by rinagoldfield Fri Jun 07, 2013 1:19 pm
Hey Nina!
First off, let’s look at the lines at stake. Bull and Brandon argue that that accurate lichonometry depends on "careful site selection" and "accurate calibration." Sites should be selected to "minimize the influence of snow avalanches" and "conditions like shade and wind...must be factored in."
(E) is a pretty solid inference from lines 57-58. Bull and Brandon argue that shade and wind must be factored into scientists’ assessment of lichen growth. But to be able to "factor in" these elements, scientists must be able to determine the relationship between shade, wind, and lichen growth.
This is like a dietician saying "the amount you eat must be factored into my understanding of your weight gain." The dietician assumes that she can determine the relationship between the amount eaten and the weight gain.
In terms of the other answer choices:
(A) is not inferable. Bull and Brandon don’t compare lichonometry to other methods for dating earthquakes.
(B) is out of the scope of lines 50-58. The author discusses radiation intensity earlier in the third paragraph, and never implies that there doesn’t exist a method for determining the intensity of the radiation hitting Earth.
(C) is irrelevant to lines 50-58 and extreme in degree.
(D) is also extreme in degree. We can infer that snow avalanches at times occur in the same mountain ranges that produce rockfalls, but we can’t infer that they occur MORE FREQUENTLY in those mountain ranges than others.
Let me know if this makes sense.