Question 108·Hard·Text Structure and Purpose
Since the early 2010s, reports of cavity-nesting bees incorporating fragments of plastic bags into brood cells have been cited as a proxy for habitat degradation: in the absence of suitable leaves, the argument goes, bees resort to synthetics. But controlled provisioning experiments in urban gardens and rural hedgerows reveal a different picture: several species incorporated plastic even when fresh leaves were plentiful, and those cells showed markedly lower rates of fungal growth. Still, the pattern is not uniformly beneficial. In sites with high ambient microplastic dust, larvae in plastic-lined cells suffered elevated mortality, likely from ingestion. The heterogeneous outcomes suggest that plastic use, while not a simple distress signal, is a context-dependent behavior ill-suited to serve as a one-dimensional index of habitat quality.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
For “overall structure” questions, label each sentence/section by its role (introduce a view, contrast with evidence, add a complication, conclude). Then choose the option that matches the passage’s sequence and level of certainty; eliminate choices that flip the order, omit a key move, or turn a nuanced conclusion into an absolute claim.
Hints
Focus on what each sentence is doing
Reread each sentence and ask: Is it describing a behavior, explaining an interpretation, presenting new evidence, complicating the story, or drawing a conclusion?
Pay attention to transition words
Look closely at the words “But” and “Still.” What do they signal about how the author is moving from one idea to the next?
Examine the conclusion carefully
In the last sentence, does the author treat the behavior as a clear signal, as useless, or as more complicated and context-dependent?
Check each answer for missing moves
For each choice, ask whether it includes all the major moves the passage makes in the right order, without adding a claim the text never makes.
Step-by-step Explanation
Break the passage into its main parts
Go sentence by sentence and ask what each part is doing (its role), not just what it is about:
- Sentence 1: Describes bees using plastic in brood cells and explains how this has been interpreted (as a sign of habitat degradation because leaves are supposedly lacking).
- Sentence 2: Starts with “But” and presents experimental results showing bees still use plastic even when leaves are available, and that plastic-lined cells have less fungal growth.
- Sentence 3: Starts with “Still” and adds a complication: in dusty sites with lots of microplastics, plastic-lined cells are linked to higher larval mortality.
- Sentence 4: Draws a conclusion: outcomes are mixed, so plastic use is context-dependent and not a simple measure of habitat quality.
Summarize the overall structure in your own words
Turn those sentence roles into a brief outline of the passage’s structure:
- Present an observed behavior and the common interpretation of it.
- Provide evidence that complicates that interpretation by showing a benefit under some conditions.
- Add a case where the behavior is harmful.
- Conclude that the behavior’s significance depends on context, so it is not a one-dimensional indicator.
Match that structure to the answer choices
Compare your outline to each choice.
The best description should include:
- the common interpretation introduced at the start,
- evidence that complicates it,
- a harmful condition,
- and a nuanced, context-dependent conclusion.
Eliminate choices that turn the conclusion into an absolute claim (for example, that plastic use generally indicates habitat degradation or that one benefit is the final takeaway) or that omit the mixed-outcomes conclusion.
Confirm the best match
The first choice matches the passage’s sequence and tone (common interpretation → complicating evidence → harmful condition → context-dependent conclusion). Therefore, the correct answer is:
It presents a common interpretation of bees’ plastic use, gives evidence that complicates it, notes a case where plastic is harmful, and concludes the behavior is context-dependent.