Kak Ari's English Literacy Quiz #1: Inference & Main Idea

Adaptations to cold temperatures have high metabolic costs. It is expensive, in terms of energy use, for land plants and animals to withstand very cold temperatures, and it gets more expensive the colder it gets, which means that the lower the air temperature, the fewer species have evolved to survive it. This factor, in conjunction with the decline in air temperature with increasing elevation, explains the distribution of species diversity in mountain ecosystems: you find fewer species high up a mountain than at the mountain’s base because ______

• A

  there are relatively few environments hospitable to species that are adapted to live in low air temperatures.

  
  

• B

  there are relatively few species with the adaptations necessary to tolerate the temperatures at high elevations.

  
  

• C

  adaptations that allow plants and animals to survive in rocky environments are metabolically costly.

  
  

• D

  some mountain environments are at elevations so high that no plants or animals can survive them.

  
  

Answer explanation

• (Choice A, Incorrect)  

• INCORRECT

  there are relatively few environments hospitable to species that are adapted to live in low air temperatures.

• This doesn’t logically complete the text. The text never discusses any aspects of the high-up mountain environment beyond its cold temperature, so there’s no basis to make this inference.

• (Choice B, Correct)  

  CORRECT

  there are relatively few species with the adaptations necessary to tolerate the temperatures at high elevations.

• This logically completes the text. The text states that adaptations to cold temperatures have high energy costs, and so the lower the temperature, the fewer species have evolved to survive it. It also says that the temperature gets colder as elevation increases. From this, we can infer that the reason few species exist very high up on a mountain is because few species have the adaptations necessary to survive the cold temperature at those elevations.

• (Choice C, Incorrect)  

• INCORRECT

  adaptations that allow plants and animals to survive in rocky environments are metabolically costly.

• This doesn’t logically complete the text. The text never mentions “rocky” environments—it only discusses high elevations in general. So there’s no basis to make this inference.

• (Choice D, Incorrect)  

• INCORRECT

  some mountain environments are at elevations so high that no plants or animals can survive them.

• This doesn’t logically complete the text. The text only says that the higher the elevation gets, the colder it gets, and the fewer species have evolved to survive it. It never says or implies that there is an elevation at which no plants or animals can survive.

We should start by paraphrasing the information provided in the passage:

• Cold temperatures are costly for organisms to survive in.

• Few species have evolved to survive cold weather.

• The temperature is colder at higher elevation.

• Fewer species live at the top of a mountain than at the base of the mountain.

In order to logically complete the text, we need to connect the dots between these ideas. Which choice does that?

Choice A has a different focus than the provided information. It focuses on the number of environments instead of the number of species. We can eliminate this choice.

Choice C has a different focus than the provided information. It focuses on rocky environments instead of high elevations or cold temperatures. We can eliminate this choice.

Choice D doesn't explain the claim we want to focus on. Instead, it makes a new claim about elevation and species diversity. We can eliminate this choice.

Only choice B connects all the ideas provided in the passage. It uses the first few bullets we identified to explain the final bullet:

• Few species can survive cold weather.

• Weather is cold at high elevation.

So...

• Few species can survive at high elevation.

Choice B is the answer.

Many animals, including humans, must sleep, and sleep is known to have a role in everything from healing injuries to encoding information in long-term memory. But some scientists claim that, from an evolutionary standpoint, deep sleep for hours at a time leaves an animal so vulnerable that the known benefits of sleeping seem insufficient to explain why it became so widespread in the animal kingdom. These scientists therefore imply that ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

• • A

  • it is more important to understand how widespread prolonged deep sleep is than to understand its function.

• • B

  • prolonged deep sleep is likely advantageous in ways that have yet to be discovered.

• • C

  • many traits that provide significant benefits for an animal also likely pose risks to that animal.

• • D

  • most traits perform functions that are hard to understand from an evolutionary standpoint.

Answer explanation

• (Choice A, Incorrect)  

  it is more important to understand how widespread prolonged deep sleep is than to understand its function.

  This doesn’t logically complete the text. The text says that it is already known that prolonged deep sleep is widespread in the animal kingdom. Rather, what some scientists can’t explain is WHY prolonged deep sleep is so widespread, given that the known benefits of sleep don’t seem to make up for how vulnerable it leaves an animal.

• (Choice B, Correct)  

  prolonged deep sleep is likely advantageous in ways that have yet to be discovered.

