lionsshare wrote:Archaeologists use technology to analyze ancient sites. It is likely that this technology will advance considerably in the near future, allowing archaeologists to gather more information than is currently possible. If they study certain sites now, they risk contaminating or compromising them for future studies. Therefore, in order to maximize the potential for gathering knowledge in the long run, a team of archaeologists plans to delay the examination of a newly excavated site.
Which of the following would be most useful to investigate for the purpose of evaluating the plan's prospects for achieving its goal?
A. Whether any of the contents of the site will significantly deteriorate before the anticipated technology is available
B. Whether there will continue to be improvements on the relevant technology
C. Whether the team can study a site other than the newly excavated site for the time being
D. Whether the site was inhabited by a very ancient culture
E. Whether the anticipated technology will damage objects under study
PREMISE: Archaeologists use technology
PREMISE: Future technology will facilitate more discoveries
PREMISE: Studying sites now could compromise future discoveries at site
CONCLUSION:
Delaying examination of site will maximize potential for discoveries at site
Let's check the answer choices While also reminding ourselves what the conclusion is...
A) Would the results of this investigation help us determine whether or not
delaying examination of the site will maximize potential for discoveries?
YES!
If the contents of the site DO significantly deteriorate, then delaying examination of the site will NOT maximize the potential for discoveries.
If the contents of the site do NOT significantly deteriorate, then delaying examination of the site WILL maximize the potential for discoveries.
So knowing the answer to this question will definitely help us evaluate the conclusion.
KEEP A
B) Would the results of this investigation help us determine whether or not
delaying examination of the site will maximize potential for discoveries?
The passage already tells us of that "it is likely that this technology will advance considerably in the near future." So answer choice B addressing whether the technology will continue to improve BEYOND the near future.
In this case the results of such an investigation would not help us evaluate the conclusion because the passage already states that technology will likely advance considerably in the near future.
ELIMINATE B
C) Would the results of this investigation help us determine whether or not
delaying examination of the site will maximize potential for discoveries?
NO.
Whether or not the team has something to keep itself occupied with has no bearing on whether or not new technologies will better help them examine the site in question.
ELIMINATE C
D) Would the results of this investigation help us determine whether or not
delaying examination of the site will maximize potential for discoveries?
NO.
Whether or not we're dealing with a very ancient culture has no bearing on whether the delay will help the team make more discoveries
ELIMINATE D
E) Would the results of this investigation help us determine whether or not
delaying examination of the site will maximize potential for discoveries?
NO.
This is a tricky one. We must keep in mind that the conclusion is all about whether or not the team will be able to make more discoveries in the future than presently. Sure some stuff might get broken in the process, But the plot passage already tells us that advanced technologies will allow archaeologists to gather more information.
ELIMINATE E
Answer: A
Cheers,
Brent
