Scientifically Speaking, Human Biology isn’t more or Less Complex GMAT Reading Comprehension

Reading Passage Question:

Scientifically speaking, human biology isn’t more or less complex, specialized, or cosmically significant than the biology of any other species, and all are interdependent. Every species of animal, plant, and fungus on the planet has both anatomy and physiology. So does each species of protist (one-celled creatures, like amoebae and the plasmodia that cause malaria). At the cellular level, all these groups are astoundingly similar. At the levels of tissues, organs, and organ systems (the provenance of anatomy and physiology), plants are very different from animals, and both plants and animals are equally dissimilar to fungi.

Each of these major groups, called a kingdom, has its own characteristic anatomy and physiology. It’s evident at a glance to everyone at the beach that a starfish and a human are both animals, while the alga in the tide pool and the cedar tree on the shoreline are both plants. Obvious details of anatomy (the presence or absence of bright green tissue) and physiology (the presence or absence of locomotion) tell that story. The different forms within each kingdom have obvious differences as well: The cedar must stand on the shore but the alga would die there. The starfish can move from one place to another within a limited range, while humans can (theoretically) go anywhere on the planet and, with the appropriate accoutrements of culture (a human adaptation), survive there for at least a while. (That is, assuming the cedar and the alga keep on photosynthesizing.) Scientists use these differences to classify organisms into smaller and smaller groups within the kingdom, until each organism is classified into its own “specie-al” group.

“Scientifically speaking, human biology isn’t more or less complex’’ is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.

This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 5 comprehension questions.

The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analysing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) discuss the biology of humans, plants, and animals, and the ways that species can be categorized
(B) show the similarities and differences between the biology of humans and that of plants and animals
(C) explain how kingdoms can be further subcategorized
(D) explore the complexities of human biology
(E) examine why humans are the superior species

2. The authors make all the following assertions about biology except

(A) The biology of humans is not any more intricate than that of other species.
(B) The biology of humans is strikingly like that of plants and fungi on the cellular level.
(C) The biological makeup of humans enables them to subsist for at least some amount of time essentially anywhere on the planet.
(D) Starfish have limited mobility because their biological structure is less elaborate than that of humans.
(E) Animals, plants, and fungi have both anatomy and physiology.

3. According to the passage, all but which of the following are true about kingdoms?

(A) The kingdoms depend upon one another.
(B) They are somewhat similar in their anatomy and physiology.
(C) Different forms within the same kingdom can have substantial differences.
(D) Organisms within a kingdom can be classified into smaller and smaller groups.
(E) Kingdoms have their own characteristic organ systems.

4. The authors compare human beings to starfish primarily to demonstrate

(A) that human beings are more adaptive than starfish
(B) the ways that human biology is more complex than that of other species
(C) that there are still substantial differences among members of the same kingdom
(D) the ways that species depend on each other
(E) the significant cellular differences that can exist within the same kingdom

5. The authors are most likely to agree with which of the following statements?

(A) The genetic makeup of a human being is far more intricate than that of a starfish.
(B) All species share very similar anatomy and physiology.
(C) Although plants and animals are different from one another, they are more similar to each other than either one is to fungi.
(D) Animals, plants, and fungi are somewhat similar in the provenance of their anatomy and physiology.
(E) Organisms within the same kingdom are generally classified into smaller groups that reflect their obvious differences.

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