  This logically completes the text. The text says that some scientists can’t explain why prolonged deep sleep is so widespread, given that the known benefits of sleep don’t seem to make up for how vulnerable it leaves an animal. This suggests that prolonged deep sleep probably has unknown evolutionary benefits that make up for the vulnerability.

• (Choice C, Incorrect)  

  many traits that provide significant benefits for an animal also likely pose risks to that animal.

  This doesn’t logically complete the text. The text only discusses the benefits and risks of one trait: sleep. So there’s no basis for an inference about "many traits".

• (Choice D, Incorrect)  

  most traits perform functions that are hard to understand from an evolutionary standpoint.

  This doesn’t logically complete the text. The text only discusses the benefits and risks of one trait: sleep. So there’s no basis for an inference about "most traits".

Companies whose products are similar to competing products often pursue a marketing strategy of brand differentiation, trying to get consumers to associate their brand with unique attributes (e.g., to think of their brand of rice as the healthy brand, when in fact there is little difference among brands of the same type of rice). Jaywant Singh and Francesca Dall’Olmo Riley investigated consumer perceptions of such products, finding that consumers view competing brands as having largely the same attributes and that any differences in the strength of consumers’ associations of brands with attributes are explained by differences in market share—the more popular a brand is, the stronger people’s associations with it are—suggesting that ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

• • A

  • consumers tend to perceive products with high market share more positively than they perceive products with low market share.

• • B

  • marketing aimed at brand differentiation influences consumers’ perceptions of branded products but not consumers’ purchasing behavior.

• • C

  • marketing efforts focused on brand differentiation do not have much effect on consumers’ perceptions of branded products’ attributes.

• • D

  • differences in consumers’ perceptions of products’ attributes are less influenced by brand differentiation than by actual differences between products.

Answer explanation

• (Choice A, Incorrect)  

• consumers tend to perceive products with high market share more positively than they perceive products with low market share.

• This doesn’t logically complete the text. The text states that “the more popular a brand is, the stronger people’s associations with it are”—but it doesn’t say whether those associations are positive or negative. So there’s no basis for this inference.

• (Choice B, Incorrect)  

  marketing aimed at brand differentiation influences consumers’ perceptions of branded products but not consumers’ purchasing behavior.

• This doesn’t logically complete the text. Consumers’ purchasing behavior is never mentioned in the text, so there’s no basis for this inference.

• (Choice C, Correct)  

  marketing efforts focused on brand differentiation do not have much effect on consumers’ perceptions of branded products’ attributes.

• This logically completes the text. The text states that consumers view competing brands “as having largely the same attributes”, despite companies’ efforts to market their own brand as having “unique attributes”. Instead, consumer perception of a brand is influenced by how popular the brand is. This suggests that marketing efforts focused on brand differentiation aren’t effective.

• (Choice D, Incorrect)  

  differences in consumers’ perceptions of products’ attributes are less influenced by brand differentiation than by actual differences between products.

• This doesn’t logically complete the text. The text doesn’t discuss any actual differences between products. It only discusses competing products that are similar to each other, as the rice example illustrates (“in fact there is little difference among brands of the same type of rice”).

We should start by paraphrasing the information provided in the passage:

• Companies try to associate their products with unique attributes.

• However, consumers view competing brands as largely similar.

• Differences in consumer opinion of competing brands can be explained by brand popularity.

In order to logically complete the text, we need to connect the dots between these ideas. Let's think through the argument that's being made:

• Companies try to make their products seem different

• BUT, consumers don't see products as different

This argument is presenting a discrepancy. The companies are trying to pursue a marketing strategy, but it's not working. Consumers just pay attention to the popularity of a product.

The conclusion of this argument is becoming clear: companies are wasting their time on brand differentiation.

Do any of the choices match that conclusion?

Choice (C) matches our prediction and is the answer.

The animated movie Toy Story, released in 1995, revolutionized the world of animation. It was the first feature-length film to be entirely computer animated. As a result, it changed the way cartoons were made and set new expectations for audiences. Prior to Toy Story, most animated films were painstakingly drawn by hand, frame by frame. Toy Story's success proved that computer animation could be both efficient and visually appealing. Following its release, other studios began to experiment with computer animation, which eventually became the standard in the industry.

Which choice accurately states the central idea of the passage?

• • A

    Toy Story changed the animation industry by introducing the use of computer animation.

• • B

    Toy Story is a really great movie that was a hit with audiences and critics alike.

• • C

    Computer animation is always more efficient and visually appealing than hand-drawn animation.

