MGMAT CAT EXAM - Reading Comprehension - Desert Tortoise-Q2

[zhangchenyuan]

Despite its 1989 designation as a threatened species, the desert tortoise has declined in numbers by ninety percent since the 1980s. Although federal protection made it illegal to harm desert tortoises or remove them from the southwestern North American deserts, this measure has been insufficient to reverse the species’ decline. The lack of recovery is partly due to the desert tortoise’s low reproductive potential. Females breed only after reaching fifteen to twenty years of age, and even then may only lay eggs when adequate forage is available. The average mature female produces only a few eggs annually. From these precious eggs, hatchlings emerge wearing soft shells that will take five years to harden into protective armor. The vulnerable young are entirely neglected by adult tortoises, and only five percent ultimately reach adulthood.
Predators are blamed for a majority of tortoise deaths; ravens alone are estimated to cause more than half of the juvenile tortoise deaths in the Mojave Desert. Tortoise eggs and juveniles can also fall prey to mammals and other reptiles. For protection from predators, as well as from desert temperature extremes, tortoises of all ages burrow into the earth. However, if rabbits and rodents are scarce, larger predators may exhume tortoises from their burrows, devouring even mature tortoises despite their hardened shells. Further, tortoises are susceptible to a wide range of pathogens. The population decline is partly due to upper respiratory tract disease (URTD), characterized by nasal and ocular discharge and palpebral edema. In 2006, more than 80 percent of captive desert tortoises had anti-mycoplasma antibodies, seropositive indication of the disease. Released captive tortoises can rapidly spread URTD into the wild population with devastating consequences.
Though desert tortoises are well adapted to arid habitats, and adults can survive a year without access to water, they rely heavily on moisture in the vegetation consumed in spring, when they surface from their hibernal dormancy. The loss of native plants to grazing livestock and invasive plant species, then, may lessen the tortoise’s resistance to pathogens, though the tortoises do also dig precipitation basins in the soil and linger near one when rain is impending.

Question: The passage implies that precipitation in the desert tortoise’s habitat

falls approximately once a year

increases the tortoise’s resistance to pathogens

falls mainly in the spring

is consumed primarily by grazing livestock

is collected by the tortoises intentionally

OA is E
(E) CORRECT. The last sentence of the passage states that the tortoises "dig precipitation basins in the soil and linger near one when rain is impending." The actions of digging to create the basins and lingering nearby when it rains imply an intent to collect precipitation.

but i have some question on C
this is the explanation that i doubt: (C) The passage states that "desert tortoises rely heavily on moisture in the grasses and wildflowers consumed in the spring," but does not indicate in which season(s) precipitation typically falls.

My reason is that from this sentence--"The loss of native plants to grazing livestock and invasive plant species, then, may lessen the tortoise’s resistance to pathogens, though the tortoises do also dig precipitation basins in the soil and linger near one when rain is impending."--doesn't the word "though" imply digging precipitation helps NOT to lessen the tortoise's resistance to pathogens?

can somebody explain this to me? thx in advance!

[arnabgangully]

though here actually reprents the insufficiency of the steps to resist pathogens increases his chances of survival in the arid desert and this insufficiency results in the the digginging of the pots where he lingers on for water

So the C option actually is providing ample support for the correct ness of option E

please feel free to carify your doubts again

[zhangchenyuan]

though here actually reprents the insufficiency of the steps to resist pathogens increases his chances of survival in the arid desert and this insufficiency results in the the digginging of the pots where he lingers on for water

So the C option actually is providing ample support for the correct ness of option E

please feel free to carify your doubts again

I get it. Thanks so much.

[tim]

glad to hear it!

[aps_asks]

Hi Instructors

Though i accept that answer choice e) is the correct ans..

I am not able to comprehend MGMAT's explanmation regarding choice B) ...The expalanation goes as

(B) The passage states that "the loss of native plants to grazing livestock and invasive plant species may lessen the tortoise’s resistance to pathogens." This answer choice says the opposite.


Please let me know your comments.

[aps_asks]

Hi ,

I also needed some explanation regarding the correct answer choice C for the below question.

The passage mentions each of the following as known reasons that the desert tortoise is a threatened species EXCEPT
a) the flexibility of the desert tortoise’s shell in the first years of life
b) the low reproductive rate of desert tortoises
c) the loss of native plants in the desert tortoise habitat
d) predation by fellow reptiles
e) the transmission of disease from captive tortoises to the wild population

The MGMAT explanation goes as follows :

C) CORRECT. Although the loss of native plants is mentioned, the passage stops short of saying it is a known reason that the desert tortoise is a threatened species. The last sentence of the third paragraph states that it is unknown "the loss of native plants ... may lessen the tortoise’s resistance to pathogens." The sentence goes on to acknowledge that tortoises do have other methods by which to procure water (that is, the loss of native plants may not actually harm tortoise’s much as far as water is concerned).

