TheCATExam
Sign in

XAT 2019 — VARC Question 24

Mixed PracticeEasy
Passage / Data

Alligators are freshwater reptiles. However, people have come face to face with them in mud in a salt marsh in Georgia. Finding alligators in the salt marsh is not a mystery or a miracle. At least 23 species of predator have been spotted living in surprising habitats. Predators such as alligators, otters, mountain lions, wolves and raptors are thriving in places they shouldn't, revealing some serious misunderstandings about their behaviour and how to protect them. Scientific literature divulges that these creatures are actually returning to places they once occupied. It gives us astonishing insights into the lives of animals and helps conservationists improve the old stomping grounds of these creatures.

Which of the following statements provides the most plausible explanation of the predators' behaviour?

Answer & solution

Correct answer: Predators have a genetic memory of their traditional stomping grounds.

  • A

    Predators prefer to occupy different habitats, depending on the season and prevailing weather.

  • B

    Predators migrate to a habitat different from where they were born.

  • C

    Predators have no awareness of where they were born.

  • D

    Predators are fully aware of where they were born.

  • Predators have a genetic memory of their traditional stomping grounds.

Solution

The clue to this question lies in the third last sentence of the paragraph. As per this sentence, these creatures once lived here and are now making a comeback to those same places. Thus option 5 which states that predators have genetic memory of their traditional stomping ground is correct. Option 1 talks about the changes in weather or season which is not implied in the given paragraph and can be negated. Option 2 also cannot be inferred from the paragraph as it does not mention migration. There is no connection between predators being spotted in surprising habitats and the place where they are born. Thus options 3 and 4 are also incorrect.
Hence, the correct answer is option 5.

Related Mixed Practice questions

See all Reading Comprehension questions →
XAT 2019 VARC Q24: Which of the following statements provides the most plausible explanation of the predators' behaviour? — Solution | TheCATExam