Answer explanation

(Choice A, Correct)  

• Toy Story changed the animation industry by introducing the use of computer animation.

• CORRECT

  Toy Story changed the animation industry by introducing the use of computer animation.

  The passage focuses on how Toy Story was the first feature-length film to be entirely computer animated, and how this changed the way cartoons were made and the expectations of audiences.

• (Choice B, Incorrect)  

  Toy Story is a really great movie that was a hit with audiences and critics alike.

• INCORRECT

  Toy Story is a really great movie that was a hit with audiences and critics alike.

  While the passage does mention that Toy Story was successful, its main focus is on how the movie changed the animation industry. Also, the passage does not say that Toy Story was a "great" movie!

• (Choice C, Incorrect)  

  Computer animation is always more efficient and visually appealing than hand-drawn animation.

• INCORRECT

  Computer animation is always more efficient and visually appealing than hand-drawn animation.

• While the passage does mention that computer animation can be efficient and visually appealing, it does not make this strong of a statement. Plus, it focuses on how the movie Toy Story introduced the use of computer animation, not on comparing computer animation to hand-drawn animation in general.

The Arctic fox may not seem like an animal that could survive in one of the coldest places on Earth. In the winter, temperatures in its habitat can dip to as low as -50 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the Arctic fox has a number of adaptations that make it well-suited to such a harsh environment. Its thick fur is the warmest of any mammal, and its compact shape minimizes the amount of heat that it loses to the surrounding air. Additionally, the Arctic fox grows a thicker coat in the winter, which it sheds to stay cool in the summer, and it has furry soles on its feet that help it grip the icy ground.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• • A

    The Arctic fox is able to survive in harsh environments because it has a thick coat of fur.

• • B

    The Arctic fox grows a thicker coat in the winter and sheds it in the summer to adjust to changing temperatures.

• • .

    C

    The Arctic fox has a number of adaptations that allow it to survive in extremely cold temperatures.

Answer explanation

• (Choice A, Incorrect)  

  The Arctic fox is able to survive in harsh environments because it has a thick coat of fur.

• INCORRECT

  The Arctic fox is able to survive in harsh environments because it has a thick coat of fur.

  Although the Arctic fox's thick fur is mentioned as one of its adaptations, the passage discusses other adaptations too. Think bigger!

• (Choice B, Incorrect)  

  The Arctic fox grows a thicker coat in the winter and sheds it in the summer to adjust to changing temperatures.

• INCORRECT

  The Arctic fox grows a thicker coat in the winter and sheds it in the summer to adjust to changing temperatures.

  This choice only focuses on one of the adaptations that the passage describes. The main idea of the passage is bigger than this!

• (Choice C, Correct)  

  The Arctic fox has a number of adaptations that allow it to survive in extremely cold temperatures.

• CORRECT

  The Arctic fox has a number of adaptations that allow it to survive in extremely cold temperatures.

• This choice accurately summarizes the passage, which discusses the adaptions that allow the Arctic fox to survive in a very cold environment.

Recycling is one of the best things we can do to help protect the environment. By recycling items like paper, glass, and plastic, we're keeping them out of the landfills and reducing the amount of waste we produce. This in turn means less pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling not only helps the planet, but it can also save resources. For example, making new paper from recycled paper uses less water and energy than starting from scratch with new trees. Recycling is something everyone should participate in, even if it requires a little extra effort. It's the responsible thing to do for our planet and for future generations.

Which of the following statements best captures the central idea of the passage?

• • A

    Recycling is important because it creates jobs in the recycling industry.

• • B

    Recycling is important because it helps protect the environment, reduces waste, and saves resources.

• • C

    Recycling paper products keep them out of landfills and reduces waste.

Answer explanation

• (Choice A, Incorrect)  

  Recycling is important because it creates jobs in the recycling industry.

• INCORRECT

  Recycling is important because it creates jobs in the recycling industry.

  While this may be true, it is not a point that is made in the passage. The passage focuses on the environmental benefits of recycling.

• (Choice B, Correct)  

  Recycling is important because it helps protect the environment, reduces waste, and saves resources.

• CORRECT

  Recycling is important because it helps protect the environment, reduces waste, and saves resources.

  This choice correctly captures the central idea of the passage, which is that recycling has numerous benefits and is something that everyone should participate in.

• (Choice C, Incorrect)  

  Recycling paper products keep them out of landfills and reduces waste.

• INCORRECT

  Recycling paper products keep them out of landfills and reduces waste.

