Test: Conclusion - GMAT MCQ

(A) Attracting middle-aged customers unlikely to submit claims for benefits for many years:
This strategy aims to target customers who are less likely to require immediate claims due to diseases that afflict the elderly. By insuring middle-aged customers, the company can collect premiums for a longer period before potential claims are made. This approach could help minimize losses in the short term.

(B) Insuring only those individuals who did not suffer any serious diseases as children:
By excluding individuals who have suffered serious diseases as children, the company aims to reduce the risk of higher claims in the future. However, this strategy does not directly address the concern of diseases that afflict the elderly. It may not be the most effective approach to minimizing losses in this particular scenario.

(C) Including a greater number of services in the policy than are included in other policies of lower cost:
This strategy focuses on providing more comprehensive coverage compared to lower-cost policies. While it may attract customers looking for more services, it could potentially increase the claims made, leading to higher losses for the company. Therefore, this strategy is not likely to minimize losses.

(D) Insuring only those individuals who were rejected by other companies for similar policies:
Targeting individuals who were rejected by other companies implies a higher risk pool. These individuals may have pre-existing conditions or other factors that make them more likely to make claims. Insuring this group may result in higher claims and increased losses for Company X.

(E) Insuring only those individuals who are wealthy enough to pay for the medical services:
This strategy targets wealthy individuals who can afford to pay for medical services out of pocket. While this approach may reduce the number of claims, it contradicts the objective of issuing a low-cost policy to attract customers. It is unlikely to be the most effective strategy for minimizing losses.

After evaluating all the options, option (A) appears to be the most effective strategy. By attracting middle-aged customers who are unlikely to submit claims for many years, Company X can collect premiums for a longer period without immediately paying out significant claims. This approach allows the company to generate income before potential claims are made, potentially minimizing losses on the policies.

Therefore, the correct answer is (A) Attracting middle-aged customers unlikely to submit claims for benefits for many years.

The conclusion of this argument is difficult to identify because the author does not use a traditional conclusion indicator. The first three sentences are admissions by the author regarding the nature of Hogan’s actions. The fourth sentence contains the conclusion and a premise, and the conclusion is that “Hogan’s actions should not be wholly condemned.” If you struggled to identify the conclusion, consider how you might have applied the Conclusion Identification Methodology to the pieces of the argument. For example, consider the two parts of the last sentence. If you thought one of them might be the conclusion, place one as the conclusion and the other as a premise, as follows: “Because I ask that Hogan’s actions not be wholly condemned, therefore I emphasize again that Hogan mistakenly believed Winters to be the robber who had been terrorizing west-side apartment buildings for the past several months.” Does that configuration sound right? No. Try again by reversing the premise and conclusion pieces: “Because Hogan mistakenly believed Winters to be the robber who had been terrorizing west-side apartment buildings for the past several months, therefore I ask you to concur with me that Hogan’s actions not be wholly condemned.” The relationship now sounds much more logical.

Answer choice (A): The author admits that Hogan fully realized his actions and the author asks that “Hogan’s actions not be wholly condemned.” Both of these statements are counter to the idea that Hogan should not be considered responsible for Winter’s injuries.

Answer choice (B): The only reference to the robber is that Hogan mistakenly believed that Winters was the robber. Thus, there is no evidence in the stimulus to support this answer.

Answer choice (C): This correct answer is a paraphrase of the conclusion of the argument.

Answer choice (D): According to the information in the stimulus, this answer must be true. Regardless, the answer is still incorrect because it fails to summarize the author’s main point. This type of answer—one that is true but misses the main point—is frequently featured as an incorrect answer in Main Point questions.

Answer choice (E): Like answer choice (D), this statement is true according to the stimulus. But, it is incorrect because it does not capture the main point.

The florist's argument revolves around the idea of stocking up on white carnations before St. Patrick's Day. The reasoning behind this recommendation is that naturally green flowers, such as green carnations, are extremely rare and difficult to produce through breeding. As a result, the florist suggests using white carnations as a substitute and dyeing them green since they are fairly inexpensive and easy to dye.

