Reading Comprehension
Passage Breakdown
Many flocking birds fight over food and shelter, and repeated fights create a social ranking that decides who gets priority. A clear visible signal, like a feather pattern that shows fighting ability, could let birds avoid costly fights. Rohwer claimed Harris sparrows’ throat color is such a signal, but his data only show dark-throated adults beat light-throated juveniles — throat color does not predict rank among birds of the same age. The greater titmouse gives stronger proof: birds with wider black breast stripes are higher ranked even when age and size are the same, and experiments with stuffed birds made live birds act aggressive toward narrower stripes and submissive toward wider ones.
Logic Breakdown
Combine the general principle that higher social status yields priority of access to resources with the passage's specific claim that adults have higher status than juveniles. Support: 'priority of access to resources increasing with higher status.'; 'adults, usually dark throated, have higher status than juveniles, who are usually light throated.'
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage21.Which one of the following can be inferred about Harris sparrows from the passage?
Correct Answer
B
The passage states that "priority of access to resources increasing with higher status" (first para) and also asserts that "adults, usually dark throated, have higher status than juveniles, who are usually light throated" (third para). Combining these two claims yields the inference that adults (higher-status birds) have priority of access to resources such as food over juveniles, which is precisely what choice B says.
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