Test: Inference - GMAT MCQ

The passage states that even with the new screening tests, about 10 percent of actual donors will still supply NANB-contaminated blood. This implies that the blood supplies available from blood banks are likely to decrease because a portion of the donors will be disqualified due to the screening tests. Therefore, option (D) is the best-supported inference based on the passage.

Let's briefly examine the other options and explain why they are not as strongly supported:

(A) The incidence of new cases of NANB hepatitis is likely to go up by 10 percent.

• There is no information in the passage that suggests an increase in the incidence of new cases of NANB hepatitis. The passage only talks about the screening tests and their effectiveness in identifying contaminated blood, not the overall incidence of the disease.

(B) Donations made by patients specifically for their own use are likely to become less frequent.

• The passage does not mention anything about donations made by patients specifically for their own use. It focuses on blood donors and the screening tests used to detect NANB hepatitis.

(C) The demand for blood from blood banks is likely to fluctuate more strongly.

• There is no information in the passage to support the claim that the demand for blood from blood banks will fluctuate more strongly. The passage primarily discusses the screening tests and the potential impact on blood supplies.

(E) The number of prospective first-time donors is likely to go up by 5 percent.

• The passage does not provide any information about an increase in the number of prospective first-time donors. It only mentions that up to 5 percent of all prospective blood donors may be disqualified due to the screening tests.

In summary, option (D) is the best-supported inference based on the passage, as it aligns with the information provided about the potential decrease in blood supplies from blood banks

This question presents a scenario where fruit growers in District 10 Farmers Cooperative applied a new pesticide to their pear orchards for three years, replacing the old pesticide. During this period, the proportion of pears lost to insects decreased significantly compared to the previous three-year period. The local agricultural official concludes that the new pesticide is more effective than the old pesticide in limiting the loss of certain fruit to insects.

To support this conclusion, we need to find a group of trees that did not show a reduction in losses of fruit to insects. Let's analyze each option:

(A) Peach trees grown in the district that were treated with the new pesticide instead of the old pesticide.

• This option is not relevant because it does not pertain to pear trees, which is the focus of the conclusion.

(B) Peach trees grown in the district that were treated with the new pesticide in addition to the old pesticide.

• This option does not provide evidence against the conclusion because it involves peach trees, not pear trees.

(C) Pear trees grown in the district that were treated with the old pesticide instead of the new pesticide.

• This option directly contradicts the conclusion. If pear trees treated with the old pesticide showed a reduction in losses, it undermines the claim that the new pesticide is more effective. Therefore, this option weakens the official's conclusion.

(D) Pear trees grown in a neighboring district that were treated with neither the old nor the new pesticide.

• This option does not provide evidence against the conclusion because it involves pear trees that were not treated with any pesticide.

(E) Pear trees grown in a neighboring district that were treated with the new pesticide instead of the old pesticide.

• This option does not provide evidence against the conclusion because it involves pear trees treated with the new pesticide, which is claimed to be more effective.

Considering the options, (C) stands out as the one that presents a group of trees (pear trees treated with the old pesticide) that did not show a reduction in losses of fruit to insects. Therefore, (C) is the most strongly supported option that weakens the official's conclusion.

In summary, the answer is (C) because it presents evidence contradicting the official's conclusion, showing that the old pesticide was effective in limiting losses of fruit to insects for pear trees.

(A)The dispute over election violations will have to be resolved by a vote of the citizens, and not by the city council.

• No where it is mentioned that the dispute of election violation will be resolved by a vote of the citizens. The citizens have voted for a referendum to recall all of the council’s seven members. That is it. Incorrect!

(B)The city council will have to amend the city charter if its members hope to stay in office.

• City charter governs all procedural matters in Burney Falls and not the other way round. Incorrect!

(C) If the members of the city council admit conflict of interest, the dispute will have to be settled at the next highest level, the county commission.

• Out of scope. county commission is no where mentioned. Incorrect!

