RC 99 - Passage 8

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RC 99 - Passage 8

by nikhilsrl » Sun Jan 30, 2011 8:16 am
Far from being fixed on Earth, scientists now know that Australia has
wandered over the face of the planet for billions of years, sometimes
lying in the northern hemisphere, sometimes in the south. For 40 million
years, after finally cutting the umbilicus with Antarctica, it slowly drifted
northwards, in isolation, at about half the rate at which a human hair
grows.

Now that the sheep has faltered, Australians ride more and more
upon the marsupial's back. To a large extent, but more difficult to
quantify, Australia's fauna and flora are being used as a unique
resource. In scientific disciplines from reproductive physiology and
evolutionary biology to medicine, Australia's native species are hailed as
a unique and priceless heritage. They are providing insights into the
way the world, and humans themselves, work.

Australia's rainforests-those "•unimportant appendages"–-are now
widely acknowledged as being the most ancient of humanity's land-
based ecosystems, which gave rise to most others. Botanical discoveries
of worldwide importance are being made in them every year. Australian
botanists have recently completed a catalogue of Australian plants, in
which they list 18,000 species. Their taxonomic work over recent years
has resulted in a 50 percent increase in the number of species in the
groups examined. Yet they estimate that about 7,000 undiscovered
plant species still exist in Australia. Many surely inhabit Australian
rainforests and are members of ancient and bizarre families, like the
southern pine (Podocarpus species) recently found growing in a steep
valley in Arnhem Land, thousands of kilometres distant from its nearest
relatives.

Research on newly discovered Australian dinosaur faunas is
challenging previous conceptions of what dinosaurs were like. So
important are these discoveries that an Australian dinosaur recently
made it onto the cover of a major international magazine. It was
discovered in one of only two deposits in the world which was laid down
near the South Pole during the age of dinosaurs. The chicken-sized
species survived three months of darkness each year in a refrigerated
world.

Scientists are finally understanding that evolution in Australia, in
contrast to evolution on some other continents, is not driven solely by
nature "•red in tooth and claw."– Here, a more gentle force-that of
coadaptation-is important. This is because harsh conditions force
individuals to cooperate to minimize the loss of nutrients, and to keep
them cycling through the ecosystem as rapidly as possible.

1. Based on information in the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. Australia has moved from one hemisphere to the other over time.
B. Most Australian plant species remain undiscovered.
C. Important information is being gathered by studying Australian plants.
D. Australian rainforests are different from other rainforests.
E. Dinosaurs had once existed in what is now Australia

OA is B

I felt that the choice is incorrect. Please clarify
Last edited by nikhilsrl on Thu Feb 03, 2011 5:22 am, edited 1 time in total.

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by Someone.on.task » Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:04 am
Is the answer choice - e?

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by AIM GMAT » Tue Feb 01, 2011 2:39 am
IMO D.

Whats the OA ?
Thanks & Regards,
AIM GMAT

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by crimson2283 » Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:34 am

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by Vishnu88 » Thu Feb 03, 2011 11:25 am
IMO choice B.

The word Most is too strong considering 18000 have been catalogued and a known set of about 7000 are yet to be discovered.

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by hja379 » Fri Feb 04, 2011 7:06 am
1. Based on information in the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. Australia has moved from one hemisphere to the other over time.
B. Most Australian plant species remain undiscovered.
C. Important information is being gathered by studying Australian plants.
D. Australian rainforests are different from other rainforests.
E. Dinosaurs had once existed in what is now Australia
Explanation:
Choice A: True according to the passage.
Choice C: True
Choice D: "...gave rise to most others" P3. But does not state that they are similar to each other. Might be the case that they have evolved to something else and hence different.
Choice E: True

IMO Choice B: More than half the plant species have been discovered, which negates the statement given. This is the right answer choice.