Question ID:PT23 S2 Q1 Passage:Anita:  Since 1960 the spotted owl population has declined alarmingly.  Timber companies that have been clearing the old-growth forests where the spotted owl lives are responsible for this.Jean:  No, the spotted owl's decline is due not to the timber companies but to a rival species.  For the past three decades, the more prolific barred owl has been moving steadily into the spotted owl's habitat and replacing the spotted owl. Stem:Jean does which one of the following in her response to Anita? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:denies the truth of Anita's premise that timber companies have been clearing old-growth forests Choice B:challenges Anita's assumption that the decline in the population of the spotted owl poses a threat to the species' continued survival Choice C:proposes an alternative explanation for the decline in the spotted owl population Choice D:argues that Anita's conclusion is not valid because she has failed to consider the spotted owl population over a long enough time period Choice E:suggests that Anita overlooked the possibility that spotted owls are able to live in forests that are not old-growth forests