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- ohthatpatrick
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Atticus Finch
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Re: Q1
Sure thing!
"which of the following statements is best supported by the passage" is always an Inference task.
You want to start by finding where the keywords in the question stem appear in the passage.
All we have for this is "Earth's outer core". The first reference is line 18, which says that "the motion of free electrons in the outer core generates the Earth's magnetic field".
That's a very tight match for (C). The only thing we'd have to verify is that there is 'metallic fluid' in the outer core.
Yup, the second half of that same sentence defines the outer core as "a slowly churning mass of molten metal".
'Molten' means 'melted into a liquid'. 'Molten lava' is flowing lava.
So lines 16-20 give us all the support we need for the correct answer (C).
== other answers ==
(A) Strong claim --- the outer core CONTROLS the size of polar ice caps? Where are polar ice caps mentioned? Line 43-46. All it says is that asteroid impacts can ultimately effect the size of the ice caps.
(B) Word blender --- the 2nd paragraph has a theory about heat-venting. The 3rd paragraph has a theory about asteroid impacts. They are both theories that are hoping to explain how the Earth's magnetic field switches polarity. But the heat-venting theory has nothing to do with the asteroid theory, so this answer is just taking keywords from 2nd and 3rd P and smushing them together.
(D) Strong claim -- friction is TYPICALLY caused by asteroid impacts? That's all that's ruining this answer. From lines 40-49, we could support the idea that asteroid impacts SOMETIMES affect the friction and turbulence.
(E) Out of scope --- "multiple reversals"? We just never talked about that. I don't think we ever talked about "cessation of heat circulation" either. We said that the circulation patterns may change, but not that they would stop.
Hope this helps.
"which of the following statements is best supported by the passage" is always an Inference task.
You want to start by finding where the keywords in the question stem appear in the passage.
All we have for this is "Earth's outer core". The first reference is line 18, which says that "the motion of free electrons in the outer core generates the Earth's magnetic field".
That's a very tight match for (C). The only thing we'd have to verify is that there is 'metallic fluid' in the outer core.
Yup, the second half of that same sentence defines the outer core as "a slowly churning mass of molten metal".
'Molten' means 'melted into a liquid'. 'Molten lava' is flowing lava.
So lines 16-20 give us all the support we need for the correct answer (C).
== other answers ==
(A) Strong claim --- the outer core CONTROLS the size of polar ice caps? Where are polar ice caps mentioned? Line 43-46. All it says is that asteroid impacts can ultimately effect the size of the ice caps.
(B) Word blender --- the 2nd paragraph has a theory about heat-venting. The 3rd paragraph has a theory about asteroid impacts. They are both theories that are hoping to explain how the Earth's magnetic field switches polarity. But the heat-venting theory has nothing to do with the asteroid theory, so this answer is just taking keywords from 2nd and 3rd P and smushing them together.
(D) Strong claim -- friction is TYPICALLY caused by asteroid impacts? That's all that's ruining this answer. From lines 40-49, we could support the idea that asteroid impacts SOMETIMES affect the friction and turbulence.
(E) Out of scope --- "multiple reversals"? We just never talked about that. I don't think we ever talked about "cessation of heat circulation" either. We said that the circulation patterns may change, but not that they would stop.
Hope this helps.
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