Text 1Conservation biologist Dr. James Park conducted extensive research on wildlife corridors—protected land strips designed to connect fragmented na...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Text 1
Conservation biologist Dr. James Park conducted extensive research on wildlife corridors—protected land strips designed to connect fragmented natural habitats. Park's data demonstrates that establishing these corridors significantly increases documented animal movement between previously isolated habitat patches. He concludes that wildlife corridors successfully restore disrupted migration routes and enhance overall ecosystem connectivity throughout the landscape.
Text 2
Field ecologists Dr. Williams and Dr. Thompson monitored actual animal behavior around newly constructed wildlife corridors over multiple seasons. While they confirmed that some highly mobile species like deer and certain birds do utilize these pathways effectively, they observed that many smaller mammals, reptiles, and amphibians consistently avoided crossing the open corridor spaces, preferring to remain within dense vegetation cover. Their behavioral studies indicate that corridor effectiveness varies significantly depending on the specific habitat preferences and movement behaviors of different species.
Based on the texts, how would Williams and Thompson (Text 2) most likely respond to the research discussed in Text 1?
Wildlife corridors work best when designed for specific animal species rather than general use.
Corridors may not successfully restore migration routes and enhance ecosystem connectivity for all species throughout the landscape.
Animal movement patterns require longer observation periods to accurately assess corridor effectiveness.
Conservation efforts should focus on expanding existing habitats rather than creating connecting pathways.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Text 1: 'Conservation biologist Dr. James Park conducted extensive research on wildlife corridors—protected land strips designed to connect fragmented natural habitats.' |
|
| 'Park's data demonstrates that establishing these corridors significantly increases documented animal movement between previously isolated habitat patches.' |
|
| 'He concludes that wildlife corridors successfully restore disrupted migration routes and enhance overall ecosystem connectivity throughout the landscape.' |
|
| Text 2: 'Field ecologists Dr. Williams and Dr. Thompson monitored actual animal behavior around newly constructed wildlife corridors over multiple seasons.' |
|
| 'While they confirmed that some highly mobile species like deer and certain birds do utilize these pathways effectively,' |
|
| 'they observed that many smaller mammals, reptiles, and amphibians consistently avoided crossing the open corridor spaces, preferring to remain within dense vegetation cover.' |
|
| 'Their behavioral studies indicate that corridor effectiveness varies significantly depending on the specific habitat preferences and movement behaviors of different species.' |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The two texts present different perspectives on wildlife corridor effectiveness—Park claims broad success while Williams and Thompson show species-specific limitations.
Argument Flow: Text 1 presents Park's research supporting the general effectiveness of wildlife corridors across landscapes. Text 2 introduces Williams and Thompson's behavioral studies that partially confirm but significantly qualify Park's findings, showing that corridor success depends heavily on individual species characteristics rather than working universally.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The key tension is between Park's broad claim that corridors 'successfully restore disrupted migration routes and enhance overall ecosystem connectivity throughout the landscape' versus Williams and Thompson's finding that effectiveness 'varies significantly depending on the specific habitat preferences and movement behaviors of different species.'
- Williams and Thompson would likely challenge Park's sweeping conclusion because their behavioral observations show many species (smaller mammals, reptiles, amphibians) avoid corridors entirely. They wouldn't reject corridors completely since they confirmed some species do use them effectively.
- So the right answer should reflect their more nuanced view that corridors don't work universally for all species across landscapes.
Wildlife corridors work best when designed for specific animal species rather than general use.
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests corridors should be designed for specific species rather than general use
- While Williams and Thompson note species-specific preferences, they don't recommend changing corridor design—they're documenting behavior around existing corridors
Corridors may not successfully restore migration routes and enhance ecosystem connectivity for all species throughout the landscape.
✓ Correct
- Directly challenges Park's broad claim that corridors work universally
- Matches Williams and Thompson's finding that many species avoid corridors, meaning universal success isn't achieved
- Reflects their conclusion about variable effectiveness rather than blanket success
Animal movement patterns require longer observation periods to accurately assess corridor effectiveness.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses on observation time periods
- Williams and Thompson don't suggest their monitoring period was insufficient—they observed consistent patterns over multiple seasons
Conservation efforts should focus on expanding existing habitats rather than creating connecting pathways.
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests abandoning corridors for habitat expansion instead
- Williams and Thompson confirmed corridors work for some species, so they wouldn't recommend abandoning the approach entirely