recorded Estimation of Global Population
- GMAT Reading Comprehension-Direct observation of contemporary societies at the threshold
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- A Year has Passed Since Many Developed Economies Locked Down
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- A Myth in the Ongoing Debate About Minimum Wages
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- Currently the Internet is a Non-Discriminatory Space,
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- In Any Country, the Wages Commanded by the Laborers
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- A recent history of the Chicago meat-packing industry
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- At the peak of tulip mania in Holland, in March 1637
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- The outsourcing of production factories to locations overseas from companies
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- United States Corporations Seeking to Improve Productivity Relied on Cost-Cutting Measures
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- “Strange Bedfellows!” Lamented the Title of a Recent Letter to Museum News
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- For Business Executives, Managing Growth of a Company at an Appropriate Rate is a Central Challenge
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- Historically, Relations Between Workers and Employers in the United States have Often Been Characterized
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- Like any industry, the gaming industry has seen several cycles of expansion and consolidation
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- In an Atmosphere of Increasing Scrutiny of Securities Trading
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- In Periods When there are more Qualified Candidates than Job Openings
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- Although the European Central Bank (ECB) is Subject to Far More Constraints
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- The Stock Market Tends to Move in Response to the Release of the U.S. Consumer Confidence Index (CCI)
- GMAT Reading Comprehension- The World Wide Web, a Network of Electronically Produced and Interconnected
Comments