SAT OwlQuestion bank / Cross-Text Connections
Text 1: Biologists have long proposed that a zebra's stripes protect it from lions and hyenas. When a herd flees, the theory goes, the mass of moving stripes makes it difficult for a predator to single out one animal to chase.
Text 2: Ecologist Tim Caro and his colleagues doubt that idea. They note that lions hunt zebras successfully and that stripes are hard for lions to make out from the distances at which many hunts begin. In one experiment, horses wearing striped coats had far fewer biting flies land on them than horses wearing plain coats. Caro's team concluded that stripes most likely help zebras avoid flies, which can spread disease.
Based on the texts, how would Caro's team most likely respond to the theory described in Text 1?
They would agree that confusing predators is the main function of zebra stripes.
They would argue that stripes probably do little to protect zebras from predators and more likely serve another purpose.
They would claim that lions avoid hunting zebras because of their stripes.
They would argue that biting flies are more attracted to striped animals than to plain ones.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B
Caro's team points out that lions hunt zebras successfully and can barely see stripes from where hunts begin, which undercuts the predator theory. Their horse experiment instead points to protection from flies. They would say the stripes likely serve a different purpose, choice B.
Choice D reverses the experiment's result: horses in striped coats had fewer flies land on them, not more.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. This choice contradicts the text, which states that Caro's team doubts the predator protection theory and instead supports the idea that stripes help avoid flies.
- C. The passage notes that lions hunt zebras successfully, so claiming lions avoid them because of stripes is not supported by the provided information.
- D. This reverses the experimental result. The text states that horses wearing striped coats had far fewer biting flies land on them, not more.
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