Some foraging models predict that the distance bees travel when foraging will decline as floral density increases, but biologists Shalene...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Some foraging models predict that the distance bees travel when foraging will decline as floral density increases, but biologists Shalene Jha and Claire Kremen showed that bees' behavior is inconsistent with this prediction if flowers in dense patches are ________: bees will forage beyond patches of low species richness to acquire multiple resource types.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
depleted
homogeneous
immature
dispersed
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Some foraging models predict that the distance bees travel when foraging will decline as floral density increases," |
|
| "but biologists Shalene Jha and Claire Kremen showed that bees' behavior is inconsistent with this prediction" |
|
| "if flowers in dense patches are ________:" |
|
| "bees will forage beyond patches of low species richness to acquire multiple resource types." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Research shows that bees don't always travel shorter distances when flowers are dense - they'll still travel far if dense patches lack species variety.
Argument Flow: The passage starts with a model predicting shorter bee travel when flowers are dense, then presents research showing this prediction fails under certain conditions - specifically when dense flower patches lack species diversity, causing bees to travel beyond them for resource variety.
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 insight is that bees travel beyond dense patches to "acquire multiple resource types" and these patches are described as having "low species richness."
- So even though the patches have lots of flowers (dense), they must all be the same type of flower.
- The missing word should describe this sameness or lack of variety.
- The right answer should describe dense flower patches that lack species diversity - patches where all the flowers are basically the same type, which explains why bees need to travel elsewhere to get variety.
depleted
✗ Incorrect
- "Depleted" means used up or exhausted, contradicts the premise that patches are "dense" and doesn't explain why bees would seek "multiple resource types"
homogeneous
✓ Correct
- "Homogeneous" means uniform or all the same type, perfectly explains the situation: dense patches with all the same flower species = low species richness, logical reason why bees would travel beyond these patches
immature
✗ Incorrect
- "Immature" refers to developmental stage, not species variety, doesn't connect to the concept of "species richness" or resource diversity
dispersed
✗ Incorrect
- "Dispersed" means spread out or scattered, directly contradicts "dense patches" creating a logical contradiction