Q1 - Cool weather typically weakens

[mshinners]

Question Type:
Explain a Result

Stimulus Breakdown:
For cold-blooded creatures, cold weather takes it out of them - they get weaker. This one cold-blooded animal, however, can extend its tongue just as quickly even in the cold. (It's slow to retract it, though.)

Answer Anticipation:
We should look for something that makes the extension of the tongue different than other actions, especially the tongue retraction.

Correct Answer:
(D)

Answer Choice Analysis:
(A) Doesn't explain. This certainly aligns with our statements, but it doesn't explain the weird tongue situation.

(B) Doesn't explain. Interesting, but it doesn't provide an explanation. The length of the tongue would also impact the extension as much as the retraction.

(C) Out of scope. This answer is trying to get you to think that they may have adapted to different situations, but it doesn't explain why the extension acts differently than the retraction. It's also a bit of a leap to say this explains any difference, as we don't know if this is normal of cold-blooded animals.

(D) Bingo. This answer tells us a relevant difference between the extension and retraction, and it does so in a way that addresses why muscle weakness wouldn't affect only one.

(E) Relative error. Close, and definitely a trap answer. However, even if the muscles are stronger, it doesn't explain why there wasn't much of a decline in the tongue extension. If cold weather weakens muscles, we should have seen some decline, even if the tongue was strong (and we just know it was stronger - maybe all tongues are weak).

Takeaway/Pattern: Explain a Result questions often feature comparisons; look for the answer that brings up a similarity or difference, depending on what would explain the situation.

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