SAT and ACT Reading Inference Questions - Practice Drill #1
Master SAT Reading and ACT Reading Inference Questions with this practice question from Walker Prep!
Following is a practice drill designed to help you increase your mastery of Allowable Inferences on ACT Reading and SAT Reading. Detailed answer explanations for the correct and incorrect answers can be found below the fold.
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Inference Question Drill
During his observational study, Dr. Dwayne Schultz found that red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) hunted their prey, mostly small rodents, mainly at dusk and dawn, a behavior known as crepuscular activity. Interestingly, the study also showed that the foxes closely tracked the rodents’ habitual movements, adjusting their hunting patterns to catch the creatures at their most vulnerable times.
The foxes seemed to have an almost preternatural sense of their prey's activity, demonstrating a level of awareness that was surprising and impressive. "They have a highly refined sense of timing," Schultz says, noting that such precision requires a detailed knowledge of their prey's habits. "These foxes could be thought of as professionally-trained hunters."
It’s probable that these findings apply to other rodent predators, such as coyotes, lynxes, and bobcats, Schultz says. Smaller predators, like weasels, have a more erratic prey base that would make such precision too challenging. The researchers did not attempt to measure the foxes' success rate, as the necessary interventions would be too disruptive to the foxes' natural behaviors and habitat. However, prior studies suggest that animals can increase their hunting success rate by 30 percent to 40 percent through such precise timing.
What does the author imply about coyotes, lynxes, and bobcats?
A) They inhabit hunting grounds with terrain features like those of red foxes.
B) They possess sensory perception as sharp as the perception of red foxes.
C) They hunt animals whose behavioral patterns are similar to the red foxes’ prey.
D) They exhibit a hunting success rate significantly lower than that of the red foxes.
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Answer Explanations
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