Some bird species don't raise their own chicks. Instead, adult females lay their eggs in other nests, next to another...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Some bird species don't raise their own chicks. Instead, adult females lay their eggs in other nests, next to another bird species' own eggs. Female cuckoos have been seen quickly laying eggs in the nests of other bird species when those birds are out looking for food. After the eggs hatch, the noncuckoo parents will typically raise the cuckoo chicks as if they were their own offspring, even if the cuckoos look very different from the other chicks.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
It introduces a physical feature of female cuckoos that is described later in the text.
It describes the appearance of the cuckoo nests mentioned earlier in the text.
It offers a detail about how female cuckoos carry out the behavior discussed in the text.
It explains how other birds react to the female cuckoo behavior discussed in the text.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Some bird species don't raise their own chicks." |
|
| "Instead, adult females lay their eggs in other nests, next to another bird species' own eggs." |
|
| "Female cuckoos have been seen quickly laying eggs in the nests of other bird species when those birds are out looking for food." |
|
| "After the eggs hatch, the noncuckoo parents will typically raise the cuckoo chicks as if they were their own offspring, even if the cuckoos look very different from the other chicks." |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Some bird species, like cuckoos, use a reproductive strategy where they place their eggs in other birds' nests and let those birds raise their offspring.
Argument Flow: The passage starts with the general concept of birds not raising their own young, then explains the alternative behavior of laying eggs in other nests, provides specific details about how cuckoos execute this strategy, and concludes by describing the successful outcome where host parents unknowingly raise the cuckoo offspring.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The function of the underlined sentence within the text as a whole
What type of answer do we need? The role or purpose that this specific sentence serves in the passage's structure
Any limiting keywords? "underlined sentence" limits us to analyzing just that one sentence, and "in the text as a whole" means we need to consider how it fits with the entire passage
This is a text structure question asking us to identify what job the underlined sentence does within the passage's organization.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The underlined sentence comes after we've learned about the general behavior (laying eggs in other nests), so it's not introducing the concept
- Instead, it's giving us specific information about HOW cuckoos actually carry out this behavior - the timing (when host birds are away) and the manner (quickly)
- This sentence functions as a concrete detail that shows the practical execution of the behavior we just learned about
- The right answer should recognize that this sentence provides specific details about the method or execution of the cuckoo behavior discussed in the passage
It introduces a physical feature of female cuckoos that is described later in the text.
- Claims the sentence introduces a physical feature that's described later
- The sentence discusses behavioral timing and speed, not physical appearance
- No physical features are described later in the passage
It describes the appearance of the cuckoo nests mentioned earlier in the text.
- Claims it describes the appearance of cuckoo nests
- The sentence doesn't describe what nests look like at all
- It's about when and how cuckoos place eggs, not nest appearance
It offers a detail about how female cuckoos carry out the behavior discussed in the text.
- Recognizes that the sentence offers specific details about how the behavior is executed
- The sentence does exactly this - it tells us the timing (when other birds are away) and manner (quickly) of the egg-laying behavior
- This matches our prethinking about the sentence providing concrete execution details
It explains how other birds react to the female cuckoo behavior discussed in the text.
- Claims it explains how other birds react to cuckoo behavior
- The sentence focuses on what cuckoos do, not on other birds' reactions
- The reaction of other birds comes in the final sentence, not this one