(D) If the members of the city council refuse to vote under the provisions of the city charter, the election will be declared invalid and a new election will be held.

• Again out of scope. Any case by which the election will be declared invalid is not presented. Incorrect!

(E) No member of the Burney Falls city council can legally take part in the vote on the council’s complaint.

• From the second line we know that members of the council have filed a complaint against city council. And nn the last line, it is mentioned that 'law stipulating that all voting members of the city council abstain from voting in cases in which any reasonable person might assume a conflict of interest'. Hence, the members of the council are the reasonable persons having a conflict of interest. Therefore, all voting members of the city council will be abstained from voting. Correct!

Mary Simms, representing an outdoor advertising company, stated, "Billboards are the basis of our business. If they are torn down, our ability to earn a living will be severely damaged."

Jack Jordan, a local merchant, responded with, "I don't agree. The basis of our business is an attractive community. People who might shop in Baysville don't want to see ugly billboards on their way into town. Billboards are hurting our ability to earn a living."

The question asks which word used by Mary Simms is misinterpreted by Jack Jordan. Let's examine the options:

(A) billboards: This word is the main subject of discussion in both statements. Mary Simms emphasizes the importance of billboards for their business, while Jack Jordan argues against their presence.

(B) basis: This word is also mentioned in both statements. Mary Simms claims that billboards are the basis of their business, while Jack Jordan counters that the basis of their business is an attractive community.

(C) our: This word refers to the respective businesses represented by Mary Simms and Jack Jordan. Mary Simms uses "our" to refer to the outdoor advertising company, highlighting how billboards are crucial for their livelihood. Jack Jordan uses "our" to refer to the local community, emphasizing how billboards detract from the town's attractiveness.

(D) ability: This word is used by Mary Simms to express the potential harm to their ability to earn a living if billboards are removed. Jack Jordan's response does not directly misinterpret this word.

(E) damaged: This word is used by Mary Simms to describe the potential impact on their ability to earn a living. Jack Jordan's response does not directly misinterpret this word.

From the analysis, it can be seen that Jack Jordan's remarks do not misinterpret the words "billboards," "basis," "ability," or "damaged." However, his statement is in direct contrast to Mary Simms' use of the word "our." Mary Simms refers to "our" as the outdoor advertising company, while Jack Jordan interprets "our" as the local community.

Therefore, the correct answer is (C) our.

The passage states that in order for a president of Ronalia to be elected for the next term, they must gain the support of both urban and rural populations of the country. It further states that the only way to ensure support from the rural population is to invest a significant proportion of Ronalia's budget in developing the agricultural segment of the economy. However, this investment will cut deeply into the country's budget and retard the development of other industries, causing discontent among urban citizens.

Let's analyze each option:

(A) Investing a significant proportion of Ronalia’s budget in agriculture will ensure development of the agricultural segment of the Ronalian economy.

• This statement is not supported by the passage. While investing in agriculture is mentioned as a way to gain support from the rural population, it does not guarantee the development of the agricultural segment of the economy.

(B) As long as the current president is supported by the rural citizens of Ronalia, he is likely to be reelected for the next term.

• The passage does not provide information about the likelihood of the current president being reelected based on rural support alone. It emphasizes the need for support from both urban and rural populations.

(C) The president is more concerned with developing the agricultural sector of Ronalia than with being reelected.

• The passage does not provide any information about the president's concerns or priorities. It only states that in order to be reelected, the president must gain support from both urban and rural populations.

(D) The current president of Ronalia is not likely to be reelected for a second term. This conclusion is supported by the passage.

• The passage mentions that investing a significant proportion of the budget in agriculture will cause discontent among urban citizens. Since the president needs support from both urban and rural populations to be reelected, the investment in agriculture at the expense of other industries is likely to harm the president's chances of being reelected.

(E) Rural citizens constitute the majority of Ronalia’s population.

