Reading Passage Question
The Florida panther, known for its distinctive characteristics, including a kinked tail and cowlicks, is nearing extinction with the help of scientists and government officials. Though once abundant in Florida, by the end of the twentieth century, only approximately 30 Florida panthers remained. Efforts to preserve the panthers had focused on shielding them from human encroachment with the hope that they could develop sustainable numbers to survive as a species. However, pressure from development caused officials to grow impatient and shift their strategy and goals.
In 1995, new breeds of female panthers were brought to Florida from Texas to bolster the population. The change has been dramatic. In 1990, 88% of the panthers in Florida had the distinct kinked tail. By 2000, five years after the introduction of the Texas panthers, not a single kitten born to the Texas females had a kinked tail. The breed known as the Florida panther is now on an expedited, ineluctable road to extinction with the assistance of wildlife protection agencies. If the goal was to have any kind of panther in Florida, it has been realized. Since the introduction of the Texas panthers, the panther population in Florida has risen to approximately 80 mixed-breed panthers. However, this "success" could portend a tragic trend in wildlife management in the United States. We cannot and should not create genetically mixed species as a means of achieving a compromise between the needs of development and a species survival. This type of species tampering is a perversion of the ideal of wildlife management and will irrevocably transform our national landscape.
“The Florida panther, known for its distinctive characteristics GMAT Reading Comprehension”- is a reading comprehension exercise for the GMAT. Candidates must be extremely skilled in GMAT reading comprehension. This GMAT reading comprehension section contains five comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed to assess candidates' ability to comprehend, analyzation, and application skills. GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions can help candidates who are actively preparing.
Solutions and Explanation
- The primary goal of this passage is to
- demonstrate the fragility of an endangered species.
- demonstrate the importance of effective wildlife management.
- argue that mixing species to ensure a species' survival is wrong.
- demonstrate the effectiveness of mixing species.
- limit development in areas with endangered species.
Answer: C
Explanation: For this kind of question, it is important to understand the passage thoroughly as a whole and extract the main objective. This passage's main argument is that it is unconscionable to mix different species in order to protect one species from extinction. With this interpretation, the third option is the right answer.
- The author supports the central idea of this passage primarily by
- contrasting the Florida panther with the Texas panther.
- showing how interbreeding has destroyed the Florida panther species.
- attacking government wildlife protection policies.
- showing how human encroachment has depleted Florida's panther population.
- describing the history of panthers in the United States.
Answer: B
Explanation: The statement in the second option corresponds to the passage and can be clearly the answer to this question. The main argument of this passage is supported by the author's illustration of how interbreeding has wiped out the Florida panther species. The remaining options are all wrong answers. This is because they are not the best-suited answers and might be inconsistent.
- It can be inferred from the passage that
- extinction is preferable to mixing species.
- wildlife protection and development are completely incompatible.
- wildlife protection agencies are in the pocket of development corporations.
- scientist and government officials are equally disappointed with the results of the experiment.
- there is alternatives to interbreeding, but they take longer.
Answer: E
Explanation: The hint for this answer can be found at the conclusion of the first paragraph. Because of pressure from development, officials became impatient and changed their strategies and objectives, which led to the introduction of the Texas panther. This suggests that interbreeding was introduced as a temporary solution to allow the panther population to increase quickly. It also suggests that development be permitted after the population has stabilized. With this, the final option is the most appropriate answer.
- The author suggests that blame for the extinction of Florida panthers rests chiefly upon
- government officials who bowed to pressure from developers.
- developers who encroached upon protected areas.
- scientists who suggested interbreeding as a solution.
- advocates of species preservation.
- wildlife agencies that did not act sooner to protect the panther population.
Answer: A
Explanation: The first option is the right answer. Several sentences hold government officials accountable. The first sentence claims that the panther is on the verge of extinction thanks to the efforts of scientists and government officials. The last sentence of the first paragraph reveals that officials chose to interbreed because development pressure caused them to become impatient. Finally, the third paragraph informs us that interbreeding was a compromise between the needs of development and the survival of a species.
- The passage suggests that the author
- is a former member of the Wildlife Protection Agency.
- is willing to compromise if it means the survival of a species.
- is afraid that species tampering will become the norm in wildlife preservation management.
- believes the government has encouraged species tampering as a means of conducting genetic experiments
- believes that "sustainable numbers" statistics are not realistic and lead to the expedited extinction of species.
Answer: C
Explanation: Nothing indicates he was a member of any agency, so the first option is incorrect. The author clearly does not want to jeopardize the integrity of a species, so the second option is incorrect. Because the author does not state that he believes in a genetic experimentation conspiracy, the fourth option is incorrect. Finally, the realism of statistics on sustainable numbers is not discussed, so the last option is incorrect. As a result, the third option is the right answer.
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