Question Type:
Explain / Resolve
Stimulus Breakdown:
Background: Large cat species normally follow a pattern relating to where they live and hunt (f.e. spotted coats for trees/forests vs. plain coats for open spaces)
Anomaly: The cheetah is spotted but lives in the open savannah.
Answer Anticipation:
Given that spotted cats usually live and hunt in trees/forests, why is the cheetah (who lives in open spaces) also spotted?
I'm noticing that they don't mention where the cheetah hunts, so maybe it's unique in terms of living and hunting in two different habitats (and having a coat that matches the hunting space, rather than the living space). Or maybe the cheetah evolved from a tree dwelling cat and still retains the signature spots?
Correct Answer:
A
Answer Choice Analysis:
(A) This brings up hunting and makes it a crucial difference between cheetahs and all other large cats. Other cats need coats that fit the environment in which they hunt so that they can better hide and sneak up. Cheetahs don't care if you see them; they're confident they'll be able to catch up using their crazy speed.
(B) No way to make a connection between "have their prey stolen" and "spotted coat living in open spaces".
(C) This seems to increase the confusion. If they can't climb trees, they probably don't hang out in trees, so why do they have spots like tree-dwelling cats?
(D) This would be pretty weak in general since it's only a contrast with lions. But there's also no easy way to make a connection from "solitary hunter" to "spotted coat living in open space".
(E) This has the same appeal of (A), in that it provides a way to distinguish cheetahs from all other large cats. But it's hard to connect "can't roar" to "spotted coat in open spaces".
Takeaway/Pattern: I initially wanted to throw out (A), but everything else seemed too useless or weak. Since the cheetah is "the only anomaly" among large cats, the beginning of (A) and (E) have the best chance of explaining why cheetahs are different from all other large cats. The correct answer definitely involves using some outside knowledge that coloration on animal skin / coats is primarily used for camouflage. Don't be shocked if you need to use a little real world common sense on Strengthen, Weaken, Explain/Resolve.
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