Question

a long-awaited meeting

1. the werlach mother ship hung like a fabulous gold and crystal chandelier against the vast black curtain of space, silently spinning. i felt as if i were in a great theater, waiting for the lights to dim and the curtain to rise. who knew what story might be told? as if on cue, the aliens’ transport shuttle detached from the mother ship and started toward our space station. i began to prepare the station crew to greet them.
2. the shuttle floated closer. “something’s not right,” i muttered. “they told us that they were sending a delegation of over thirty werlach, but that ship is barely large enough to hold four adult humans. gregg, did you calibrate our digital translators again? maybe they mistranslated the message.”
3. “yes, sir,” said lieutenant gregg. “i adjusted the translators, and they check out just fine.”

which inference can be made from the selection?
a. the aliens are unusually tall.
b. the aliens are healthier than humans.
c. the trees on the alien’s planet are just like the trees on earth.
d. the trees on the alien’s planet are much shorter than trees on earth.
part b
which quotations from the selection best support the inference in part a? choose two options.
a. “the shuttle floated closer. ‘something’s not right,’ i muttered.” (paragraph 2)
b. “gregg, did you calibrate our digital translators again?” (paragraph 2)
c. “impossible,’ i snapped. ‘you saw the pictures. these are big creatures.’” (paragraph 6)
(incomplete?)

Explanation:

Part A

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The text doesn't give info about alien height. Eliminate.
• Option B: No info about alien health vs humans. Eliminate.
• Option C: The text doesn't compare alien planet trees to Earth trees. Eliminate.
• Option D: The context (though the original text's tree - related part is a bit unclear, but by process of elimination and the fact that other options are invalid, and if we assume the inference is about tree height difference, D is the only one that makes sense as it says alien planet trees are shorter than Earth's, which could be an inference from the text's context about the alien environment).

We need to find quotes that support the inference in Part A (about alien planet trees being shorter).

• Option A: Talks about the shuttle and a feeling, not trees. Eliminate.
• Option B: Talks about calibrating translators, not trees. Eliminate.
• Option C: Says "These are big creatures" and the speaker's reaction. If we assume the inference in Part A is about tree height (and maybe creature size is related, or if there was a misprint and it's about trees, but given the options, C's quote about big creatures could imply that the environment (like trees) is different, or if the inference was about creature size, but for the given options, C is the one that can support an inference about size - related differences (which could be linked to tree height differences in the alien environment). Also, by process of elimination, A and B are about other topics, so C is a candidate. Also, if we consider the quote "Impossible,' I snapped. 'You saw the pictures. These are big creatures." it can support an inference about the alien environment having differences (like tree height) related to the size of creatures, which aligns with the inference in Part A about tree height.

Answer:

D. The trees on the alien’s planet are much shorter than trees on Earth.

Part B