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Difficulty: MediumRelationships Between Sections and Paragraphs

The following passage is adapted from an article on the history of oceanography.

Paragraph 1
In the mid-nineteenth century, the prevailing scientific consensus regarding the deep ocean was dominated by the 'azoic hypothesis.' Proposed by naturalist Edward Forbes, this theory asserted that marine life could not exist below approximately 300 fathoms (about 1,800 feet) due to the extreme pressure, near-freezing temperatures, and total absence of sunlight. Forbes's conclusion was widely accepted, establishing a conceptual boundary that restricted the focus of marine biology primarily to coastal and shallow waters.

Paragraph 2
This boundary was shattered by the HMS Challenger expedition (1872–1876). Equipping a wooden corvette with miles of dredging rope, scientists systematically sampled the ocean floor at depths exceeding 20,000 feet. To the scientific community's astonishment, the dredges retrieved a diverse array of specialized organisms. However, while these discoveries disproved the azoic hypothesis, they did not fundamentally challenge the understood rules of ecology: these deep-sea creatures still depended on 'marine snow'—organic debris drifting down from photosynthetic organisms near the sunlit surface.

Paragraph 3
A far more radical paradigm shift occurred in 1977 with the voyage of the submersible Alvin to the Galapagos Rift. Scientists discovered thriving ecosystems clustered around hydrothermal vents, which spewed superheated, mineral-rich water. Unlike the organisms discovered by the Challenger expedition, these vent communities did not rely on the sun. Instead, primary production was driven by chemosynthetic bacteria that converted toxic hydrogen sulfide into organic energy. This discovery established that complex life could thrive entirely independent of solar energy, expanding our understanding of the conditions necessary for life to exist.

Which of the following best describes the relationship between Paragraph 3 and Paragraph 2?

  1. A
    Paragraph 3 refutes the empirical observations made by the Challenger expedition described in Paragraph 2.
  2. B
    Paragraph 3 provides a detailed explanation of the technological advancements that enabled the expedition described in Paragraph 2.
  3. Paragraph 3 describes a discovery that represents a more fundamental departure from traditional ecological assumptions than the discoveries described in Paragraph 2.Answer
  4. D
    Paragraph 3 summarizes the global environmental impact of the shallow-water ecosystems mentioned in Paragraph 2.

Answer

Paragraph 3 describes a discovery that represents a more fundamental departure from traditional ecological assumptions than the discoveries described in Paragraph 2.
The correct answer is correct because the passage structures the transition from Paragraph 2 to Paragraph 3 as a progression of scientific paradigm shifts. Paragraph 2 explains that while the Challenger expedition disproved the 'azoic hypothesis,' the discovered organisms still conformed to traditional rules of solar-dependent ecology. Paragraph 3 then introduces the discovery of hydrothermal vents as a 'far more radical paradigm shift' because these ecosystems do not rely on solar energy at all, thus representing a deeper departure from ecological assumptions than the findings in Paragraph 2.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the function and content of Paragraph 2.
Paragraph 2 explains how the Challenger expedition disproved the 'azoic hypothesis' by finding deep-sea life, but notes that these organisms still relied on surface photosynthesis via falling organic debris.
Establishing the main point of the preceding paragraph is necessary to determine how the subsequent paragraph relates to it.
2
Analyze the function and content of Paragraph 3.
Paragraph 3 describes the 1977 discovery of hydrothermal vent ecosystems that utilize chemosynthesis instead of photosynthesis, representing an even more radical shift because life there is completely independent of the sun.
Understanding the function of the target paragraph allows for comparison and synthesis with the previous paragraph.
3
Determine the relationship between the two paragraphs.
While the Challenger expedition challenged the assumption of where life could exist, the Alvin discovery challenged the more fundamental assumption of how life must get its energy. Thus, Paragraph 3 represents a more radical departure from ecological assumptions than Paragraph 2.
Comparing the two levels of scientific shifts identifies the correct structural and conceptual relationship between the sections.

Key Concept

Analyzing paragraph-to-paragraph relationships and transitions in scientific arguments
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Relationships Between Sections and Paragraphs

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