East Australian humpback whales migrate up to 10,000 kilometers each year to reach their breeding grounds. Researchers long believed that...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
East Australian humpback whales migrate up to 10,000 kilometers each year to reach their breeding grounds. Researchers long believed that migrating whales live only on the extra energy they stored up during the feeding season. But marine biologist Vanessa Pirotta and her team aren't so sure. They analyzed 20 years of observations of the migrating whales made by citizen scientists (members of the public who help collect data for scientific research). The team claims that the whales may not live only on their stored energy during migration.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support the team's claim?
Citizen scientists have observed many different types of marine animals feeding alongside the whales.
Citizen scientists have made many observations of the whales feeding as they migrate to their breeding grounds.
Citizen scientists have made more observations of the whales migrating to their breeding grounds than of the whales returning to their feeding grounds.
Citizen scientists have recently begun to observe the whales migrating to their breeding grounds earlier in the year.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "East Australian humpback whales migrate up to 10,000 kilometers each year to reach their breeding grounds." |
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| "Researchers long believed that migrating whales live only on the extra energy they stored up during the feeding season." |
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| "But marine biologist Vanessa Pirotta and her team aren't so sure." |
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| "They analyzed 20 years of observations of the migrating whales made by citizen scientists." |
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| "The team claims that the whales may not live only on their stored energy during migration." |
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Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
- Main Point: Marine biologist Pirotta's team challenges the traditional belief that migrating humpback whales live only on stored energy, claiming they may feed during migration.
- Argument Flow: The passage sets up the traditional scientific understanding, then introduces Pirotta's team who used citizen scientist data to challenge this view.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? Which finding would most directly support Pirotta's team's claim
What type of answer do we need? Evidence that would strengthen their argument that whales don't live only on stored energy during migration
Any limiting keywords? "most directly support"
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The team's claim is that whales may NOT live only on their stored energy during migration.
- To support this claim most directly, we need evidence showing that whales are actually getting additional energy during their migration journey.
- This would mean observing whales feeding while they're migrating.
Citizen scientists have observed many different types of marine animals feeding alongside the whales.
- This tells us other marine animals feed alongside whales, but doesn't show the whales themselves are feeding
Citizen scientists have made many observations of the whales feeding as they migrate to their breeding grounds.
- This directly shows whales feeding during their migration journey, perfectly supporting the team's claim
Citizen scientists have made more observations of the whales migrating to their breeding grounds than of the whales returning to their feeding grounds.
- This is about the quantity of observations, not what was observed.
- Doesn't tell us anything about whether whales feed during migration
Citizen scientists have recently begun to observe the whales migrating to their breeding grounds earlier in the year.
- This is about timing of migration, not feeding behavior.
- Completely unrelated to the team's claim about energy usage