SAT OwlQuestion bank / Text Structure and Purpose
Many people believe that bats are blind, but this is a myth. All bat species can see, and some fruit bats have excellent vision that they use to find food. Many bats also use echolocation, producing high-pitched sounds and listening for the echoes to locate insects in the dark. For these bats, echolocation adds to their senses rather than replacing sight.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To explain how fruit bats decide which fruits to eat
To correct a common misconception about bats
To argue that echolocation is more useful than vision
To describe how bats evolved the ability to fly
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B
The text names a common belief (bats are blind), calls it a myth, and explains that bats can see and that echolocation adds to their sight. Its purpose is to correct the misconception, choice B.
Choice C goes beyond the text, which presents echolocation as an addition to sight, not as more useful than it.
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