SAT OwlBlackcaps are small songbirds that breed in central Europe. For most of the twentieth century, nearly all of them spent the winter around the western Mediterranean, mainly in Spain, but since the 1960s a growing number have wintered in Britain instead. Because Britain is closer to the breeding grounds, birds that winter there tend to arrive back earlier in spring than birds that winter in Spain. Since blackcaps tend to pair with birds that arrive at about the same time, researchers predict that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
birds from the two wintering groups will increasingly pair within their own group.
blackcaps that winter in Spain will soon begin wintering in Britain as well.
birds that winter in Britain will eventually stop returning to central Europe to breed.
blackcaps that winter in Spain will start arriving at the breeding grounds earlier than before.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
Birds from Britain arrive earlier than birds from Spain, and blackcaps pair with birds that arrive at about the same time. So British-wintering birds will tend to pair with each other, and Spanish-wintering birds with each other, choice A.
Choice B extends the trend in the text, but nothing in the text predicts that the Spanish-wintering birds will switch.
Why the other choices are wrong
- B. The text is about arrival times and pairing. It gives no reason to expect the Spanish-wintering birds to switch.
- C. The British-wintering birds do return to breed, just earlier, so the text gives no reason to think they will stop.
- D. The text gives no reason for the Spanish group's timing to change. Only the British group arrives earlier.
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