• The passage does not provide any information about the majority or minority status of rural citizens in Ronalia's population. It only mentions that gaining support from both urban and rural populations is necessary for the president's reelection.

Based on the information provided in the passage, the best-supported conclusion is (D) The current president of Ronalia is not likely to be reelected for a second term.

Choice A: No. This answer choice is a reversal of the statements, since it is only known that no one who is unknown in an industry will become a successful entrepreneur not that being well-known guarantees that one can become a successful entrepreneur.

Choice B: No. This answer choice is only possible based upon the statements, but not certain, since it is reasonable to deduce that someone with a marketable idea could maximize its potential in some way other than by becoming an entrepreneur.

Choice C: No. This answer choice introduces a variable outside of the scope of the prompt in the profile of the entire industry.

Choice D: Yes. This answer choice must be reasonably inferred based on the statements, since someone who has a marketable idea, but is not self-motivated or independent is described as lacking an entrepreneurial spirit, implying that there are some who are incapable of becoming successful entrepreneurs who do have marketable ideas.

Choice E: No. This answer choice introduces a variable outside of the scope of the prompt of the most defining characteristics of the entrepreneurial spirit.

The correct answer is choice D.

(A) At least one of the shipments sent to Truax Construction last week was specially ordered.

• There is no information provided in the statement that directly supports or contradicts this claim. We cannot determine its truth based on the given information.

(B) At least one of last week’s specially ordered shipments did not consist of building supplies.

• This statement contradicts the information given in point 2, which states that all shipments sent out on Friday consisted entirely of building supplies. Therefore, this statement cannot be true.

(C) At least one of the shipments sent to Truax Construction was not sent out on Thursday of last week.

• This statement is not explicitly mentioned in the given information, so we cannot determine its truth based on the provided details.

(D) At least one of the shipments that were sent out on Friday of last week was sent to Truax Construction.

• Since all shipments sent out on Friday consisted entirely of building supplies (as mentioned in point 2), this statement cannot be true.

(E) At least one of the shipments sent to Truax Construction last week was sent out before Friday.

• This statement is supported by the information provided. Since all shipments sent out on Friday consisted entirely of building supplies, and only three of the four shipments sent to Truax Construction consisted of building supplies, it implies that at least one of the shipments to Truax Construction must have been sent out before Friday. Therefore, this statement must be true.

Based on the analysis above, the answer choice that must be true is (E) "At least one of the shipments sent to Truax Construction last week was sent out before Friday."

The passage discusses the exclusionary rule, which prevents a court from considering evidence that was obtained in violation of a defendant's constitutional rights. The author argues that this rule has unduly hindered law enforcement efforts, even in cases where the rights violation was minor or technical and the police officers acted in good faith. The author claims that guilty defendants have been set free as a result, potentially leading to further crimes being committed.

Based on this information, the author would most likely endorse the proposal of changing the exclusionary rule to admit evidence obtained by police officers acting in good faith (option A). This proposal suggests that evidence obtained by police officers who were acting in good faith, even if there was a minor rights violation or a procedural error, should be considered admissible in court.

The other options do not align with the author's viewpoint as presented in the passage:

(B) A constitutional amendment curtailing some of the protections traditionally afforded those accused of a crime: The passage does not discuss curtailing protections for the accused; it focuses on the impact of the exclusionary rule on law enforcement.

(C) A statute limiting the application of the exclusionary rule to cases involving minor criminal offenses: While the author mentions minor violations, they argue that even in those cases, the exclusionary rule hampers law enforcement efforts. Therefore, the author would not likely endorse limiting the application of the rule to minor offenses.

(D) Change of the exclusionary rule to allow any evidence, no matter how obtained, to be introduced in court: The passage does not explicitly argue for allowing any evidence, regardless of how it was obtained. It specifically mentions good faith and minor violations as criteria for admissibility.

(E) A constitutional amendment allowing police officers to obtain vital evidence by any means necessary when in pursuit of a known criminal: The passage does not discuss allowing police officers to obtain evidence by any means necessary. It focuses on the impact of the exclusionary rule on the admissibility of evidence.

