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Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question as follow:
To account for the conformation of the Alps, two hypotheses have been advanced, which may be respectively named the hypothesis of fracture and the hypothesis of erosion. The former assumes that the forces by which the mountains were elevated produced fissures in the earth’s crust, and that the valleys of the Alps are the tracks of these fissures; the latter maintains that the valleys have been cut out by the action of ice and water, the mountains themselves being the residual forms of this grand sculpture. I had heard the Via Mala cited as a conspicuous illustration of the fissure theory - the profound chasm thus named, and through which the Hinter-Rhein now flows, could, it was alleged, be nothing else than a crack in the earth’s crust. To the Via Mala I therefore went in 1864 to instruct myself upon the point in question.
The gorge commences about a quarter of an hour above Tusis and, on entering it, the first impression certainly is that it must be a fissure. This conclusion in my case was modified as I advanced. Some distance up the gorge I found upon the slopes to my right quantities of rolled stones, evidently rounded by water-action. Still further up, and just before reaching the first bridge which spans the chasm, I found more rolled stones, associated with sand and gravel. Through this mass of detritus, fortunately, a vertical cutting had been made, which exhibited a section showing perfect stratification. There was no agency in the place to roll these stones, and to deposit these alternating layers of sand and pebbles, but the river which now rushes some hundreds of feet below them. At one period of the Via Mala’s history the river must have run at this high level. Other evidences of water-action soon revealed themselves. From the parapet of the first bridge I could see the solid rock 200 feet above the bed of the river scooped and eroded.
Q. With specific reference to the author’s conclusion based on the observation of rolled stones and pebbles in the gorge, which of the following is an assumption that the author relies on?
  • a)
    The rolled stones appeared consistently throughout the chasm.
  • b)
    Similar stones have also been found in other gorges in the Alps.
  • c)
    These stones could not have been deposited in the gorge by the Alpine Ibex, an animal whose furs these stones tend to cling to.
  • d)
    The vertical stratification observed by the author could have only been created as a result of river action.
  • e)
    These stones were once part of the Hinter Rheine River.
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
Most Upvoted Answer
Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question a...
The author uses the rolled stones as evidence to conclude that these must have been deposited by a river. Hence, he assumes that nothing else could have led to the deposition of these stones at this site, that is, (C) is the correct answer.
(A) The consistency of appearance is of no consequence to the author’s argument.
(B) This may or may not be true but doesn’t necessarily have to be true for the author’s argument to be correct.
(D) Vertical stratification has no connection with concluding something about the stones.
(E) This is an inference and not an assumption.
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Community Answer
Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question a...
The author uses the rolled stones as evidence to conclude that these must have been deposited by a river. Hence, he assumes that nothing else could have led to the deposition of these stones at this site, that is, (C) is the correct answer.
(A) The consistency of appearance is of no consequence to the author’s argument.
(B) This may or may not be true but doesn’t necessarily have to be true for the author’s argument to be correct.
(D) Vertical stratification has no connection with concluding something about the stones.
(E) This is an inference and not an assumption.
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Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question as follow:To account for the conformation of the Alps, two hypotheses have been advanced, which may be respectively named the hypothesis of fracture and the hypothesis of erosion. The former assumes that the forces by which the mountains were elevated produced fissures in the earth’s crust, and that the valleys of the Alps are the tracks of these fissures; the latter maintains that the valleys have been cut out by the action of ice and water, the mountains themselves being the residual forms of this grand sculpture. I had heard the Via Mala cited as a conspicuous illustration of the fissure theory - the profound chasm thus named, and through which the Hinter-Rhein now flows, could, it was alleged, be nothing else than a crack in the earth’s crust. To the Via Mala I therefore went in 1864 to instruct myself upon the point in question.The gorge commences about a quarter of an hour above Tusis and, on entering it, the first impression certainly is that it must be a fissure. This conclusion in my case was modified as I advanced. Some distance up the gorge I found upon the slopes to my right quantities of rolled stones, evidently rounded by water-action. Still further up, and just before reaching the first bridge which spans the chasm, I found more rolled stones, associated with sand and gravel. Through this mass of detritus, fortunately, a vertical cutting had been made, which exhibited a section showing perfect stratification. There was no agency in the place to roll these stones, and to deposit these alternating layers of sand and pebbles, but the river which now rushes some hundreds of feet below them. At one period of the Via Mala’s history the river must have run at this high level. Other evidences of water-action soon revealed themselves. From the parapet of the first bridge I could see the solid rock 200 feet above the bed of the river scooped and eroded.Q.Which of the following can be inferred from the information provided inthe passage?

Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question as follow:To account for the conformation of the Alps, two hypotheses have been advanced, which may be respectively named the hypothesis of fracture and the hypothesis of erosion. The former assumes that the forces by which the mountains were elevated produced fissures in the earth’s crust, and that the valleys of the Alps are the tracks of these fissures; the latter maintains that the valleys have been cut out by the action of ice and water, the mountains themselves being the residual forms of this grand sculpture. I had heard the Via Mala cited as a conspicuous illustration of the fissure theory - the profound chasm thus named, and through which the Hinter-Rhein now flows, could, it was alleged, be nothing else than a crack in the earth’s crust. To the Via Mala I therefore went in 1864 to instruct myself upon the point in question.The gorge commences about a quarter of an hour above Tusis and, on entering it, the first impression certainly is that it must be a fissure. This conclusion in my case was modified as I advanced. Some distance up the gorge I found upon the slopes to my right quantities of rolled stones, evidently rounded by water-action. Still further up, and just before reaching the first bridge which spans the chasm, I found more rolled stones, associated with sand and gravel. Through this mass of detritus, fortunately, a vertical cutting had been made, which exhibited a section showing perfect stratification. There was no agency in the place to roll these stones, and to deposit these alternating layers of sand and pebbles, but the river which now rushes some hundreds of feet below them. At one period of the Via Mala’s history the river must have run at this high level. Other evidences of water-action soon revealed themselves. From the parapet of the first bridge I could see the solid rock 200 feet above the bed of the river scooped and eroded.Q.What is the primary purpose of the author in writing the passage?

Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question as follow:To account for the conformation of the Alps, two hypotheses have been advanced, which may be respectively named the hypothesis of fracture and the hypothesis of erosion. The former assumes that the forces by which the mountains were elevated produced fissures in the earth’s crust, and that the valleys of the Alps are the tracks of these fissures; the latter maintains that the valleys have been cut out by the action of ice and water, the mountains themselves being the residual forms of this grand sculpture. I had heard the Via Mala cited as a conspicuous illustration of the fissure theory - the profound chasm thus named, and through which the Hinter-Rhein now flows, could, it was alleged, be nothing else than a crack in the earth’s crust. To the Via Mala I therefore went in 1864 to instruct myself upon the point in question.The gorge commences about a quarter of an hour above Tusis and, on entering it, the first impression certainly is that it must be a fissure. This conclusion in my case was modified as I advanced. Some distance up the gorge I found upon the slopes to my right quantities of rolled stones, evidently rounded by water-action. Still further up, and just before reaching the first bridge which spans the chasm, I found more rolled stones, associated with sand and gravel. Through this mass of detritus, fortunately, a vertical cutting had been made, which exhibited a section showing perfect stratification. There was no agency in the place to roll these stones, and to deposit these alternating layers of sand and pebbles, but the river which now rushes some hundreds of feet below them. At one period of the Via Mala’s history the river must have run at this high level. Other evidences of water-action soon revealed themselves. From the parapet of the first bridge I could see the solid rock 200 feet above the bed of the river scooped and eroded.Q.What is the function of the first sentence of the secondparagraph—‘The gorge commences… it must be a fissure’?

