inference question

Expert replies

jamesk486: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 141; Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:24 pmFollowed by: 1 member; Thanked: 2 times

by jamesk486 » Wed Apr 25, 2007 3:28 pm

Popular culture in the United States has become Europeanized to an extend unimaginable 25 years ago. Not many people then drank wine with meals and no one drank imported mineral water. No idea would have been more astonishing than that Americans would pay to watch soccer games. Such thoughts arise because of a report that the American Associtation State Highway and Transportation Officials has just adoped a proposal to develop the country's first comprehensive interstate system of routes for biycycles.

Which of the following inferences is best supported by the passage?

A. Long distance bicycle routes are used in Europe

B. Drinking imported mineral water is a greater luxury than drinking imported wine

C. United States culture has benefited from exposure to foreign ideas.

D. Most Europeans make regular use of biycles

E. The influence of the US on European culture has assumed unprecedented proportions in the last 25 years.

Why can't the answer be D??

Source: Beat The GMAT — Critical Reasoning | Wed Apr 25, 2007 3:28 pm

Prasanna: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 418; Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2007 6:41 pm; Thanked: 24 times

Re: inference question

by Prasanna » Wed Apr 25, 2007 3:34 pm

jamesk486 wrote:Popular culture in the United States has become Europeanized to an extend unimaginable 25 years ago. Not many people then drank wine with meals and no one drank imported mineral water. No idea would have been more astonishing than that Americans would pay to watch soccer games. Such thoughts arise because of a report that the American Associtation State Highway and Transportation Officials has just adoped a proposal to develop the country's first comprehensive interstate system of routes for biycycles.

Which of the following inferences is best supported by the passage?

A. Long distance bicycle routes are used in Europe

B. Drinking imported mineral water is a greater luxury than drinking imported wine

C. United States culture has benefited from exposure to foreign ideas.

D. Most Europeans make regular use of biycles

E. The influence of the US on European culture has assumed unprecedented proportions in the last 25 years.

Why can't the answer be D??

I think the answer should be A. It cannot be D because the passage does not say anything about Europeans using their bicycles. It only says that "American Associtation State Highway and Transportation Officials has just adoped a proposal to develop the country's first comprehensive interstate system of routes for biycycles" in the context of discussing the Europian impact on America. D could be true but it is not supported by the passage.

jayhawk2001: Community Manager; Posts: 789; Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 3:51 pmFollowed by: 1 member; Location: Silicon valley, California; Thanked: 30 times

Re: inference question

by jayhawk2001 » Wed Apr 25, 2007 8:28 pm

jamesk486 wrote:Popular culture in the United States has become Europeanized to an extend unimaginable 25 years ago. Not many people then drank wine with meals and no one drank imported mineral water. No idea would have been more astonishing than that Americans would pay to watch soccer games. Such thoughts arise because of a report that the American Associtation State Highway and Transportation Officials has just adoped a proposal to develop the country's first comprehensive interstate system of routes for biycycles.

Which of the following inferences is best supported by the passage?

A. Long distance bicycle routes are used in Europe

B. Drinking imported mineral water is a greater luxury than drinking imported wine

C. United States culture has benefited from exposure to foreign ideas.

D. Most Europeans make regular use of biycles

E. The influence of the US on European culture has assumed unprecedented proportions in the last 25 years.

Why can't the answer be D??

The first sentence says "popular culture has become europeanized".
The last sentence talks about interstate system of routes for bicycles.

The only inference we can draw is that bicycle routes are used in
Europe (as this is one of the popular culture).

D goes too far in saying that "most Europeans" make use of bicycles.
We cannot infer anything about bicyclists from the passage -- it
talks exclusively about bicycle routes.

svishal1123: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 49; Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:58 am; Thanked: 3 times

by svishal1123 » Mon May 04, 2009 6:33 am

I think the answer should be E. E is a conclusion. A is true but it is a assumption. It cannot be D. We cant say anything about habits of europeans from the passage. The routes could also be built for competitions.

Question for the experts: In this case the fact in E is also explicitly stated in the stem. Can the conclusion still be E.

rahulg83: Legendary Member; Posts: 575; Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 2:58 amFollowed by: 4 members; Location: India; Thanked: 18 times; GMAT Score:710

by rahulg83 » Mon May 04, 2009 6:38 am

svishal1123 wrote:I think the answer should be E. E is a conclusion. A is true but it is a assumption. It cannot be D. We cant say anything about habits of europeans from the passage. The routes could also be built for competitions.

Question for the experts: In this case the fact in E is also explicitly stated in the stem. Can the conclusion still be E.

Hi svishal,
Don't u think that E is too extreme. Also it states opposite to what is stated in the passage. The passage talks about effect on European culture on US..
I pick A here as correct choice, D also is too extreme

svishal1123: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 49; Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:58 am; Thanked: 3 times

by svishal1123 » Mon May 04, 2009 6:43 am

Ooops.... Yes E is incorrect. It states the opposite of what is mentioned. I read the choices in a jiffy.

krisraam: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 221; Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 10:33 amFollowed by: 1 member; Thanked: 12 times

by krisraam » Mon May 04, 2009 3:05 pm

IMO A.

Thanks
Raama

PussInBoots: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 157; Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:47 am; Thanked: 3 times

by PussInBoots » Mon May 04, 2009 4:51 pm

Definitely A

samanthaJ79: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 100; Joined: Tue Aug 05, 2014 11:00 am

by samanthaJ79 » Sun May 15, 2016 6:14 am

A. Long distance bicycle routes are used in Europe

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