SAT OwlThe front edges of an owl's main wing feathers are lined with tiny, comb-like fringes, and the feathers' surfaces are soft and velvety. These features break up the rush of air over the wing that, in many other birds, produces a loud whooshing sound. As a result, an owl swooping toward a mouse at night ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
must fly more slowly than birds that hunt for food during the day.
relies on its hearing more than on its eyesight.
can see its prey more clearly than other birds can.
is likely to reach its prey before the prey hears it coming.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D
The owl's feathers break up the airflow that makes other birds' wings whoosh, so the owl flies quietly. A quiet owl can reach a mouse before the mouse hears it, choice D.
Choice B may be true of owls in real life, but the text is about feathers and flight noise, not about the owl's senses.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. The text explains how owls fly quietly, not how fast they fly.
- B. The text never discusses an owl's hearing. It is about how the feathers reduce flight noise.
- C. The text describes feathers, not eyesight, so it gives no basis for a claim about vision.
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