Therefore, the best inference is that the author would endorse the proposal of changing the exclusionary rule to admit evidence obtained by police officers acting in good faith (option A).

This question is about the dorsal attention network, one of two sensory orienting systems in the human brain. The statement in the question states that the dorsal attention network shows activity increases after a presentation of cues indicating where subjects should direct their attention.

Let's analyze each answer choice in light of this information:

(a) The statement does not mention that the dorsal attention network is the primary sensory orienting system. It only states that it is one of two sensory orienting systems. Therefore, (a) cannot be supported by the given information.

(b) The statement does not provide any information about the relative activity increases of other sensory orienting systems. It only discusses the activity increases in the dorsal attention network. Therefore, (b) cannot be supported by the given information.

(c) The statement does not mention predictability of attention focus based on activity increases or exposure. It only discusses that the dorsal attention network shows activity increases after cues are presented. Therefore, (c) cannot be supported by the given information.

(d) The statement explicitly states that the dorsal attention network shows activity increases after a presentation of cues indicating where subjects should direct their attention. This supports the assertion that the activity in the dorsal attention network is lower preceding the presentation of cues. Therefore, (d) is the best-supported assertion based on the given information.

(e) The statement does not provide information about the roles of the two sensory orienting systems. It only discusses the dorsal attention network's activity increases. Therefore, (e) cannot be supported by the given information.

In conclusion, based on the given information, the best-supported assertion is (d): Activity in a human's dorsal attention network is lower preceding a presentation of cues as to where to focus that human's attention.

Last year, the worldwide paper industry used over twice as much fresh pulp as recycled pulp.

A paper industry analyst has projected that by 2010, the industry will use at least as much recycled pulp annually as it does fresh pulp while using a greater quantity of fresh pulp than it did last year.

We need to determine which of the following projections must also be accurate.

(A) In 2010, the paper industry will use at least twice as much recycled pulp as it did last year.

• The information states that the industry will use at least as much recycled pulp annually as it does fresh pulp. If this is the case, and it also uses a greater quantity of fresh pulp than it did last year, then it is possible for the industry to use at least twice as much recycled pulp as it did last year. Therefore, this projection can be accurate.

(B) In 2010, the paper industry will use at least twice as much total pulp as it did last year.

• The information does not provide any specific indication about the total pulp usage. We only know that the industry will use a greater quantity of fresh pulp than it did last year. Without more information, we cannot conclude that the industry will use at least twice as much total pulp as it did last year. Therefore, this projection cannot be determined from the given information.

(C) In 2010, the paper industry will produce more paper from a given amount of pulp than it did last year.

• The information does not provide any indication of changes in paper production efficiency. It only mentions the relative usage of fresh pulp and recycled pulp. Without additional information, we cannot conclude whether the industry will produce more paper from a given amount of pulp. Therefore, this projection cannot be determined from the given information.

(D) As compared with last year, in 2010, the paper industry will make more paper that contains only recycled pulp.

• The information states that by 2010, the industry will use at least as much recycled pulp annually as it does fresh pulp. This means that the usage of recycled pulp will increase. However, the information does not provide any specific indication about the proportion of recycled pulp in the paper made by the industry. Therefore, we cannot determine whether the industry will make more paper that contains only recycled pulp. Therefore, this projection cannot be determined from the given information.

(E) As compared with last year, in 2010, the paper industry will make less paper that contains only fresh pulp.

• The information states that the industry will use a greater quantity of fresh pulp than it did last year. However, it does not provide any indication of changes in the proportion of fresh pulp in the paper made by the industry. Therefore, we cannot determine whether the industry will make less paper that contains only fresh pulp. Therefore, this projection cannot be determined from the given information.

In conclusion, the only projection that can be determined to be accurate based on the given information is (A) In 2010, the paper industry will use at least twice as much recycled pulp as it did last year.