My Question :
Does the passage imply that the loss of native plants results in less water for the tortoise ?

[jnelson0612]

Hi ,

I also needed some explanation regarding the correct answer choice C for the below question.

The passage mentions each of the following as known reasons that the desert tortoise is a threatened species EXCEPT
a) the flexibility of the desert tortoise’s shell in the first years of life
b) the low reproductive rate of desert tortoises
c) the loss of native plants in the desert tortoise habitat
d) predation by fellow reptiles
e) the transmission of disease from captive tortoises to the wild population

The MGMAT explanation goes as follows :

C) CORRECT. Although the loss of native plants is mentioned, the passage stops short of saying it is a known reason that the desert tortoise is a threatened species. The last sentence of the third paragraph states that it is unknown "the loss of native plants ... may lessen the tortoise’s resistance to pathogens." The sentence goes on to acknowledge that tortoises do have other methods by which to procure water (that is, the loss of native plants may not actually harm tortoise’s much as far as water is concerned).

My Question :
Does the passage imply that the loss of native plants results in less water for the tortoise ?

I have posted the relevant part of the passage below. The answer is not necessarily. The passage says that although they do rely heavily on the moisture in the plant life consumed in the spring, the tortoises also can dig trenches to collect water when it is about to rain. Thus, the tortoises have another way to get water. As a result, this lack of plants doesn't necessarily mean less water for tortoises since they have the ability to collect rain water.

Though desert tortoises are well adapted to arid habitats, and adults can survive a year without access to water, they rely heavily on moisture in the vegetation consumed in spring, when they surface from their hibernal dormancy. The loss of native plants to grazing livestock and invasive plant species, then, may lessen the tortoise’s resistance to pathogens, though the tortoises do also dig precipitation basins in the soil and linger near one when rain is impending.

[thulsy]

Hi Instructors

Though i accept that answer choice e) is the correct ans..

I am not able to comprehend MGMAT's explanmation regarding choice B) ...The expalanation goes as

(B) The passage states that "the loss of native plants to grazing livestock and invasive plant species may lessen the tortoise’s resistance to pathogens." This answer choice says the opposite.


Please let me know your comments.

Dear instructors, I share the same question with aps_asks.

My reasoning below:
1. rely on moisture on native plants
2. "the loss of native plants to grazing livestock and invasive plant species may lessen the tortoise’s resistance to pathogens."

since this whole paragraph is talking about water, I combine the two points above to get:
water -------> prevent from lessoning the tortoise’s resistance to pathogens

Thus,
precipitation ------> increase the tortoise’s resistance to pathogens

So I think (C) is also correct, although I understand (E) is correct. Please kindly let me know what I am missing here. Thanks.

[jnelson0612]

Hi Instructors

Though i accept that answer choice e) is the correct ans..

I am not able to comprehend MGMAT's explanmation regarding choice B) ...The expalanation goes as

(B) The passage states that "the loss of native plants to grazing livestock and invasive plant species may lessen the tortoise’s resistance to pathogens." This answer choice says the opposite.


Please let me know your comments.

Dear instructors, I share the same question with aps_asks.

My reasoning below:
1. rely on moisture on native plants
2. "the loss of native plants to grazing livestock and invasive plant species may lessen the tortoise’s resistance to pathogens."

since this whole paragraph is talking about water, I combine the two points above to get:
water -------> prevent from lessoning the tortoise’s resistance to pathogens

Thus,
precipitation ------> increase the tortoise’s resistance to pathogens

So I think (C) is also correct, although I understand (E) is correct. Please kindly let me know what I am missing here. Thanks.

Hi thulsy,
I answered this question when aps_asks asked it in the post right before yours. Can you read my explanation and then tell us if you still need more help? Thanks! :-)

[adityagupta104]

Hi thulsy,
I answered this question when aps_asks asked it in the post right before yours. Can you read my explanation and then tell us if you still need more help? Thanks! :-)

I too have the same doubt about option B of the of the first question in this thread.
Your comments imply that plants are not the only source of water for the tortoise, but it has other sources. Also the passage implies that tortoise needs water for resistance to pathogen. The source of water could be plants or the trenches. Hence more precipitation -> higher resistance..

please explain.

[RonPurewal]

The last paragraph indicates that rain might help prevent a decrease in the turtles' resistance to disease"”"”but only if native plants are gone.

"Only if native plants are gone" is already enough to make choice B incorrect (choice B is a generalization; it's not limited to that circumstance).

On top of that, there's another big issue: namely, preventing something from decreasing is not the same as increasing that thing!