Reading Comprehension

The fossil remains of the first flying vertebrates, the pterosaurs, have intrigued paleontologists for more than two centuries. How such large creatures, which weighed in some cases as much as a piloted hang-glider and had wingspans from 8 to 12 meters, solved the problems of powered flight, and exactly what these creatures were—reptiles or birds—are among the questions scientists have puzzled over.
Perhaps the least controversial assertion about the pterosaurs is that they were reptiles. Their skulls, pelvises, and hind feet are reptilian. The anatomy of their wings suggests that they did not evolve into the class of birds. In pterosaurs a greatly elongated fourth finger of each forelimb supported a wing-like membrane. The other fingers were short and reptilian, with sharp claws. In birds the second finger is the principal strut of the wing, which consists primarily of feathers. If the pterosaurs walked on all fours, the three short fingers may have been employed for grasping. When a pterosaur walked or remained stationary, the fourth finger, and with it the wing, could only turn upward in an extended inverted V-shape along each side of the animal’s body.
The pterosaurs resembled both birds and bats in their overall structure and proportions. This is not surprising because the design of any flying vertebrate is subject to aerodynamic constraints. Both the pterosaurs and the birds have hollow bones, a feature that represents a savings in weight. In the birds, however, these bones are reinforced more massively by internal struts.
Although scales typically cover reptiles, the pterosaurs probably had hairy coats. T. H. Huxley reasoned that flying vertebrates must have been warm-blooded because flying implies a high rate of metabolism, which in turn implies a high internal temperature. Huxley speculated that a coat of hair would insulate against loss of body heat and might streamline the body to reduce drag in flight. The recent discovery of a pterosaur specimen covered in long, dense, and relatively thick hairlike fossil material was the first clear evidence that his reasoning was correct.
Efforts to explain how the pterosaurs became airborne have led to suggestions that they launched themselves by jumping from cliffs, by dropping from trees, or even by rising into light winds from the crests of waves. Each hypothesis has its difficulties. The first wrongly assumes that the pterosaurs’ hind feet resembled a bat’s and could serve as hooks by which the animal could hang in preparation for flight. The second hypothesis seems unlikely because large pterosaurs could not have landed in trees without damaging their wings. The third calls for high waves to channel updrafts. The wind that made such waves however, might have been too strong for the pterosaurs to control their flight once airborne.

You can answer all the questions, I am specifically interested in #7 please

1. It can be inferred from the passage that scientists now generally agree that the
(A) enormous wingspan of the pterosaurs enabled them to fly great distances
(B) structure of the skeleton of the pterosaurs suggests a close evolutionary relationship to bats
(C) fossil remains of the pterosaurs reveal how they solved the problem of powered flight
(D) pterosaurs were reptiles
(E) pterosaurs walked on all fours

2. The author views the idea that the pterosaurs became airborne by rising into light winds created by waves as
(A) revolutionary
(B) unlikely
(C) unassailable
(D) probable
(E) outdated

3. According to the passage, the skeleton of a pterosaur can be distinguished from that of a bird by the
(A) size of its wingspan
(B) presence of hollow spaces in its bones
(C) anatomic origin of its wing strut
(D) presence of hooklike projections on its hind feet
(E) location of the shoulder joint joining the wing to its body

4. The ideas attributed to T. H. Huxley in the passage suggest that he would most likely agree with which of the following statements?
(A) An animal’s brain size has little bearing on its ability to master complex behaviors.
(B) An animal’s appearance is often influenced by environmental requirements and physical capabilities.
(C) Animals within a given family group are unlikely to change their appearance dramatically over a period of time.
(D) The origin of flight in vertebrates was an accidental development rather than the outcome of specialization or adaptation.
(E) The pterosaurs should be classified as birds, not reptiles.

5. It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following is characteristic of the pterosaurs?
(A) They were unable to fold their wings when not in use.
(B) They hung upside down from branches as bats do before flight.
(C) They flew in order to capture prey.
(D) They were an early stage in the evolution of the birds.
(E) They lived primarily in a forest-like habitat.

6. Which of the following best describes the organization of the last paragraph of the passage?
(A) New evidence is introduced to support a traditional point of view.
(B) Three explanations for a phenomenon are presented, and each is disputed by means of specific information.
(C) Three hypotheses are outlined, and evidence supporting each is given.
(D) Recent discoveries are described, and their implications for future study are projected.
(E) A summary of the material in the preceding paragraphs is presented, and conclusions are drawn.