  This is a detail from the passage, but it's not the central idea.

There are three kinds of people who live in New York City. Natives, who have always lived there, make the city feel stable. Commuters come and go, which makes the city feel busy. But the people who move to New York from elsewhere bring a lot of excitement. These "settlers" can come from anywhere, and they all experience the city in a new way.

What is the main idea of the passage?

• • A

    Different types of people contribute to the atmosphere of New York City in different ways.

• • B

    Commuters make New York City feel busy.

• • C

    New York City is a stable place to live.

Answer explanation

• (Choice A, Correct)  

  Different types of people contribute to the atmosphere of New York City in different ways.

• CORRECT

  Different types of people contribute to the atmosphere of New York City in different ways.

  This is the main idea! The passage discusses three types of people (natives, commuters, and "settlers") and how they each contribute in different ways to the city's atmosphere.

• (Choice B, Incorrect)  

  Commuters make New York City feel busy.

• INCORRECT

  Commuters make New York City feel busy.

  While the passage does mention that commuters make the city feel busy, this isn't the main focus of the passage.

• (Choice C, Incorrect)  

  New York City is a stable place to live.

• INCORRECT

  New York City is a stable place to live.

  The passage does mention that natives make the city feel stable, but this isn't the main idea in the passage.

North American gray wolves usually have mixed gray and white fur, but some members of the species have a version of a gene, or gene variant, that gives them a mostly black coat instead. Sarah Cubaynes and her team studied twelve populations of North American gray wolves. They found that the black-furred wolves are more common in areas where outbreaks of distemper virus happen regularly. The team also discovered that the black-furred wolves are more likely to be immune to distemper than the gray-furred wolves are. Taken together, these findings suggest that ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

• • A

  • gray-furred wolves will soon replace black-furred wolves across North America. 

• B

  •   the gene variant that results in black fur may be linked to immunity to the distemper virus.

• C

  North American gray wolves experience more outbreaks of distemper virus than other wolf species do.

• D

  • the average life span of gray wolves is likely to increase over time because of a particular gene variant. 

Answer explanation

• Choice A (INCORRECT)

• gray-furred wolves will soon replace black-furred wolves across North America.

• This is too extreme. The text says that “black-furred wolves are more likely to be immune to distemper than the gray-furred wolves”, but that alone doesn’t mean that black-furred wolves will replace gray-furred wolves across North America.

• Choice B (CORRECT)

• the gene variant that results in black fur may be linked to immunity to the distemper virus.

• This is the best choice.

• The text tells us that the black-furred wolves are more common in areas with regular outbreaks of distemper virus and are more likely to be immune to distemper than the gray-furred wolves. This suggests that the gene variant that results in black fur may be linked to immunity to the distemper virus.

Choice C (INCORRECT)

North American gray wolves experience more outbreaks of distemper virus than other wolf species do.

• This inference isn’t supported. The text never compares North American gray wolves to other wolf species—in fact, it never discusses other wolf species at all, so there’s no basis for this inference.

• Choice D (INCORRECT)

• the average life span of gray wolves is likely to increase over time because of a particular gene variant.

• This inference isn’t supported. The lifespan of gray wolves is never mentioned in this text, so we have no basis for this inference.

In many cultures, a handshake can create trust between people. Engineer João Avelino and his team are designing a robot to shake hands with a human in order to improve human-robot interactions. The robot hand adjusts its movements and pressure to better imitate the feel of a human hand. The researchers want the robot’s handshake to feel realistic because ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

• • A

  • people are less likely to interact with robots that don’t look like humans.

• • B

  • it’s easier to program a robot to perform handshakes than it is to program a robot to perform some other types of greetings.

• • C

  • the robot in the researchers’ study may have uses other than interacting with humans.

• • D

  • lifelike handshakes may make people more comfortable interacting with robots.

Answer explanation

Inferences questions present us with an argument that needs to be completed. In these arguments, a series of facts will build upon one another to reach a logical conclusion. Since inference passages can often be dense with facts, it can often be helpful to break them down into pieces, summarizing each fact into a simple bullet point.

How would you summarize the argument here?

We might break down the argument like this:

• 1. Handshakes create trust between people.

• 2. Engineers are designing a robot to shake hands with a human in order to improve human-robot interactions.

• 3. The robot hand is designed to imitate the feel of a human hand.

• 4. The researchers want the robot’s handshake to feel realistic because ______

• (Choice A, Incorrect)  

  people are less likely to interact with robots that don’t look like humans.

