Hi guys,
I came across a reading comprehension question from the Big Book (Pg. 239) that I’m not quite sure about.
In question 27, as attached: The answer key marks option E (“There are significant structural differences between insect and vertebrate societies”) as correct.
However, I am confused:
The passage phrases the structural differences as “at first glance,” which to me suggests that these differences may not be as significant upon deeper analysis.
I was leaning toward options A (“A distinguishing characteristic of most insect and vertebrate societies is a well-marked division of labor”) and D (about means of communication), rather than E, as the passage seems to highlight functional similarities and the division of labor.
What led me away from any of the other answer choices was the wording. Choices A, B, C, and D all generalize the idea of “most insect and vertebrate societies” in some way. The evidence that would support those claims comes from the author’s specific examples comparing termites and macaques. Since these are only two species, we cannot extrapolate their similarities to the broader groups they belong to.
With that in mind, note that choice E is the only choice whose evidence is drawn from the portion of the passage where the author is explicitly discussing insects and vertebrates as a whole.
Let’s take another look at the “at first glance” line:
I have been increasingly impressed with the functional similarities between insect and vertebrate societies and less so with the structural differences that seem, at first glance, to constitute such an immense gulf between them.
The author is advocating for a focus on functional similarities as a way to bridge the gap created by the groups’ structural differences, which is not a denial of the significance of the structural differences. Instead, the author argues that functional similarities are an unfairly overlooked basis for comparison.
Since choice E is expressly concerned with the structural differences between the two groups, we have both positive evidence to choose it, and negative evidence to eliminate the others.
