ACT Science: Conflicting Viewpoints 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Two students debate whether a river formed by erosion or by a tectonic crack. A question asks for a point of DISAGREEMENT. You should find where:
- Their explanations of the cause differ (Correct answer)
- They cite the same river width
- They both name the river
- They use the same map
Correct answer: Their explanations of the cause differ
Disagreement appears in the differing causal explanations, not in shared descriptive facts.
Question 2: A Conflicting Viewpoints passage gives Hypothesis A and Hypothesis B. A question says 'According to Hypothesis A...' You should:
- Use only the information from Hypothesis A (Correct answer)
- Blend both hypotheses
- Use outside knowledge instead
- Use only Hypothesis B
Correct answer: Use only the information from Hypothesis A
When a question specifies one hypothesis, answer strictly from that viewpoint's stated information.
Question 3: Which finding would most strongly SUPPORT a hypothesis that a fossil belonged to a warm-climate animal?
- Tropical plant fossils found in the same rock layer (Correct answer)
- Glacial ice in a different region
- An unrelated mineral sample
- A modern desert photo
Correct answer: Tropical plant fossils found in the same rock layer
Tropical plants in the same layer indicate a warm environment, supporting the warm-climate hypothesis.
Question 4: Scientist 1's model requires that light travels as a wave. Discovering light behaves only as particles would:
- Undermine Scientist 1's model (Correct answer)
- Strengthen Scientist 1's model
- Have no effect on the debate
- Confirm both models
Correct answer: Undermine Scientist 1's model
Removing the wave behavior the model depends on directly undermines that scientist's position.
Question 5: A reliable strategy for Conflicting Viewpoints passages is to:
- Read the introduction carefully since it gives shared background (Correct answer)
- Skip the introduction entirely
- Read only the answer choices
- Read the passages out of order randomly
Correct answer: Read the introduction carefully since it gives shared background
The intro usually states the shared phenomenon and context that both viewpoints attempt to explain.
Question 6: If a question asks which viewpoint a particular piece of new data favors, you should:
- Match the data to whichever viewpoint's prediction it confirms (Correct answer)
- Pick the first viewpoint listed
- Pick whichever viewpoint is longer
- Reject the data
Correct answer: Match the data to whichever viewpoint's prediction it confirms
Data favors the viewpoint whose predictions or claims it is consistent with.
Question 7: Two researchers agree the ocean is warming but disagree on the cause. A question about the CAUSE should be answered by:
- Comparing each researcher's proposed mechanism (Correct answer)
- Restating that the ocean is warming
- Citing only the agreed fact
- Choosing a neutral answer
Correct answer: Comparing each researcher's proposed mechanism
Cause questions hinge on the differing mechanisms each researcher proposes, not the shared observation.
ACT Science: Conflicting Viewpoints 3
Two students debate whether a river formed by erosion or by a tectonic crack.
A question asks for a point of DISAGREEMENT.
You should find where: