J
Protective coloration is defined in paragraph 1 as an animal’s adaptation to its environment. So the only choice that isn’t a
protective coloration is mottled light (K), described in lines 13–15 as the background against which the leopard disguises
itself. Cryptic resemblance (J) and disruptive coloration (F) are both types of protective coloration described in paragraph 1.
Seasonal changes in pigmentation (G) are mentioned in paragraph 2, and adaptive coloration (H) is the topic of paragraph 3.
34.
A
The caribou and the stoat crop up at the beginning of paragraph 2. Lines 17–18 indicate that they are animals that “change
their protective pigmentation with the seasons”—choice (A). Constant changes of color (choice E) are discussed later in
paragraph 2 as a safeguard of the chameleon—but this isn’t a seasonal change.
35.
F
The chameleon’s special talent is described in lines 22–25—it changes color to match the surface it rests on. Choice (F)
summarizes this idea. Just clinging to surfaces (G) wouldn’t make the chameleon noteworthy or protect it from attackers. (K)
distorts the passage—the chameleon doesn’t change the color of the surfaces it comes into contact with.
36.
D
This question asks you to make an inference based on the last paragraph. Why did dark-peppered moths begin to outnumber
their light-colored counterparts? Lines 39–41 tell us that light-colored moths began to stand out against their environment
because of all the pollution. You can infer from this that dark-colored moths flourished because their predators, the birds,
couldn’t see them anymore—choice (D).
37.
H
Paragraph 3 states that light-colored peppered moths hide from birds by blending in with lichens on tree trunks and that, after
pollution killed off the lichens, dark-colored moths blended in against the bare tree trunks. Both shades of peppered moth are
examples of “cryptic resemblance, where an animal adapts in color...to blend into its environment” (lines 4–6). The author
goes on in paragraph 1 to state that the tree frog is a “good example of cryptic resemblance,” so (H) is correct. The caribou
(F) and the stoat (K) are examples of seasonal change in pigmentation. The skunk (G) protects itself by standing out from its
surroundings. And the zebra (J) is an example of disruptive coloring.
38.
E
Passage IV is a science passage about four of Jupiter’s moons. Paragraph 1 relates their discovery and role in debates about
the solar system. Paragraph 2 introduces the main idea—scientists didn’t know much about these moons until the 1979
Voyager missions “changed our impressions of these bodies.” Paragraphs 3 and 4 describe what the scientists learned about
each of the four moons.
Remember that the main idea of the passage is the choice that covers the whole passage. Here, it’s the simplest choice that
describes the passage best: Since the passage covers both how Jupiter’s moons were discovered, and what scientists learned
about them from the Voyager mission, the passage is basically about Jupiter’s four brightest moons (E). Choices (A) and (B)
39.
