Text 1Polar bears sustain themselves primarily by hunting seals on the Arctic sea ice, but rising ocean temperatures are causing...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Polar bears sustain themselves primarily by hunting seals on the Arctic sea ice, but rising ocean temperatures are causing the ice to diminish, raising concerns about polar bear population declines as these large predators' seal-hunting habitats continue to shrink. A 2020 study examining polar bear populations across the Arctic concluded that populations affected by sea-ice loss are at great risk of extinction by the end of the twenty-first century.
Text 2
Monitoring carried out by researchers from the Norwegian Polar Institute shows that the polar bear population on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard remains stable and well nourished despite rapidly declining sea ice in recent years. The researchers attribute this population's resilience in part to a shift in feeding strategies: in addition to hunting seals, the Svalbard polar bears have begun relying on a diet of reindeer meat and birds' eggs.
Based on the texts, how would the researchers in Text 2 most likely respond to the conclusion presented in the underlined portion of Text 1?
By noting that it neglects the possibility of some polar bear populations adapting to changes in their environment
By suggesting that it is likely incorrect about the rates at which warming ocean temperatures have caused sea ice to melt in the Arctic
By asserting that it overlooks polar bear populations that have not yet been affected by loss of seal-hunting habitats
By arguing that it fails to account for polar bears' reliance on a single seal-hunting strategy
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Polar bears sustain themselves primarily by hunting seals on the Arctic sea ice" |
|
| "but rising ocean temperatures are causing the ice to diminish, raising concerns about polar bear population declines as these large predators' seal-hunting habitats continue to shrink." |
|
| "A 2020 study examining polar bear populations across the Arctic concluded that populations affected by sea-ice loss are at great risk of extinction by the end of the twenty-first century." |
|
| "Monitoring carried out by researchers from the Norwegian Polar Institute shows that the polar bear population on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard remains stable and well nourished despite rapidly declining sea ice in recent years." |
|
| "The researchers attribute this population's resilience in part to a shift in feeding strategies:" |
|
| "in addition to hunting seals, the Svalbard polar bears have begun relying on a diet of reindeer meat and birds' eggs." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Text 1 presents research predicting polar bear extinction due to sea ice loss, while Text 2 demonstrates that at least one population has remained stable by adapting their diet to include new food sources.
Argument Flow: Text 1 establishes the traditional concern about polar bears losing seal-hunting habitat due to climate change, supported by a major study predicting widespread extinction. Text 2 directly challenges this dire outlook by showing that the Svalbard population has successfully adapted through dietary diversification, suggesting that adaptation may be possible for some populations.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? How would the Text 2 researchers respond to the specific conclusion from the underlined portion of Text 1 (the 2020 study's extinction prediction).
What type of answer do we need? A response that shows how Text 2's findings would challenge or modify Text 1's conclusion.
Any limiting keywords? Sciences, Text-only, Cross-Text Connections, Moderate complexity
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The Text 2 researchers found that Svalbard bears are thriving despite sea ice loss because they adapted their diet
- So they would likely respond to Text 1's extinction prediction by pointing out that:
- The prediction doesn't account for polar bears' ability to change their behavior
- Some populations might adapt to environmental changes rather than just decline
- The dietary flexibility shown in Svalbard could occur in other populations too
By noting that it neglects the possibility of some polar bear populations adapting to changes in their environment
- This directly reflects what Text 2 demonstrates - that polar bears can adapt to environmental changes
- The Svalbard population's dietary shift shows exactly this kind of adaptation
- Text 1's conclusion assumes bears will simply decline as ice disappears, but Text 2 shows some can change their behavior to survive
By suggesting that it is likely incorrect about the rates at which warming ocean temperatures have caused sea ice to melt in the Arctic
- Text 2 actually confirms that sea ice is rapidly declining - they don't dispute the rate of ice loss
- Their finding isn't about questioning the environmental data, but showing that bears can respond to it differently than predicted
By asserting that it overlooks polar bear populations that have not yet been affected by loss of seal-hunting habitats
- The Svalbard bears ARE affected by sea ice loss (Text 2 says despite rapidly declining sea ice)
- Text 2 isn't about unaffected populations, but about affected populations that are adapting successfully
By arguing that it fails to account for polar bears' reliance on a single seal-hunting strategy
- Text 1 doesn't suggest bears rely on a single seal-hunting strategy - it just identifies seals as their primary food source
- Text 2's focus is on dietary diversification, not hunting strategy variety