Question scient
Scientists previously thought that all electric eels belong to a single species, but a team of researchers led by zoologist C. David de Santana proved this idea wrong by blank that there are in fact three distinct species of electric eels.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
pretending
complaining
requiring
demonstrating
Scientists previously thought that all electric eels belong to a single species , but a team
Medium-difficulty · SAT Reading & Writing · Words in Context — Most precise word choice. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.
Answer explanation
Choice D is the best answer. “Demonstrating” means “showing,” and the text describes how de Santana disproved a previous belief in only one species of electric eel by showing that three electric eel species actually exist.
Choice A is incorrect. Pretending that there are three species of electric eel might be a fun game for marine biologists, but it wouldn’t prove the existence of more than one species. Choice B is incorrect. Complaining won’t prove anything about eels, so de Santana could not have proved wrong the idea of only one species of electric eel by complaining about it. Choice C is incorrect. “Requiring” means “needing.” It wouldn’t make sense to say that de Santana “needed” there to be three distinct species of electric eel.
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