  This inference isn't supported. The text never discusses the appearance of this robot or any other robots, so there is no basis to make this inference.

• (Choice B, Incorrect)  

  it’s easier to program a robot to perform handshakes than it is to program a robot to perform some other types of greetings.

• it’s easier to program a robot to perform handshakes than it is to program a robot to perform some other types of greetings.

  This inference isn't supported. The text never discusses any other types of greetings, so there is no basis to make this inference.

• (Choice C, Incorrect)  

  the robot in the researchers’ study may have uses other than interacting with humans.

• the robot in the researchers’ study may have uses other than interacting with humans.

  This inference isn't supported. The text never discusses any uses for the robot other than interacting with humans, so there is no basis to make this inference.

• (Choice D, Correct)  

  lifelike handshakes may make people more comfortable interacting with robots.

• lifelike handshakes may make people more comfortable interacting with robots.

  This is the best choice. The text says that handshakes create trust, and that the engineers’ goal is to “improve human-robot interactions.” This suggests that they want the robot’s handshake to feel real because they want humans to trust the robot.

What conclusion is implied by the facts as they’re laid out?

Read through the choices. Which completes and strengthens the argument in the text?

The text says that handshakes create trust, and that the engineers’ goal is to “improve human-robot interactions.” This suggests that they want the robot’s handshake to feel real because they want humans to trust the robot.

(D) completes the argument and is the answer.

Top Tip: Trust yourself! Sometimes inference questions are easier than you might expect. Don't second guess yourself if a choice jumps out at you as being "obvious"! The right answer is often the one that feels most explicit—it won't be a “reach".

Georgia Douglas Johnson wrote many plays in the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, professional theater companies rarely put on plays by Black women, so few of Johnson’s plays made it to the stage. Only a small number of her plays were published in her lifetime. But that doesn’t mean that Johnson never learned what other people thought of her plays. Johnson hosted weekly get-togethers for fellow Black writers and artists in her Washington, D.C., home. Attendees would read and discuss one another’s work, including Johnson’s own. These gatherings could therefore serve as ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

• A

  an opportunity for Johnson to get feedback on her plays.

• B

  •   a way for Johnson to learn about plays that were produced in other cities. 

• C

  an occasion for professional theater companies to put on plays.

• D

  • subject matter for future plays by Johnson. 

Answer explanation

• Choice A CORRECT

• an opportunity for Johnson to get feedback on her plays.

• This is the best choice. The passage tells us that attendees at Johnson's get-togethers “would read and discuss one another’s work”. This suggests that the gatherings could provide an opportunity for Johnson to get feedback on her plays. Notice how the text foreshadows this conclusion by the mention of Johnson learning “what other people thought of her plays.”

• Choice B INCORRECT

• a way for Johnson to learn about plays that were produced in other cities.

• This inference isn’t supported. The passage doesn't mention learning about plays from other cities, so there is no basis for this inference.

Choice C INCORRECT

• an occasion for professional theater companies to put on plays.

• This inference isn’t supported. The passage doesn't mention theater companies attending the get-togethers, so there is no basis for this inference.

• Choice D INCORRECT

• subject matter for future plays by Johnson.

• This inference isn’t supported.

• The passage doesn't mention Johnson using the get-togethers as inspiration for future plays, so there is no basis for this inference.

Inferences questions present us with an argument that needs to be completed. In these arguments, a series of facts will build upon one another to reach a logical conclusion. Since inference passages can often be dense with facts, it can often be helpful to break them down into pieces, summarizing each fact into a simple bullet point.

How would you summarize the argument here?

We might break down the argument as follows:

• 1. Johnson wrote many plays, but rarely got them performed.

• 2. But that doesn’t mean she never learned what people thought of her plays.

• 3. She hosted weekly get-togethers for other Black writers and artists, where they would read and discuss each other's work.

• 4. These gatherings therefore served as ______.

Read through the choices. Which completes and strengthens the argument in the text?

In other words, what is the argument building to here? Can you “connect the dots”?

Top Tip: Trust yourself! Sometimes inference questions are easier than you might expect. Don't second guess yourself if a choice jumps out at you as being "obvious"! The right answer is often the one that feels most explicit—it won't be a “reach".

Because attendees at Johnson’s gatherings would “read and discuss one another’s work, including Johnson’s”, this suggests that these gatherings were an opportunity for Johnson to receive feedback on her writing.

(A) completes the argument and is the answer.