Logical reasoning PrepTest 134 · Section 3 · Question 3

Incorrect. If anything, the argument suggests that older whales—with their impaired hearing—might be better able to tolerate this noise! In any case, this comparison is unwarranted.

Incorrect. The stimulus notes that the boats don't cause the whales to behave differently, so presumably they'd be just as likely to communicate with one another.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Argument Completion

Stimulus Summary:
Boats make noise in the same range as killer whales when communicating. While this doesn't seem to change their behavior, it damages their hearing over time. So __________.

Answer Anticipation:
While the boat noise doesn't appear to change the behavior of whales, it does have a negative effect—over time, it damages their hearing. It's unclear how that's going to play into the correct answer, but there should be something that brings up this long-term, negative effect.

Answer Explanation:
Noise from the boat engines affects killer whales' hearing, which is required for communication. If the boat engines are damaging hearing, then they may also be impairing communication.

Key Takeaway:
For these Argument Completion questions, it can be helpful to note the relevant type of logic in the argument. Here, the argument was largely causal, and so was the correct answer.

Incorrect. There's no discussion of killer whale preferences, and there's no support for them enjoying "light" boat traffic.

Incorrect. The stimulus never connects to food, so there's no support for this answer.