7. It can be inferred from the passage that some scientists believe that pterosaurs
(A) lived near large bodies of water
(B) had sharp teeth for tearing food
(C) were attacked and eaten by larger reptiles
(D) had longer tails than many birds
(E) consumed twice their weight daily to maintain their body temperature

Thanks for posting

Typical GMAT-Like Passage My take is

1 to 4-->BBCB

5 to 7-->DBD


Not 100% sure at 5 and 7

pls post the OAs in spoiler

would go for

1B 2B 3C 4E 5D 6B 7A

all choices in 7 seem weird. but since the passage is more tilted towards pterosaurs as reptiles than birds, those creatures must have lived close to waterbbodies as reptiles live near waterbodies. not sure though.

1. (D)

2. (B)

3. (C)

4. (B)

5. (A)

6. (B)

7. (A)

Time taken : 14 minutes, 15 seconds.

My timing sucks. Anybody has a timing pill?

My Take
BBDBDBD

Scoobydooby you got the #7 right that I got wrong.. thanks for that logic man.. and aj5105.. you are the MAN!!! You got all of them right..
I found the others pretty easy.. #7 instead of applying logic as Scoobydooby did.. I was searching in the RC..

Took 13 mins 11 seconds.. for all the 7 questions.. that according to my logic (1.5 mins per questions = 7*1.5 = 10.5 mins) was pretty bad..

OA DBCBABA

I got 1)D 2)B 3)B 4)B 5)A 6) B 7) D

It took me almost 10 mins while doing in it office...

ILULA08 wrote:I got 1)D 2)B 3)B 4)B 5)A 6) B 7) D

It took me almost 10 mins while doing in it office...

Why is N1 D? I first thought that D was the correct answer too, but if these things were covered by hair and were warm blooded, how can they be reptiles? Ughhh I don't know anything about nature! That's why i also failed in the last question

why 4 is B??? someone explain me plis.....

gmat800_ wrote:why 4 is B??? someone explain me plis.....

Pay attention to this excerpt:
Although scales typically cover reptiles, the pterosaurs probably had hairy coats. T. H. Huxley reasoned that flying vertebrates must have been warm-blooded because flying implies a high rate of metabolism, which in turn implies a high internal temperature. Huxley speculated that a coat of hair would insulate against loss of body heat and might streamline the body to reduce drag in flight

The author came to a conclusion given the environment where these animals interacted. At that point there was no physical proof of any hair on them, yet the author inferred so. He draws the conclusion because he figured that if the Pterosaurs could fly, there were certain attributes that they must have had in order to survive up in the sky.

Does this help?

Can someone explain the reason for following answers

5-A
7-A

both do not make any sense to me.

raisethebar wrote:Can someone explain the reason for following answers

5-A
7-A

both do not make any sense to me.

I got 5-A because B & D are specifically discounted in the text, and there is no mention of prey or forests to support C & E. The text "...and with it the wing, could only turn upward..." could be argued to support A, although I admit I found it a bit vague.

I got 7-A because of the theories mentioned in the last paragraph (they might take flight via cliffs or waves; both suggest water).

Please post the answers for any of the question posted on this forum.

Thanks in advance!!!!!!!!

Ramprasad (A budding GMAT aspirant)

yeahdisk wrote:

raisethebar wrote:Can someone explain the reason for following answers

5-A
7-A

both do not make any sense to me.

I got 5-A because B & D are specifically discounted in the text, and there is no mention of prey or forests to support C & E. The text "...and with it the wing, could only turn upward..." could be argued to support A, although I admit I found it a bit vague.

I got 7-A because of the theories mentioned in the last paragraph (they might take flight via cliffs or waves; both suggest water).

Answer to 7 should be E "consumed twice their weight daily to maintain their body temperature", I am not sure why "lived near large bodies of water" is a better choice.

Answer to 5, D can't it be inferred "They were an early stage in the evolution of the birds." , in comparing its bones.
though I must agree that A is also as close and on another day I could have picked A.

I got this question 7 wrong when I was doing it initially.

But after re-reading the passage with the knowledge of the answer, my guess is that it has to do with this sentence:

"Efforts to explain how the pterosaurs became airborne have led to suggestions that they launched themselves by jumping from cliffs, by dropping from trees, or even by rising into light winds from the crests of waves. "

This point in the passage illustrates that the Pterosaurs could be living near water, using light wind from crest of waves to lift them to flight.