Songbirds learn to respond to and imitate their species' songs from an early age. With each generation, small differences are...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Songbirds learn to respond to and imitate their species' songs from an early age. With each generation, small differences are introduced that result in distinct variations—called dialects—among geographically isolated populations of the same species. A research study examined whether twelve-day-old Ficedula hypoleuca (pied flycatcher) nestlings prefer local dialects over the unfamiliar dialects of nonlocal F. hypoleuca populations: the more begging calls the nestlings made in response to a song, the stronger their preference. The researchers found that nestlings produced more begging calls in response to their own dialect than to nonlocal dialects. Since song preference plays a role in songbird mate selection, the finding suggests that ________
Which choice most logically completes the text?
F. hypoleuca nestlings' preference for their own dialect likely disappears as they mature to promote socialization between different F. hypoleuca populations.
F. hypoleuca nestlings who show an early preference for their own dialect are likely to receive more food from their caretakers than nestlings who show no preferences among any F. hypoleuca dialects.
F. hypoleuca nestlings' preference for their own dialect likely drives them when they mature to reproduce with other F. hypoleuca from local rather than nonlocal populations.
F. hypoleuca nestlings show a preference for both local F. hypoleuca dialects and the songs of other local songbirds over the songs of nonlocal birds of any species.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Songbirds learn to respond to and imitate their species' songs from an early age." |
|
| "With each generation, small differences are introduced that result in distinct variations—called dialects—among geographically isolated populations of the same species." |
|
| "A research study examined whether twelve-day-old Ficedula hypoleuca (pied flycatcher) nestlings prefer local dialects over the unfamiliar dialects of nonlocal F. hypoleuca populations" |
|
| "the more begging calls the nestlings made in response to a song, the stronger their preference." |
|
| "The researchers found that nestlings produced more begging calls in response to their own dialect than to nonlocal dialects." |
|
| "Since song preference plays a role in songbird mate selection, the finding suggests that" |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture
Main Point: Research shows that very young pied flycatcher nestlings already show a preference for their local dialect over foreign dialects, which has implications for how they choose mates later in life.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that songbirds develop regional dialects, then presents research showing even 12-day-old nestlings prefer their local dialect. Since song preference influences mate selection, this early preference suggests something about future mating behavior.
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
- We know that 12-day-old nestlings already prefer their own local dialect over foreign dialects
- We also know that song preference plays a role in mate selection
- So the logical connection is that this early preference for local dialects will likely continue into adulthood and influence which birds they choose to mate with
- The right answer should suggest that this early preference leads adult birds to choose mates from their local population rather than from distant populations with different dialects
F. hypoleuca nestlings' preference for their own dialect likely disappears as they mature to promote socialization between different F. hypoleuca populations.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the preference disappears as birds mature, which contradicts the logic connecting early preference to later mate selection
F. hypoleuca nestlings who show an early preference for their own dialect are likely to receive more food from their caretakers than nestlings who show no preferences among any F. hypoleuca dialects.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses on nestlings getting more food from caretakers, completely missing the mate selection connection the passage explicitly sets up
F. hypoleuca nestlings' preference for their own dialect likely drives them when they mature to reproduce with other F. hypoleuca from local rather than nonlocal populations.
✓ Correct
- Connects early dialect preference to future mating choices with local populations
- Perfectly matches our prethinking and logically follows from the premise that song preference plays a role in mate selection
F. hypoleuca nestlings show a preference for both local F. hypoleuca dialects and the songs of other local songbirds over the songs of nonlocal birds of any species.
✗ Incorrect
- Makes claims about other songbird species that were not tested or mentioned in the study, going beyond what the research actually examined