To accurately express the overall conclusion of the florist's argument, we need to identify the main point or recommendation that the florist is making. Option (A), "It is a good idea for florists to stock up on white carnations before St. Patrick’s Day," correctly captures the central recommendation of the florist's argument. This option aligns with the florist's suggestion to stock up on white carnations as a substitute for green ones.

Option (B) states that "Flowers that are naturally green are very rare." Although this statement is mentioned in the florist's argument, it does not capture the main conclusion or recommendation of the florist.

Option (C) mentions that "There are some people who like to have green carnations on St. Patrick’s Day." While this statement is a part of the florist's argument, it does not encompass the main conclusion of the florist's reasoning.

Option (D) states that "White carnations are fairly inexpensive and can easily be dyed green." Although this option accurately reflects a supporting premise of the florist's argument, it does not capture the overall conclusion or main recommendation.

Option (E) claims that "It is very difficult to breed green carnations." While this statement is a part of the florist's argument, it does not represent the central conclusion or recommendation of the florist.

Therefore, option (A) is the most accurate expression of the overall conclusion of the florist's argument, making it the correct answer.

Let's analyze each option:

(A) The statement does not imply that the artistic quality of individual photographic images is unimportant in movie photography. It states that conveying rhythm depends less on the artistic quality of individual images, but it doesn't mean it's unimportant. Therefore, option (A) cannot be concluded.

(B) The statement does not provide any information about the effectiveness of photographers known for the superb artistic quality of their photographs as moviemakers. There is no basis to conclude that such photographers are seldom effective as moviemakers. Thus, option (B) cannot be concluded.

(C) This statement can be inferred from the given information. The statement suggests that conveying rhythm in movies requires more than just producing photographs of superb artistic quality. It implies that being a good moviemaker involves additional skills beyond creating high-quality photographs. Therefore, option (C) must be true.

(D) The statement does not provide any information about the thought process of movie photographers regarding the artistic quality of the photographs they take. It does not suggest that good movie photographers rarely give serious thought to artistic quality. Hence, option (D) cannot be concluded.

(E) The statement mentions the order in which shots highlight different aspects of the action taking place. It does not explicitly state that a moviemaker must highlight many different aspects of the action. Therefore, option (E) cannot be concluded.

In conclusion, based on the given statements, the only statement that must be true is (C): Having the ability to produce photographs of superb artistic quality does not in itself guarantee having the ability to be a good moviemaker.

Let's go through each answer choice and evaluate whether it can be properly inferred from the given statements:

(A) The average length of time nursing-home residents stayed in nursing homes increased between 1985 and 1988.

This conclusion can be properly drawn from the information given. The increase in occupancy rates from 87% to 92% suggests that residents stayed longer on average because there were fewer beds available for new admissions. This is supported by the decrease in admission rates during the same period.

(B) The proportion of older people living in nursing homes was greater in 1988 than in 1975.

This conclusion cannot be properly inferred from the information provided. The occupancy rates and admission rates alone do not provide sufficient information to determine the proportion of older people living in nursing homes. We would need additional data, such as the total population of older people or the number of nursing home residents, to make this conclusion.

(C) Nursing home admission rates tend to decline whenever occupancy rates rise.

This conclusion cannot be properly inferred from the information provided. The given data only shows a specific scenario where admission rates declined when occupancy rates rose between 1985 and 1988. It does not provide enough evidence to make a general conclusion about the relationship between admission rates and occupancy rates.

(D) Nursing homes built prior to 1985 generally had fewer beds than did nursing homes built between 1985 and 1988.

This conclusion cannot be properly inferred from the information provided. The given data does not provide any information about the number of beds in nursing homes built prior to 1985 or between 1985 and 1988. The data only compares occupancy rates and admission rates during these periods.

(E) The more beds a nursing home has, the higher its occupancy rate is likely to be.

This conclusion cannot be properly inferred from the information provided. The given data does not provide a direct correlation between the number of beds and occupancy rates. While it is true that occupancy rates increased when the number of beds decreased between 1985 and 1988, it does not necessarily imply a general relationship between the two variables.

Therefore, the only conclusion that can be properly drawn from the given statements is:

(A) The average length of time nursing-home residents stayed in nursing homes increased between 1985 and 1988.

