- Tue Sep 02, 2025 2:17 pm
#114238
Hi cjtoon,
Yes, "surface clues" does literally mean clues on the surface of the land that indicate water; for example, lush vegetation appearing in an otherwise barren dessert might indicate water underneath. This is not referring to what dowsers do.
When checking an answer, you should always check the passage itself to see if that particular idea is mentioned in the passage, and, if it is mentioned, whether it is accurately described in that answer choice. Surface clues are mentioned twice in the passage. First, the skeptics of dowsing accuse the dowsers of "using clues derived from surface conditions" (lines 21-22) to find groundwater. Here, the skeptics are not referring to what the dowsers claim to do (using the dowsing tool). Instead, they are claiming that the dowsers actually just look for other clues that indicate water (such as changes in vegetation) and that the dowsing activity is basically just for show.
Surface clues are also mentioned in the final paragraph, which describes the study involving dowsers, geologists, and hydrologists. The parties all agreed that "no surface clues" (line 55) were present that would indicate groundwater.
While I mentioned changes in vegetation as a possible example of a surface clue that might indicate groundwater, no specific examples of surface clues are mentioned in the passage, which is why Answer E is incorrect.
