Reading Comprehension

Measuring more than five feet tall and ten feet long, the Javan rhinoceros is often called the rarest large mammal on earth. Though the habitat of the Javan rhino once extended across southern Asia, now there are fewer than one hundred of the animals in Indonesia and fewer than a dozen in Vietnam. The decline of the species may have progressed too far to be reversed. For centuries, farmers who wished to cultivate the rhino's habitat viewed the animals as crop-eating pests and shot them on sight; during the colonial period, hunters slaughtered thousands for their horns, as poachers still do today. The surviving Vietnamese herd has diminished to the point that it can no longer maintain the genetic variation necessary for long-term survival. The Indonesian herd cannot be used to supplement the Vietnamese population because, in the millions of years since Indonesia separated from the mainland, the two groups have evolved into separate sub-species. The Indonesian rhinos are protected on the Ujung Kulon peninsula, which is unsettled by humans, and still thought to have sufficient genetic diversity to survive. The lack of human disturbance, however, allows mature forests to replace the shrubby vegetation preferred by the animals. Human benevolence may prove little better for these rhinos than past human maltreatment.

Q1)The author implies which of the following about the Javan rhino?
A)The farmers who shot the rhinos on sight are most responsible for the near extinction of the Javan rhino.
B)The separation of Indonesia from the mainland is most responsible for the near extinction of the Javan rhino.
c)Combining the two remaining herds could save the species.
D)Humans are not doing as much as they should to save the Javan rhinos.
E)The Javan rhino species may eventually become extinct.

Q2)According to the passage, one primary contrast between the Indonesian herd and the Vietnamese herd is that
A)the Vietnamese herd was ravaged more thoroughly by farmers and hunters
B)some protections have been put into place for the Indonesian herd
C)fewer Indonesian rhinos exist in the wild
D)the Indonesian herd may still have enough members to maintain genetic diversity
E)the Indonesian herd evolved into a separate sub-species

Q3)For what purpose does the author include the last sentence of the passage?
A)To demonstrate that the Indonesian herd has better odds of surviving than the Vietnamese herd.
B)To support the contention that the Javan rhino species may not be able to recover from its current state.
C)To establish that farmers and hunters are no longer killing Javan rhinos.
D)To reinforce the idea that the Indonesian herd of the Javan rhino species will not survive.
E)To illustrate that human benevolence can be just as detrimental to the survival of a species as can human maltreatment.

1.E
The decline of the species may have progressed too far to be reversed.

2.D
Vietnamese herd has diminished to the point that it can no longer maintain the genetic variation necessary for long-term survival.

The Indonesian rhinos are protected on the Ujung Kulon peninsula, which is unsettled by humans, and still thought to have sufficient genetic diversity to survive.


3.A

The Indonesian rhinos are protected on the Ujung Kulon peninsula, which is unsettled by humans, and still thought to have sufficient genetic diversity to survive. The lack of human disturbance, however, allows mature forests to replace the shrubby vegetation preferred by the animals. Human benevolence may prove little better for these rhinos than past human maltreatment.


Please Show OA

OA
[spoiler]1. E
2. D[/spoiler]

Your 3rd answer is wrong. In fact the reason why I put this RC on forum is 3rd question. I got that wrong as well and I am not convinced with OE.

After trying question three again.

I'll try to paraphrase the last two sentences.

The lack of human disturbance, however, allows mature forests to replace the shrubby vegetation preferred by the animals. Human benevolence may prove little better for these rhinos than past human maltreatment.

If farmers (lack of human disturbance) don't grow vegetables on these lands, there will be no "shrubby vegetation" preferred by these rhinos. Key word for me was "however"

I would say the answer is E. OA Please.

Hi,
Sorry Mbrown10012, E is also not OA, instead OA is B

IMO: E,D,E

why is 3-E wrong. Please help!
Also can you mark the difficulty level of this question.

Difficultly Level -

1) 600-700
2) 700-800
3) 700-800

GmatKiss wrote:IMO: E,D,E

why is 3-E wrong. Please help!
Also can you mark the difficulty level of this question.

Please help. why 3)E is wrong!

E is wrong because a - it is wrong, b- it doesn't answer the question. The question asks you for information implied by the passage, not directly stated in the passage. E simply restates the words in the final sentence. More seriously, however, E uses the word 'illustrate' incorrectly. An illustration is an example. The final sentence does not provide an example of anything, it simply makes a generalization.

Ilana@MasterGMAT wrote:E is wrong because a - it is wrong, b- it doesn't answer the question. The question asks you for information implied by the passage, not directly stated in the passage. E simply restates the words in the final sentence. More seriously, however, E uses the word 'illustrate' incorrectly. An illustration is an example. The final sentence does not provide an example of anything, it simply makes a generalization.

How is B right for qsn 3? Please explain that as well.

B is correct because we know that the passage is not arguing that the Javanese rhino will not survive, or even that it has low odds of surviving (ACs D and A). It actually argues that the species will survive, but in small numbers. Therefore, having eliminated A, D, and E, we are left with B and C, as the two answer choices that don't assume that the survival of the rhino is at stake. Of these two, C is clearly incorrect, because the last sentence does not "establish" anything. To establish something we need facts, and the last sentence does not provide any facts, but only a general meditation on the irony that human benevolence might not help the rhinos. Therefore, this philosophical musing (which is not a fact) supports the "the contention"(=argument, belief) of the passage that the Javanese rhino may not be able to recover from its current state, which can be characterized as survival as a small population.

[quote="Ilana@MasterGMAT"]B is correct because we know that the passage is [b]not[/b] arguing that the Javanese rhino will not survive, or even that it has low odds of surviving (ACs D and A). It actually argues that the species will survive, but in small numbers. Therefore, having eliminated A, D, and E, we are left with B and C, as the two answer choices that don't assume that the survival of the rhino is at stake. Of these two, C is clearly incorrect, because the last sentence does not "establish" anything. To establish something we need facts, and the last sentence does not provide any facts, but only a general meditation on the irony that human benevolence might not help the rhinos. Therefore, this philosophical musing (which is not a fact) supports the "the contention"(=argument, belief) of the passage that the Javanese rhino may not be able to recover from its [i]current state[/i], which can be characterized as [i]survival as a small population[/i].[/quote]

Yes now it seems ok that B is right for Q 3.

Got all right and was convinced with my answer to the third question...

parul9 wrote:

Ilana@MasterGMAT wrote:E is wrong because a - it is wrong, b- it doesn't answer the question. The question asks you for information implied by the passage, not directly stated in the passage. E simply restates the words in the final sentence. More seriously, however, E uses the word 'illustrate' incorrectly. An illustration is an example. The final sentence does not provide an example of anything, it simply makes a generalization.

How is B right for qsn 3? Please explain that as well.

The Third Question is a "Purpose' or "Intent" questions. Such questions are dictated by the tone of the passage. When you read the passage you confront examples of Human Maltreatment towards the rhinos. The last two sentences, however, show that even though that there is an attitude shift, i.e. Humans now want to help the species and for this purpose they have established ear-marked territories like the Ujong Kulon peninsula for Rhinos. When the writer says "Human benevolence may prove little better for these rhinos than past human maltreatment", it is as if the writer is saying "Too Little Too Late". Now if you read the choices with this premise in mind, "B" appears as the only viable answer.

can anybody tell me why E is wrong in second ques.
In passage it is clearly mentioned that two are evolved into separate species.
is it not a difference???