This conclusion is supported by the increase in occupancy rates and the decrease in admission rates during the same period, suggesting that residents stayed longer on average.

The Chinese official responds by saying that he prefers to think of the inscrutability of his race in terms of a lack of perspicacity in Occidentals.

To understand the point of the Chinese official's comment, let's analyze the options:

(a) It is not merely the Chinese, but all Oriental people who are inscrutable.
This option goes beyond the information given in the scenario. The comment made by the Chinese official does not imply that all Oriental people are inscrutable, but rather that the perceived inscrutability may be a result of a lack of understanding from Occidentals.

(b) Most Americans fail to understand Chinese Culture.
While this statement might be true, it is not directly supported by the scenario. The comment made by the Chinese official does not specifically address Americans or their understanding of Chinese culture.

(c) What one fails to perceive may be attributable to carelessness in observation rather than obscurity inherent in the object.
This option accurately captures the point of the Chinese official's comment. The Chinese official suggests that the perceived inscrutability of Orientals may not stem from an inherent obscurity or complexity but rather from the lack of perspicacity (the quality of having a ready insight into things) in Occidentals. In other words, it suggests that the issue lies with the observer's ability to perceive and understand rather than with the observed object itself.

(d) Since the resumption of diplomatic relations between the US and communist China, many older Chinese civil servants have grown to distrust the Americans.
This option introduces a completely unrelated piece of information and is not supported by the scenario. The comment made by the Chinese official does not imply anything about the level of trust or distrust between older Chinese civil servants and Americans.

(e) If the West and the East are ever to truly understand one another, there will have to be considerable cultural exchange between the two.
While this statement might be true, it is not directly supported by the scenario. The comment made by the Chinese official does not explicitly mention the need for cultural exchange between the West and the East.

Therefore, option (c) "What one fails to perceive may be attributable to carelessness in observation rather than obscurity inherent in the object" best describes the point of the comment made by the Chinese official.

The statements provided in the question are:

• Macrophages are cells that play a role in the immune system's response to invasive organisms like bacteria.
• Mice genetically incapable of making macrophages do not show elevated levels of nitrates when infected with bacteria.

Now, let's evaluate each answer choice:

(A) Mice that are unable either to make macrophages or to make them in sufficient numbers will protect themselves from bacterial infections in some other way.
There is no information in the statements that suggests alternative protection mechanisms for mice without macrophages. Therefore, this conclusion cannot be supported.

(B) Mice that show elevated levels of nitrates can easily fight off most types of bacterial infections.
The statements only provide information about mice lacking macrophages not showing elevated nitrate levels. The conclusion that elevated nitrate levels indicate the ability to fight off bacterial infections is not supported.

(C) In mice, macrophages play a role in the production of nitrates or inhibit a process by which nitrates are broken down or otherwise eliminated.
This conclusion can be supported by the given information. If mice genetically incapable of making macrophages do not show elevated levels of nitrates when infected with bacteria, it suggests that macrophages play a role in the production or regulation of nitrates in mice.

(D) When a healthy mouse becomes infected with an invasive organism, the number of macrophages in the mouse’s body decreases.
The statements do not provide any information about changes in macrophage numbers during infections. Therefore, this conclusion cannot be supported.

(E) Injections of nitrates into mice that lack macrophages will not enhance the ability of these animals’ immune systems to fight off infection.
The statements do not provide information about the effect of injecting nitrates into mice lacking macrophages. This conclusion cannot be supported based on the given information.

Based on the provided statements, the conclusion that is best supported is (C) – In mice, macrophages play a role in the production of nitrates or inhibit a process by which nitrates are broken down or otherwise eliminated.

The given information states that both male and female mosquitoes feed on fruit nectar and juice, but only the female mosquitoes engage in haematophagy, or blood drinking. The female mosquitoes require a special diet that includes blood to aid in the development of their eggs. Based on this information, we can analyze the conclusions provided.

(A) The passage does not provide any information about the ability of male mosquitoes to detect body heat. Hence, it is not a conclusion that can be drawn from the given information.

(B) The passage states that only female mosquitoes engage in blood drinking. There is no information suggesting that male mosquitoes occasionally engage in haematophagy. Therefore, this conclusion cannot be drawn.

