CSAT Solved Papers/ 2022/Q32
2022 CSAT — Q32
Passage
Natural selection cannot anticipate future environments on the earth. Therefore, the set of existing organisms can never be fully prepared for environmental catastrophes that await life. An outcome of this is the extinction of those species which cannot overcome environmental adversity. This failure to survive, in modern terms, can be attributed to the genomes which are unable to withstand geological vagaries or biological mishaps (infections, diseases and so on). In biological evolution on the earth, extinction of species has been a major feature. The earth may presently have up to ten million species, yet more than 90% of species that have ever lived on the earth are now extinct. Once again, the creationist doctrines fail to satisfactorily address why a divine creator will firstly bother to create millions of species and then allow them to perish. The Darwinian explanation for extinct life is once again simple, elegant and at once convincing—organisms go extinct as a function of environmental or biological assaults for which their inheritance deems them ill-equipped. Therefore, the so-called Darwinian theory of evolution is not a theory at all. Evolution happens—this is a fact. The mechanism of evolution (Darwin proposed natural selection) is amply supported by scientific data. Indeed, to date no single zoological, botanical, geological, paleontological, genetic or physical evidence has refuted either of the central two main Darwinian ideas. If religion is not taken into consideration, Darwinian laws are acceptable just like the laws proposed by Copernicus, Galileo, Newton and Einstein—sets of natural laws that explain natural phenomena in the universe.
The passage suggests that Darwinian theory of evolution is not a theory at all because
Thinking pathway
Locate. This asks for the best-supported inference: find the line that licenses “not a theory at all.” The passage: “the so-called Darwinian theory of evolution is not a theory at all. Evolution happens—this is a fact… to date no single… evidence has refuted either of the central two main Darwinian ideas.” The author’s point: it is too well-established — never refuted, amply supported — to be a mere “theory” in the speculative sense; it is a fact/law.
Test (find the line, then match it). The reason given is its unrefuted, fact-like status. (c) “there are no evidences to refute it” maps onto “no single… evidence has refuted” it. Test the others: (b) “extinction is a function of environment and biological assaults” is the Darwinian explanation for extinction — a different point, not the reason it is “not a theory.” (a) and (d) drag in creationism, which the passage explicitly faults.
Eliminate by anatomy. (b) is half right, half wrong — a real passage claim (the extinction mechanism) attached to the wrong question; the stem asks why “not a theory,” not how extinction works. (a) and (d) bring in the reader’s own view, not in the passage — they answer with the creationist view the passage rejects. The transferable rule: match the option to the stem’s exact question, not merely to “something the passage says.” Key: (c).
Evidence in the text
“…the so-called Darwinian theory of evolution is not a theory at all. Evolution happens—this is a fact. The mechanism of evolution… is amply supported by scientific data. Indeed, to date no single zoological, botanical, geological, paleontological, genetic or physical evidence has refuted either of the central two main Darwinian ideas.” — it is “not a theory” because it is established FACT: no evidence has ever refuted it. (c) “there are no evidences to refute it” restates this. (b) names the extinction mechanism, not the reason it is “not a theory”; (a)/(d) invoke creationism, which the passage rejects → (c).
Worked rationale
The author calls Darwinian evolution “not a theory at all” precisely because it has the status of fact: amply supported, and never refuted by any line of evidence — like the laws of Copernicus or Newton.
- (c) “there are no evidences to refute it” restates the unrefuted/fact-like ground. Correct.
- (b) describes the extinction mechanism — true, but not why it is “not a theory.”
- (a)/(d) appeal to creationism, which the passage rejects.
Answer: (c).
Why the other options miss
- A not in the passage: “does not satisfy the creationist doctrine” — the passage criticises creationism but never makes non-satisfaction of it the reason evolution is “not a theory.”
- B half right, half wrong: the extinction-as-a-function-of-assaults claim is in the passage but answers a different question; it is the content of the Darwinian explanation, not the ground for calling it a fact rather than a theory.
- D the reader’s own view smuggled in: attributing existence to a creator is the creationist view the passage rejects, not the author’s reasoning.
Specialist insight
The discriminator is reading the stem’s verb: “not a theory at all because ___.” The passage answers that with epistemic status — unrefuted, fact-like. (b) is the seductive trap because it quotes a real passage claim (the extinction mechanism), but it answers “what does Darwinism explain?” not “why is it fact rather than theory?” Always test the candidate against the precise question the stem asks. (c).
It is "not a theory" because it is unrefuted fact (c); (b) quotes the extinction mechanism — a real claim, but answering the wrong question.