Section: English

21) The Difference Between a Llama and an Alpaca, excerpted from KnowledgeNuts (http://knowledgenuts.com/2013/12/15/the-difference-between-a-llama-and-an-alpaca/)

One of the most obvious differences between the two species is their wool or (more accurately) their fiber. Both the llama and the alpaca have been raised for their fiber, which is shorn once a year in both cases. The alpaca is much more prized for their fiber, and for many farmers, that’s the only reason they are raised.

There are two types of alpacas, each defined by their fiber; both types are soft and hypoallergenic. The Huacaya has a sheep-like appearance, with short, soft fiber. The Suri has a longer coat, with a fleece that gathers like ropes and hangs from the body. The fleece of both types of alpaca is very, very soft, and is usually used to make clothing. There are 22 different “recognized” colors for an alpaca, ranging from black to white and including every shade of brown, cream, and gray in between. Alpacas are typically one color, with white markings only on the face and legs, making their fleece uniform in color.

The llama, on the other hand, has two layers to their fleece. The inner coat is soft; on the animal, it keeps them warm while their outer coat, made of stiffer guard hairs, keeps them dry. The undercoat is soft enough to use for clothing, while the outer coat is more often used to make more utilitarian items like rugs and ropes. Before anything can be done with the fiber, the two coats have to be separated. Llamas come in fewer colors then alpacas, and can be spotted.

Llamas are much larger than alpacas, and because of their size they can also be used as pack animals. An adult llama usually stands around 1.8 meters (6 ft) tall and weighs anywhere between 125 and 200 kilogram (280 and 450 lbs), while an average alpaca only stands about 0.9 meters (3 ft) tall at the shoulder and weighs between 45 and 80 kilograms (100 and 175 lbs).

While alpacas are mainly kept for their fleece, llamas can serve a few different purposes on a farm. When kept with other animals such as sheep, llamas can serve as guard animals against predators and intruders, although not all llamas have the personality for guard duty. Both are easy to train, and because of their size and strength, llamas can be taught to pull carts and small carriages. Llamas can also be trained to accept a rider, although that rider needs to be fairly lightweight.

Choose the answer that best completes the corresponding underlined portion of the passage.

1. NO CHANGE
2. has been raised
3. are raised
4. had been raised

Answer 3 is correct. The verb choice "have been raised" is awkward because it implies things are significantly different with the raising of the two animals than used to be. Furthermore, Answers 2 and 4 are incorrect forms of this verb choice. This leaves "are raised" as the best choice.