SAT OwlQuestion bank / Words in Context
Many researchers have blamed the decline of frog populations in Central America on a single cause: the chytrid fungus, which infects frogs' skin. Ecologist Ana Ribeiro considers this explanation too ______. Her field surveys indicate that habitat loss, pesticide runoff, and rising temperatures have each contributed to the decline, often in combination with the fungus.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
technical
cautious
simplistic
recent
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
Ribeiro objects that the single-cause explanation leaves out several other factors her surveys found. An explanation that reduces a complex problem to one cause is "simplistic."
Choice B, "cautious," does not fit because Ribeiro's complaint is that the explanation leaves things out, not that it is too careful.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. The passage describes the explanation as incomplete, not overly detailed or specialized. Ribeiro argues it ignores multiple factors, which does not make it technical.
- B. Ribeiro's complaint is that the explanation leaves out important factors, not that it is too careful or hesitant. Cautious does not fit the context of oversimplification.
- D. The text focuses on the scope and accuracy of the explanation, not when it was proposed. There is no indication that the timing of the theory is the issue.
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