| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
beeparoo
Really wants to Beat The GMAT!
Joined: 17 Jun 2007
Posts: 200
Thanks given: 7
Thanked 8 times in 8 posts
Location: Canada
|
 Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 5:36 pm Post subject: Crop yields in Canada vs. Brazil - Challenging Question |
 |
|
A ten year comparison between Brazilian and Canadian crops showed that Brazilian yields are 68% of Canadian yields when compared on the basis of per planted acre. However, Brazilian yields are 115% of Canadian yields when measured per agricultural acre.
Based on this information, which of the following can most reliably be inferred about Brazilian and Canadian agriculture over this time period?
++
A - A greater percentage of Canadian agricultural acreage was unplanted than of Brazilian agricultural acreage
B - A majority of Canadian agricultural acreage is unplanted
C - More total acres were unplanted in Canada than in Brazil
D - Brazil had more acres planted than unplanted while Canada has more acres unplanted than planted
E - Brazil produced more total crops than Canada
Source: Kaplan
Answer: A You will need to highlight to see reveal the answer |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
|
|
chatekar
Rising GMAT Star
Joined: 13 Jul 2007
Posts: 62
Thanks given: 0
Thanked 0 times in 0 posts
|
| Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Can you post the explanation why A is correct, if you know the explanation.
Thanks |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
veekay
Rising GMAT Star
Joined: 10 Aug 2007
Posts: 54
Thanks given: 0
Thanked 0 times in 0 posts
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 4:42 pm Post subject: Re: Crop yields in Canada vs. Brazil - Challenging Question |
|
|
The answer is A.
A - Can be inferred. for argument sake
Brazil
Production - 60
Planted land - 100
Agriculture land - 120
Yield/Planted - 60%
Yield/Agri = 50%
Canada
Production - 160
Planted land - 200
Agriculture land - 400
Yield/Planted - 80%
Yield/Agri = 40%
For planted - Brazil/Canada = 75%
For agriculture - Brazil/Canada = 125%
B - A majority of Canadian agricultural acreage is unplanted. Thiscannot be inferred. We can only infer that > %age of Canadian land is unplanted than that of Brazil land
C - More total acres were unplanted in Canada than in Brazil - Again cannot infer about acres, only %age
D - Brazil had more acres planted than unplanted while Canada has more acres unplanted than planted - Again cannot infer about acres, only %age
E - Brazil produced more total crops than Canada - Cannot infer this |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
saege
Rising GMAT Star
Joined: 08 Feb 2008
Posts: 58
Thanks given: 3
Thanked 1 times in 1 posts
Test Date: 13 Aug 2008
Target GMAT Score: 750
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
Could you details how you got all these numbers?
The only numbers I can see in the Q is 68% and 115 % ? Please explain. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
AleksandrM
GMAT Destroyer!
Joined: 04 Jan 2008
Posts: 475
Thanks given: 11
Thanked 17 times in 17 posts
Location: Philadelphia
Test Date: September 8, 2008
Target GMAT Score: 650
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:38 pm Post subject: Re: Crop yields in Canada vs. Brazil - Challenging Question |
|
|
| beeparoo wrote: | A ten year comparison between Brazilian and Canadian crops showed that Brazilian yields are 68% of Canadian yields when compared on the basis of per planted acre. However, Brazilian yields are 115% of Canadian yields when measured per agricultural acre.
Based on this information, which of the following can most reliably be inferred about Brazilian and Canadian agriculture over this time period?
++
A - A greater percentage of Canadian agricultural acreage was unplanted than of Brazilian agricultural acreage
B - A majority of Canadian agricultural acreage is unplanted
C - More total acres were unplanted in Canada than in Brazil
D - Brazil had more acres planted than unplanted while Canada has more acres unplanted than planted
E - Brazil produced more total crops than Canada
Source: Kaplan
Answer: A You will need to highlight to see reveal the answer |
You don't really need to pay more attention to the numbers than they say. This is not a quant question. Just look at the answer choices and see which ones go too much outside of the scope intended, relate irrelevant information, etc.
A - seems to be the right answer, but we'll move on.
B - The passage is a comparison, nothing is said of individual nations, so eliminate this one.
C - This is certainly a comparison statement. However, it is comparing total acres, whereas the passage talks about two different kinds of acres. Eliminiate it.
D - Same as above. We cannot gather information about total acres from the passage.
E - We're not interested in crops. But, again, this question considers totals, and we cannot gather that from the passage.
Let's come back to A. Consider, most, if not all, answers to inference questions on the GMAT are what I call "flip of a coin" answers. If the passage says heads, then the answer should say that the flip side is tails. For example, the passage says that Brazilian yields, i.e. the crop gathered, is greater per agricultural acre than that of Canada. From this we can infer that a greater percentage (notice not number... not total, but "percentage") of Canada's agricultural acreage was unplanted. If this answer choice said that a greater percentage of Brazil's agricultural acreage was planted, that would also be a good answer. Now, you are probably thinking that this would be repeating what the passage already says. Not so fast! The passage is talking about yields, but the answer choice is talking about land!
Of course we could also say that maybe the two nations are using the same percentage of their agricultural acreage, but one of them is utilizing genetically modified agents in their seed in order to increase the yield per acre, but this would be waaaaay out of the scope, and is not one of the answer choices.
Hope this helps. Also, I just blogged about CR strategy, if anyone is interested.
_________________
http://second-lap.blogspot.com/ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You cannot download files in this forum
|
|
"GMAT" and other GMAC™ trademarks are registered trademarks of the Graduate Management Admission Council™. The Graduate Management Admission Council™ does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with the owner or any content on this website. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author or those of the members of this website. Copyright © 2008 BTG Test Prep, LLC. Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group.
|
|
