Question 171·200 Super-Hard SAT Reading Questions·Standard English Conventions
Field studies of vervet monkeys indicate that juveniles initially give eagle alarm calls in response to many harmless airborne objects but become more discriminating as they mature. A vocal behavior that juveniles produce in response to airborne objects and refine by monitoring adults’ reactions, ____
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For an introductory noun phrase followed by a comma, identify the head noun of the grammatical subject that follows. Then check every relationship stated in the modifier—such as who performs the action, what prompts it, and what affects it—rather than selecting a choice that merely repeats relevant vocabulary.
Hints
List the modifier’s conditions
Identify who produces the behavior, what prompts it, and what later refines it.
Find each head noun
Do not choose a subject merely because it contains references to juveniles or alarm calls. Determine what the entire subject actually names.
Distinguish behavior from feedback
Ask whether each choice names the behavior being refined or instead names the adults’ reaction that helps refine it.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify every condition in the modifier
The introductory phrase describes a behavior that is vocal, is produced by juveniles, occurs in response to airborne objects, and is refined when juveniles monitor adults’ reactions.
Trace the roles in each subject
The adults’ responses and reinforcement are behaviors performed by adults, not juveniles. The juveniles’ vocal responses to adults’ reactions are produced by juveniles, but those responses are prompted by adult feedback rather than by airborne objects.
Match the complete description
The juveniles’ use of eagle alarm calls is vocal, is produced in response to airborne objects, and becomes more selective through feedback from adults. The introductory phrase therefore modifies this subject logically.