▶ Your Answer :
Both
the lecture and the reading hold different positions, respectively, on the
issue of “the K-T extinction was caused by volcanic activity is the almost
simultaneous occurrence of the two accidents”. The lecture’s argument is formed
around many points that are in direct contrast to the material in the reading
passage.
First,
the reading passage points out that the occurance was probably the result of a
gigant amount of volcanic activity. However, the lecturer refutes this by
arguing that the distance between mass crater and volcanic area is too far, so
it is not lucid that the event was solely caused by a mass crater in India.
Second,
the reading passage mentions that a large amount of dust and ash blocked out
the sun ,which triggered the mass extiction. On the other hand, the speaker in
the lecture rebuts this by claiming that the argument is ridiculous because
vocanic activity had a iridium placed in high elevation at that time. As a
result, the chance that particles hindered the sun from lighting the earth is
too low.
Finally,
the reading passage says that the the leading step of Deccan volcanism ended
near the K-T boundary. In contrast, the lecture counters the reading’s point by
claiming that generally, it takes over millions of years to end when mass extinction
occurs, though, the K-T extiction was progressed for only a few thousands of
years. It is too short span to argue the K-T extiction is general case of mass
extinction.
In
conclusion, the reading passage presents three aspects with regards to volcanic
activity as a cause of K-T extinction However, the lecturer’s argument makes it
clear that none of these characteristics justify the reading passages’s claim. |