Question

consider the following proposition and, based on the quote, answer questions a through c.
\if you want to understand how life began, it makes sense to begin by looking for features that are shared by existing forms of life.\ --sean caroll, the big picture

a. what is a sensible approach to understanding the origins of life?
a. look for extinct life forms that share no features with existing life forms.
b. look for existing life forms in the same region of the planet.
c. look for features that are shared by existing life forms.
d. look for features that are not shared by existing life forms.

b. if you look for features shared by existing forms of life, does that mean you want to understand the origins of life?
a. yes, to understand the origins of life, you must look for shared features of existing forms of life.
b. no, you may be looking for shared features for a different reason.
c. no, looking for shared features means you are looking for something besides the origins of life.
d. yes, it can be concluded that looking for shared features means you want to understand the origins of life.

Explanation:

Part a

The quote says that to understand life's origins, it makes sense to look for features shared by existing life forms. Option A is incorrect as it suggests looking for extinct life with no shared features, which contradicts the quote. Option B is about location, not shared features. Option D is the opposite of what the quote says. So the correct answer is the one that matches the quote's advice.

Just because someone looks for shared features in existing life forms doesn't necessarily mean their sole purpose is to understand life's origins. There could be other reasons for studying shared features (like understanding evolution within existing life, or biological classification). Option A and D assume a definite causal link, which isn't supported. Option C is too absolute in saying it's "something besides" origins. Option B correctly notes that there could be different reasons for looking at shared features.

Answer:

C. Look for features that are shared by existing life forms.

Part b