(C) The passage mentions that female mosquitoes rely on an acute sense of smell to locate their prey. It does not provide any direct comparison between the sense of smell of male and female mosquitoes. Therefore, we cannot conclude that the female mosquito's sense of smell is more highly developed than the male's sense of smell.

(D) The passage states that the female mosquito's special diet, which includes blood, is necessary for the development of its eggs. This implies that a diet consisting solely of nectar and fruit juice would be insufficient for the female mosquitoes to reproduce. Therefore, this conclusion can be drawn from the given information.

(E) The passage does not provide any information about the relative consumption of nectar and fruit juice between male and female mosquitoes. Therefore, this conclusion cannot be drawn.

In conclusion, the only conclusion that can be drawn from the given information is that a diet consisting solely of nectar and fruit juice would be insufficient to sustain the mosquito population (option D).

The passage begins by stating that the United States government generally tries to protect valuable natural resources but has ignored a particular resource for too long. It then highlights the issue of soil erosion, specifically in relation to corn production. It states that for every bushel of corn produced, the loss of as much as two bushels of topsoil occurs. Additionally, it mentions that over the past 100 years, the topsoil in many states has eroded from fourteen inches thick to only six or eight inches. The passage also criticizes the federal government's low expenditures on nationwide soil conservation programs, stating that they are even lower than some individual states' allocations.

Now, let's evaluate the answer choices:

(A) The argument does not focus on the cost-effectiveness of corn or the need for substitutes. While it mentions the loss of topsoil associated with corn production, it does not suggest that corn is not cost-effective or that substitutes should be found.

(B) The argument does not discuss whether a layer of topsoil six to eight inches thick can support the cultivation of corn. It mainly focuses on the erosion of topsoil and the government's lack of expenditure on soil conservation.

(C) The argument does not explicitly discuss the division of responsibility between the federal government and the states in soil conservation. It primarily criticizes the federal government's low expenditures without addressing the responsibility issue.

(D) This answer choice accurately captures one aspect of the argument. The passage does highlight the inequitable distribution of federal expenditures for soil conservation in different states. However, it does not address this as the main point of the argument.

(E) This answer choice correctly captures the main point of the argument. The passage criticizes the federal government's low expenditures on soil conservation and suggests that it should spend much more than it currently is.

Therefore, the best expression of the main point of the argument is (E) "The federal government should spend much more on soil conservation than it has been spending."

The reporter argues that the government's show of military force in Zamabia is unlikely to discourage extremists from capturing foreigners. The reporter uses a simile, comparing the argument to believing that a honeybee would refrain from stinging humans once shown the power or tools that humans possess to capture or kill them. Essentially, the reporter is saying that just as it is unlikely for a honeybee to change its behavior based on the display of power, it is also unlikely for extremists to change their behavior based on the show of military force.

Now let's examine each of the conclusions:

(A) The show of force, whether on humans or animals, is rarely an effective means to discourage that entity.
The reporter's argument supports this conclusion. The simile used suggests that showing power is rarely effective in discouraging entities, be they honeybees or extremists.

(B) The extremists in Zamabia have not captured enough foreigners to warrant a show of military force.
The argument does not provide any evidence or reasoning to support or refute this conclusion. Therefore, it cannot be inferred from the given information.

(C) The recent show of force by the government is not likely to discourage the extremists from capturing foreigners in the near future.
This conclusion is directly supported by the reporter's argument. The argument suggests that the show of force is unlikely to have a deterrent effect on the extremists.

(D) It is not possible to persuade honeybees to refrain from stinging humans.
The argument does not make any claim or provide evidence about persuading honeybees. Therefore, it cannot be inferred from the given information.

(E) While it is possible to kill honeybees in large amounts using the various tools humans possess, it is not possible to capture or kill extremists with corresponding effectiveness in the same way.
The argument does not provide any information or reasoning about capturing or killing extremists. Therefore, it cannot be inferred from the given information.

Based on the analysis, the conclusion best supported by the reporter's argument is (C) The recent show of force by the government is not likely to discourage the extremists from capturing foreigners in the near future.