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by sogmat » Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:15 pm
Efficiency and redundancy are contradictory characteristics of linguistic systems: however, they can be used together to achieve usefulness and reliability in communication. If a spoken language is completely efficient, then every possible permutation of its basic language sounds can be an understandable word. However, if the human auditory system is an imperfect receptor of sounds, then it is not true that every possible permutation of a spoken language’s basic language sounds can be an understandable word.
If all of the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true?
(A) Efficiency causes a spoken language to be useful and redundancy causes it to be reliable.
(B) Neither efficiency nor redundancy can be completely achieved in spoken language.
(C) If a spoken language were completely redundant, then it could not be useful.
(D) If the human auditory system were a perfect receptor of sounds, then every permutation of language sounds would be an understandable word.
(E) If the human auditory system is an imperfect receptor of sounds, then a spoken language cannot be completely efficient.

oa e
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Source: — Critical Reasoning |

Re: language

by rahulg83 » Tue Apr 14, 2009 7:14 pm
sogmat wrote:Efficiency and redundancy are contradictory characteristics of linguistic systems: however, they can be used together to achieve usefulness and reliability in communication. If a spoken language is completely efficient, then every possible permutation of its basic language sounds can be an understandable word. However, if the human auditory system is an imperfect receptor of sounds, then it is not true that every possible permutation of a spoken language’s basic language sounds can be an understandable word.
If all of the statements above are true, which one of the following must also be true?
(A) Efficiency causes a spoken language to be useful and redundancy causes it to be reliable.
(B) Neither efficiency nor redundancy can be completely achieved in spoken language.
(C) If a spoken language were completely redundant, then it could not be useful.
(D) If the human auditory system were a perfect receptor of sounds, then every permutation of language sounds would be an understandable word.
(E) If the human auditory system is an imperfect receptor of sounds, then a spoken language cannot be completely efficient.

oa e


I'll go for E because language is completely efficient implies every possible permutation is an understandable word. But if human auditory system is imperfect receptor, reverse is true. Bothe the ststements are true, so combining these two statements, we can make the conclusion..[/quote]
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eliminate and move on ... there's no other way

by mharv » Tue Apr 14, 2009 11:24 pm
B is making a statement, that is not true and is saying its not possible to achieve efficiency .. a bit extreme I think.

D and E are part of the passage, they are just repeated in answer choices. It is already true. << :x Tricky, never seen an answer choice repeated from argument exactly >>

C is trying to link redundancy and usefulness but there is no mention of that in the argument. So out of scope

I am left with A and although I do not agree that the argument convinces me for GMAT I would chose A and move on. :)
Regards,
Arvind
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by samanthaJ79 » Sun May 15, 2016 4:56 am
I like the explanation on A
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