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NSNguyen
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Topic: workday time
PostSat Sep 27, 2008 7:59 pm
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In the industrialized nations, the last century has witnessed a shortening of the average workday from twelve hours or longer to less than eight hours. Mindful of this enormous increase in leisure time over the past century, many people assume that the same trend has obtained throughout history, and that, therefore, prehistoric humans must have labored incessantly for their very survival.
We cannot, of course, directly test this assumption. However, a study of primitive peoples of today suggests a different conclusion. The Mbuti of central Africa, for instance, spend only a few hours each day in hunting, gathering, and tending to other economic necessities. The rest of their time is spent as they choose. The implication is that the short workday is not peculiar to industrialized societies. Rather, both the extended workday of 1880 and the shorter workday of today are products of different stages of the continuing process of industrialization.
Which of the following inferences about industrialization is best supported by the passage above?
(A) People in advanced industrialized societies have more leisure time than those in nonindustrialized societies.
(B) An average workday of twelve hours or more is peculiar to economies in the early stages of industrialization.
(C) Industrialization involves a trade-off between tedious, monotonous jobs and the benefits of increased leisure.
(D) It is likely that the extended workday of an industrializing country will eventually be shortened.
(E) As industrialization progresses, people tend to look for self-fulfillment in leisure rather than work.

How to eliminate choices?
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Mani_mba
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PostSat Sep 27, 2008 11:43 pm
Is the answer D ?

The last statement in the stimulus states that "both the extended workday of 1880 and the shorter workday of today are products of different stages of the continuing process of industrialization. "

Therefore As the industrialization process continues in the industrializing nations, the extended workday of today will be eventually shortened.
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pras_k
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PostSun Sep 28, 2008 7:52 am
hi, new to this board. Lots of helpful people so thoguht I'd also contribute.

NSNguyen, I've just started studying for GMAT also so i'm gonna make a lot of mistakes but here goes. I am debating between B and D.

Reasoning below

A) False. People in the prehistoric times were not industrialized but had lots of free time. Thus this one is false.

B) True because of the first sentence and last sentence in the argument. Leads me to believe that an early industrializing economy will have a long workday.

C and E) false. Do not relate to the question. One talks about tedious, monotonous jobs and the other is about self fulfillment. None of these are covered in the argument.

D) Could be true because of the last sentence.

Not sure though which one I'd pick out of D and B. would love to see some other replies...
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PostSun Sep 28, 2008 8:39 am
picked D..
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chase4meg
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PostTue Sep 30, 2008 10:17 pm
Confused between B and D...

B sounds more convincing though..
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kris610
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PostSun Oct 05, 2008 4:18 pm
The choice D comes directly from the last sentence in the stem:

"the extended workday of 1880 and the shorter workday of today are products of different stages of the continuing process of industrialization".

The stem says that shorter workdays are not confined to industrialized socities, and can be observed in non-industrialized societies as well.

But within industrialized economies, they have to do with the stage of industrialization. So Option D can be correctly inferred from the stem.
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LifetimesofSC
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PostFri Oct 10, 2008 6:52 am
D

OA?
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vivek.kapoor83
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PostFri Oct 10, 2008 8:43 am
imo b
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kuroneko1313
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PostFri Oct 10, 2008 9:01 am
Another vote for D.
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vivek.kapoor83
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PostFri Oct 10, 2008 9:26 am
Peculiar means ...Irregular, ODD
SO, In 1st sentence , it says 12 hrs workday and then that eg says shorter time for work. So, it aws not fixed or regular for Industries in older days.
D is vry near to be convinced but not the answer.But acc to example in passage , they had shorted workday earlier also. So, It is LIKELY that workday will be shorten, but workday was shorter for some ppl earlier also.
So, IMO B.
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PostSat Oct 11, 2008 6:00 am
I am going with D too...
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PostSat Oct 11, 2008 2:03 pm
(B)

It is unlikely that the owner of the original post will ever come back to post the OA but I must say that this is an interesting question.

Anyone knows the source of this CR ?
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kris610
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PostSat Oct 11, 2008 3:52 pm
B is the opposite of what is implied in the passage. Look at the last sentence.


"The extended workday of 1880 and the shortened workday of today..."
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vivek.kapoor83
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PostSat Oct 11, 2008 11:34 pm
this is ques from 1000cr...just found--oa for this is D
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NSNguyen
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PostMon Nov 30, 2009 11:28 pm
thks 4 your OA
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