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Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question as follow:To account for the conformation of the Alps, two hypotheses have been advanced, which may be respectively named the hypothesis of fracture and the hypothesis of erosion. The former assumes that the forces by which the mountains were elevated produced fissures in the earth’s crust, and that the valleys of the Alps are the tracks of these fissures; the latter maintains that the valleys have been cut out by the action of ice and water, the mountains themselves being the residual forms of this grand sculpture. I had heard the Via Mala cited as a conspicuous illustration of the fissure theory - the profound chasm thus named, and through which the Hinter-Rhein now flows, could, it was alleged, be nothing else than a crack in the earth’s crust. To the Via Mala I therefore went in 1864 to instruct myself upon the point in question.The gorge commences about a quarter of an hour above Tusis and, on entering it, the first impression certainly is that it must be a fissure. This conclusion in my case was modified as I advanced. Some distance up the gorge I found upon the slopes to my right quantities of rolled stones, evidently rounded by water-action. Still further up, and just before reaching the first bridge which spans the chasm, I found more rolled stones, associated with sand and gravel. Through this mass of detritus, fortunately, a vertical cutting had been made, which exhibited a section showing perfect stratification. There was no agency in the place to roll these stones, and to deposit these alternating layers of sand and pebbles, but the river which now rushes some hundreds of feet below them. At one period of the Via Mala’s history the river must have run at this high level. Other evidences of water-action soon revealed themselves. From the parapet of the first bridge I could see the solid rock 200 feet above the bed of the river scooped and eroded.Q.With specific reference to the author’s conclusion based on theobservation of rolled stones and pebbles in the gorge, which of thefollowing is an assumption that the author relies on?a)The rolled stones appeared consistently throughout the chasm.b)Similar stones have also been found in other gorges in the Alps.c)These stones could not have been deposited in the gorge by theAlpine Ibex, an animal whose furs these stones tend to cling to.d)The vertical stratification observed by the author could have onlybeen created as a result of river action.e)These stones were once part of the Hinter Rheine River.Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
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Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question as follow:To account for the conformation of the Alps, two hypotheses have been advanced, which may be respectively named the hypothesis of fracture and the hypothesis of erosion. The former assumes that the forces by which the mountains were elevated produced fissures in the earth’s crust, and that the valleys of the Alps are the tracks of these fissures; the latter maintains that the valleys have been cut out by the action of ice and water, the mountains themselves being the residual forms of this grand sculpture. I had heard the Via Mala cited as a conspicuous illustration of the fissure theory - the profound chasm thus named, and through which the Hinter-Rhein now flows, could, it was alleged, be nothing else than a crack in the earth’s crust. To the Via Mala I therefore went in 1864 to instruct myself upon the point in question.The gorge commences about a quarter of an hour above Tusis and, on entering it, the first impression certainly is that it must be a fissure. This conclusion in my case was modified as I advanced. Some distance up the gorge I found upon the slopes to my right quantities of rolled stones, evidently rounded by water-action. Still further up, and just before reaching the first bridge which spans the chasm, I found more rolled stones, associated with sand and gravel. Through this mass of detritus, fortunately, a vertical cutting had been made, which exhibited a section showing perfect stratification. There was no agency in the place to roll these stones, and to deposit these alternating layers of sand and pebbles, but the river which now rushes some hundreds of feet below them. At one period of the Via Mala’s history the river must have run at this high level. Other evidences of water-action soon revealed themselves. From the parapet of the first bridge I could see the solid rock 200 feet above the bed of the river scooped and eroded.Q.With specific reference to the author’s conclusion based on theobservation of rolled stones and pebbles in the gorge, which of thefollowing is an assumption that the author relies on?a)The rolled stones appeared consistently throughout the chasm.b)Similar stones have also been found in other gorges in the Alps.c)These stones could not have been deposited in the gorge by theAlpine Ibex, an animal whose furs these stones tend to cling to.d)The vertical stratification observed by the author could have onlybeen created as a result of river action.e)These stones were once part of the Hinter Rheine River.Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? for GMAT 2024 is part of GMAT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the GMAT exam syllabus. Information about Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question as follow:To account for the conformation of the Alps, two hypotheses have been advanced, which may be respectively named the hypothesis of fracture and the hypothesis of erosion. The former assumes that the forces by which the mountains were elevated produced fissures in the earth’s crust, and that the valleys of the Alps are the tracks of these fissures; the latter maintains that the valleys have been cut out by the action of ice and water, the mountains themselves being the residual forms of this grand sculpture. I had heard the Via Mala cited as a conspicuous illustration of the fissure theory - the profound chasm thus named, and through which the Hinter-Rhein now flows, could, it was alleged, be nothing else than a crack in the earth’s crust. To the Via Mala I therefore went in 1864 to instruct myself upon the point in question.The gorge commences about a quarter of an hour above Tusis and, on entering it, the first impression certainly is that it must be a fissure. This conclusion in my case was modified as I advanced. Some distance up the gorge I found upon the slopes to my right quantities of rolled stones, evidently rounded by water-action. Still further up, and just before reaching the first bridge which spans the chasm, I found more rolled stones, associated with sand and gravel. Through this mass of detritus, fortunately, a vertical cutting had been made, which exhibited a section showing perfect stratification. There was no agency in the place to roll these stones, and to deposit these alternating layers of sand and pebbles, but the river which now rushes some hundreds of feet below them. At one period of the Via Mala’s history the river must have run at this high level. Other evidences of water-action soon revealed themselves. From the parapet of the first bridge I could see the solid rock 200 feet above the bed of the river scooped and eroded.Q.With specific reference to the author’s conclusion based on theobservation of rolled stones and pebbles in the gorge, which of thefollowing is an assumption that the author relies on?a)The rolled stones appeared consistently throughout the chasm.b)Similar stones have also been found in other gorges in the Alps.c)These stones could not have been deposited in the gorge by theAlpine Ibex, an animal whose furs these stones tend to cling to.d)The vertical stratification observed by the author could have onlybeen created as a result of river action.e)These stones were once part of the Hinter Rheine River.Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for GMAT 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question as follow:To account for the conformation of the Alps, two hypotheses have been advanced, which may be respectively named the hypothesis of fracture and the hypothesis of erosion. The former assumes that the forces by which the mountains were elevated produced fissures in the earth’s crust, and that the valleys of the Alps are the tracks of these fissures; the latter maintains that the valleys have been cut out by the action of ice and water, the mountains themselves being the residual forms of this grand sculpture. I had heard the Via Mala cited as a conspicuous illustration of the fissure theory - the profound chasm thus named, and through which the Hinter-Rhein now flows, could, it was alleged, be nothing else than a crack in the earth’s crust. To the Via Mala I therefore went in 1864 to instruct myself upon the point in question.The gorge commences about a quarter of an hour above Tusis and, on entering it, the first impression certainly is that it must be a fissure. This conclusion in my case was modified as I advanced. Some distance up the gorge I found upon the slopes to my right quantities of rolled stones, evidently rounded by water-action. Still further up, and just before reaching the first bridge which spans the chasm, I found more rolled stones, associated with sand and gravel. Through this mass of detritus, fortunately, a vertical cutting had been made, which exhibited a section showing perfect stratification. There was no agency in the place to roll these stones, and to deposit these alternating layers of sand and pebbles, but the river which now rushes some hundreds of feet below them. At one period of the Via Mala’s history the river must have run at this high level. Other evidences of water-action soon revealed themselves. From the parapet of the first bridge I could see the solid rock 200 feet above the bed of the river scooped and eroded.Q.With specific reference to the author’s conclusion based on theobservation of rolled stones and pebbles in the gorge, which of thefollowing is an assumption that the author relies on?a)The rolled stones appeared consistently throughout the chasm.b)Similar stones have also been found in other gorges in the Alps.c)These stones could not have been deposited in the gorge by theAlpine Ibex, an animal whose furs these stones tend to cling to.d)The vertical stratification observed by the author could have onlybeen created as a result of river action.e)These stones were once part of the Hinter Rheine River.Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question as follow:To account for the conformation of the Alps, two hypotheses have been advanced, which may be respectively named the hypothesis of fracture and the hypothesis of erosion. The former assumes that the forces by which the mountains were elevated produced fissures in the earth’s crust, and that the valleys of the Alps are the tracks of these fissures; the latter maintains that the valleys have been cut out by the action of ice and water, the mountains themselves being the residual forms of this grand sculpture. I had heard the Via Mala cited as a conspicuous illustration of the fissure theory - the profound chasm thus named, and through which the Hinter-Rhein now flows, could, it was alleged, be nothing else than a crack in the earth’s crust. To the Via Mala I therefore went in 1864 to instruct myself upon the point in question.The gorge commences about a quarter of an hour above Tusis and, on entering it, the first impression certainly is that it must be a fissure. This conclusion in my case was modified as I advanced. Some distance up the gorge I found upon the slopes to my right quantities of rolled stones, evidently rounded by water-action. Still further up, and just before reaching the first bridge which spans the chasm, I found more rolled stones, associated with sand and gravel. Through this mass of detritus, fortunately, a vertical cutting had been made, which exhibited a section showing perfect stratification. There was no agency in the place to roll these stones, and to deposit these alternating layers of sand and pebbles, but the river which now rushes some hundreds of feet below them. At one period of the Via Mala’s history the river must have run at this high level. Other evidences of water-action soon revealed themselves. From the parapet of the first bridge I could see the solid rock 200 feet above the bed of the river scooped and eroded.Q.With specific reference to the author’s conclusion based on theobservation of rolled stones and pebbles in the gorge, which of thefollowing is an assumption that the author relies on?a)The rolled stones appeared consistently throughout the chasm.b)Similar stones have also been found in other gorges in the Alps.c)These stones could not have been deposited in the gorge by theAlpine Ibex, an animal whose furs these stones tend to cling to.d)The vertical stratification observed by the author could have onlybeen created as a result of river action.e)These stones were once part of the Hinter Rheine River.Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for GMAT. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for GMAT Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question as follow:To account for the conformation of the Alps, two hypotheses have been advanced, which may be respectively named the hypothesis of fracture and the hypothesis of erosion. The former assumes that the forces by which the mountains were elevated produced fissures in the earth’s crust, and that the valleys of the Alps are the tracks of these fissures; the latter maintains that the valleys have been cut out by the action of ice and water, the mountains themselves being the residual forms of this grand sculpture. I had heard the Via Mala cited as a conspicuous illustration of the fissure theory - the profound chasm thus named, and through which the Hinter-Rhein now flows, could, it was alleged, be nothing else than a crack in the earth’s crust. To the Via Mala I therefore went in 1864 to instruct myself upon the point in question.The gorge commences about a quarter of an hour above Tusis and, on entering it, the first impression certainly is that it must be a fissure. This conclusion in my case was modified as I advanced. Some distance up the gorge I found upon the slopes to my right quantities of rolled stones, evidently rounded by water-action. Still further up, and just before reaching the first bridge which spans the chasm, I found more rolled stones, associated with sand and gravel. Through this mass of detritus, fortunately, a vertical cutting had been made, which exhibited a section showing perfect stratification. There was no agency in the place to roll these stones, and to deposit these alternating layers of sand and pebbles, but the river which now rushes some hundreds of feet below them. At one period of the Via Mala’s history the river must have run at this high level. Other evidences of water-action soon revealed themselves. From the parapet of the first bridge I could see the solid rock 200 feet above the bed of the river scooped and eroded.Q.With specific reference to the author’s conclusion based on theobservation of rolled stones and pebbles in the gorge, which of thefollowing is an assumption that the author relies on?a)The rolled stones appeared consistently throughout the chasm.b)Similar stones have also been found in other gorges in the Alps.c)These stones could not have been deposited in the gorge by theAlpine Ibex, an animal whose furs these stones tend to cling to.d)The vertical stratification observed by the author could have onlybeen created as a result of river action.e)These stones were once part of the Hinter Rheine River.Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question as follow:To account for the conformation of the Alps, two hypotheses have been advanced, which may be respectively named the hypothesis of fracture and the hypothesis of erosion. The former assumes that the forces by which the mountains were elevated produced fissures in the earth’s crust, and that the valleys of the Alps are the tracks of these fissures; the latter maintains that the valleys have been cut out by the action of ice and water, the mountains themselves being the residual forms of this grand sculpture. I had heard the Via Mala cited as a conspicuous illustration of the fissure theory - the profound chasm thus named, and through which the Hinter-Rhein now flows, could, it was alleged, be nothing else than a crack in the earth’s crust. To the Via Mala I therefore went in 1864 to instruct myself upon the point in question.The gorge commences about a quarter of an hour above Tusis and, on entering it, the first impression certainly is that it must be a fissure. This conclusion in my case was modified as I advanced. Some distance up the gorge I found upon the slopes to my right quantities of rolled stones, evidently rounded by water-action. Still further up, and just before reaching the first bridge which spans the chasm, I found more rolled stones, associated with sand and gravel. Through this mass of detritus, fortunately, a vertical cutting had been made, which exhibited a section showing perfect stratification. There was no agency in the place to roll these stones, and to deposit these alternating layers of sand and pebbles, but the river which now rushes some hundreds of feet below them. At one period of the Via Mala’s history the river must have run at this high level. Other evidences of water-action soon revealed themselves. From the parapet of the first bridge I could see the solid rock 200 feet above the bed of the river scooped and eroded.Q.With specific reference to the author’s conclusion based on theobservation of rolled stones and pebbles in the gorge, which of thefollowing is an assumption that the author relies on?a)The rolled stones appeared consistently throughout the chasm.b)Similar stones have also been found in other gorges in the Alps.c)These stones could not have been deposited in the gorge by theAlpine Ibex, an animal whose furs these stones tend to cling to.d)The vertical stratification observed by the author could have onlybeen created as a result of river action.e)These stones were once part of the Hinter Rheine River.Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question as follow:To account for the conformation of the Alps, two hypotheses have been advanced, which may be respectively named the hypothesis of fracture and the hypothesis of erosion. The former assumes that the forces by which the mountains were elevated produced fissures in the earth’s crust, and that the valleys of the Alps are the tracks of these fissures; the latter maintains that the valleys have been cut out by the action of ice and water, the mountains themselves being the residual forms of this grand sculpture. I had heard the Via Mala cited as a conspicuous illustration of the fissure theory - the profound chasm thus named, and through which the Hinter-Rhein now flows, could, it was alleged, be nothing else than a crack in the earth’s crust. To the Via Mala I therefore went in 1864 to instruct myself upon the point in question.The gorge commences about a quarter of an hour above Tusis and, on entering it, the first impression certainly is that it must be a fissure. This conclusion in my case was modified as I advanced. Some distance up the gorge I found upon the slopes to my right quantities of rolled stones, evidently rounded by water-action. Still further up, and just before reaching the first bridge which spans the chasm, I found more rolled stones, associated with sand and gravel. Through this mass of detritus, fortunately, a vertical cutting had been made, which exhibited a section showing perfect stratification. There was no agency in the place to roll these stones, and to deposit these alternating layers of sand and pebbles, but the river which now rushes some hundreds of feet below them. At one period of the Via Mala’s history the river must have run at this high level. Other evidences of water-action soon revealed themselves. From the parapet of the first bridge I could see the solid rock 200 feet above the bed of the river scooped and eroded.Q.With specific reference to the author’s conclusion based on theobservation of rolled stones and pebbles in the gorge, which of thefollowing is an assumption that the author relies on?a)The rolled stones appeared consistently throughout the chasm.b)Similar stones have also been found in other gorges in the Alps.c)These stones could not have been deposited in the gorge by theAlpine Ibex, an animal whose furs these stones tend to cling to.d)The vertical stratification observed by the author could have onlybeen created as a result of river action.e)These stones were once part of the Hinter Rheine River.Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question as follow:To account for the conformation of the Alps, two hypotheses have been advanced, which may be respectively named the hypothesis of fracture and the hypothesis of erosion. The former assumes that the forces by which the mountains were elevated produced fissures in the earth’s crust, and that the valleys of the Alps are the tracks of these fissures; the latter maintains that the valleys have been cut out by the action of ice and water, the mountains themselves being the residual forms of this grand sculpture. I had heard the Via Mala cited as a conspicuous illustration of the fissure theory - the profound chasm thus named, and through which the Hinter-Rhein now flows, could, it was alleged, be nothing else than a crack in the earth’s crust. To the Via Mala I therefore went in 1864 to instruct myself upon the point in question.The gorge commences about a quarter of an hour above Tusis and, on entering it, the first impression certainly is that it must be a fissure. This conclusion in my case was modified as I advanced. Some distance up the gorge I found upon the slopes to my right quantities of rolled stones, evidently rounded by water-action. Still further up, and just before reaching the first bridge which spans the chasm, I found more rolled stones, associated with sand and gravel. Through this mass of detritus, fortunately, a vertical cutting had been made, which exhibited a section showing perfect stratification. There was no agency in the place to roll these stones, and to deposit these alternating layers of sand and pebbles, but the river which now rushes some hundreds of feet below them. At one period of the Via Mala’s history the river must have run at this high level. Other evidences of water-action soon revealed themselves. From the parapet of the first bridge I could see the solid rock 200 feet above the bed of the river scooped and eroded.Q.With specific reference to the author’s conclusion based on theobservation of rolled stones and pebbles in the gorge, which of thefollowing is an assumption that the author relies on?a)The rolled stones appeared consistently throughout the chasm.b)Similar stones have also been found in other gorges in the Alps.c)These stones could not have been deposited in the gorge by theAlpine Ibex, an animal whose furs these stones tend to cling to.d)The vertical stratification observed by the author could have onlybeen created as a result of river action.e)These stones were once part of the Hinter Rheine River.Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the question as follow:To account for the conformation of the Alps, two hypotheses have been advanced, which may be respectively named the hypothesis of fracture and the hypothesis of erosion. The former assumes that the forces by which the mountains were elevated produced fissures in the earth’s crust, and that the valleys of the Alps are the tracks of these fissures; the latter maintains that the valleys have been cut out by the action of ice and water, the mountains themselves being the residual forms of this grand sculpture. I had heard the Via Mala cited as a conspicuous illustration of the fissure theory - the profound chasm thus named, and through which the Hinter-Rhein now flows, could, it was alleged, be nothing else than a crack in the earth’s crust. To the Via Mala I therefore went in 1864 to instruct myself upon the point in question.The gorge commences about a quarter of an hour above Tusis and, on entering it, the first impression certainly is that it must be a fissure. This conclusion in my case was modified as I advanced. Some distance up the gorge I found upon the slopes to my right quantities of rolled stones, evidently rounded by water-action. Still further up, and just before reaching the first bridge which spans the chasm, I found more rolled stones, associated with sand and gravel. Through this mass of detritus, fortunately, a vertical cutting had been made, which exhibited a section showing perfect stratification. There was no agency in the place to roll these stones, and to deposit these alternating layers of sand and pebbles, but the river which now rushes some hundreds of feet below them. At one period of the Via Mala’s history the river must have run at this high level. Other evidences of water-action soon revealed themselves. From the parapet of the first bridge I could see the solid rock 200 feet above the bed of the river scooped and eroded.Q.With specific reference to the author’s conclusion based on theobservation of rolled stones and pebbles in the gorge, which of thefollowing is an assumption that the author relies on?a)The rolled stones appeared consistently throughout the chasm.b)Similar stones have also been found in other gorges in the Alps.c)These stones could not have been deposited in the gorge by theAlpine Ibex, an animal whose furs these stones tend to cling to.d)The vertical stratification observed by the author could have onlybeen created as a result of river action.e)These stones were once part of the Hinter Rheine River.Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice GMAT tests.
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