Entry Exam Category: College Admission Exams
Course: Accuplacer
Exam: Accuplacer Reading Comprehension Practice Test
Practice Question
Extract
Bones found in South America reveal a bizarre new dinosaur Based on an ancestry that links it to Tyrannosaurus rock, this reptile should have been a meat eater. Instead, it preferred plants. Researchers described the new species in Nature. its genus name – Chilesaurus – reflects that it was found in what's now Chile. The team that discovered the fossils gave it a species name of diegosuarezi to honor Diego Suarez. While just 7 years old, Diego found the first dinosaur bones in the same general area of Chile, It's a place know as to Toqur Fomation C. diegosuarezi roamed South America around 150 million years ago. It measured about 3 meters (roughly 10 feet) from head to tail. Its sturdy back legs, thin body, and short, stout arms made it look a bit like T. rex. But it also had a long neck, small head, and a mouth full of leaf-shaped teeth. These features gave it a more Brontosaurus-like appearance. And like Brontosaurus, it would have eaten plants, making it an herbivore
When the author writes that Chilesaurus diegosuarezi “should have been a meat-eater,” she most likely means that the species:
Answer Choices
- A: would have been healthier if it had eaten meat
- B: would have grown even larger if it had eaten meat
- C: had the head, neck, and teeth of a meat-eater
- D: had body features similar to those of its meat-eating relative
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The passage explains that Chilesaurus looked a bit like T. rex (a meat-eating dinosaur) because of its body shape — such as strong back legs and stout arms — but surprisingly, it had teeth and other features suited for eating plants. This contrast is what makes it 'bizarre' and suggests it 'should have been a meat-eater' based on its ancestry and body features.