Citing the fact that the real gross domestic product (RC)

[sh.pradeep]

Thanks a lot Ron, it is helpful.

[tim]

Glad to hear it!

[RonPurewal]

you're welcome.

[750plus]

Team , I have a question on this passage.

1. The passage is primarily concerned with

A. comparing various measures used to assess the performance of the United States economy in 1997
B. providing evidence that the performance of the United States economy in 1997 was similar to its performance between 1873 and 1973
C. evaluating an argument concerning the performance of the United States economy in 1997
D. examining the consequences of a popular misconception about the performance of the United States economy in 1997 <-- I selected this
E. supporting an assertion made by journalists about the performance of the United States economy in 1997

OA is C

Can you please explain why D is incorrect and the correct answer correct ?

Many Thanks

[RonPurewal]

when you review main-idea questions, you should always think (in general terms) about how the passage would look for each answer choice.

choice C says
evaluating an argument concerning xxxx

in general, this means...
• the passage should start with the 'argument' (perhaps after a short introduction, perhaps not),
• then the author should JUDGE the argument. (this is what 'evaluate' means. is it good? is it bad? is it likely to be correct/incorrect/likely/unlikely? always, sometimes, or never? and so on)
• ...and, of course, the REASONS for that judgment.

that's exactly what happens in this passage.

--

[RonPurewal]

choice D says
examining the consequences of a popular misconception

if this were the correct choice, the author would...

1/
state something wrong that lots of people believe
you can already kill choice D at this point, without even reading past the word 'popular'. the author only talks about what 'some journalists' have said.

AND THEN
2/
talk about what has happened because lots of people believe that thing. ('consequences')
this doesn't happen here either.

[750plus]

choice D says
examining the consequences of a popular misconception

if this were the correct choice, the author would...

1/
state something wrong that lots of people believe
you can already kill choice D at this point, without even reading past the word 'popular'. the author only talks about what 'some journalists' have said.

AND THEN
2/
talk about what has happened because lots of people believe that thing. ('consequences')
this doesn't happen here either.

Thank You Mr. Purewal.

I got it.

[tim]

Glad to hear it!

[RonPurewal]

Thank You Mr. Purewal.

I got it.

ok.

[Chi HoC263]

Hi Ron,

Q2
According to the passage, which of the following is true of the average rate at which real GDP per capita grew in the twenty-four years immediately before 1997?
A. It was less than it had been between 1873 and 1973 because only forty percent of the population worked for wages between 1873 and 1973.
B. It was less than it had been between 1873 and 1973 because labor productivity grew less between 1973 and 1997 than it had between 1873 and 1973.
C. It was less than it had been between 1873 and 1973 as a result of an increase in the percentage of the population earning wages during these years.
D. It was less than the average rate at which real GDP per capita grew between 1873 and 1973.
E. It was less than the rate at which real GDP per capita grew in 1997.

Q2 OA is D but I have chosen B. Could you please explain why ans A and B are not correct?

Many thanks

[alexjohnhumphries]

incidentally, there's no such thing as 'showing that a fact ... is inaccurate'.

if something is a fact, then, by definition, it is accurate!

so, we can eliminate choice A immediately, even if we have no idea what the author is actually saying.

On this same question... what is so wrong with B here? I was choosing between B/C.

[RonPurewal]

Hi Ron,

Q2
According to the passage, which of the following is true of the average rate at which real GDP per capita grew in the twenty-four years immediately before 1997?
A. It was less than it had been between 1873 and 1973 because only forty percent of the population worked for wages between 1873 and 1973.
B. It was less than it had been between 1873 and 1973 because labor productivity grew less between 1973 and 1997 than it had between 1873 and 1973.
C. It was less than it had been between 1873 and 1973 as a result of an increase in the percentage of the population earning wages during these years.
D. It was less than the average rate at which real GDP per capita grew between 1873 and 1973.
E. It was less than the rate at which real GDP per capita grew in 1997.

Q2 OA is D but I have chosen B. Could you please explain why ans A and B are not correct?

A is incorrect because it's nonsense.
'only 40 percent of the population worked for wages between 1873-1973' --> from this, we would expect gdp growth to have been SLOWER during that period.
(the author points this out... but it's also common sense.)

so, A is like saying "I weigh less than my friend BECAUSE he only eats half as much food as i do." huh?


B is unjustified because the passage says nothing, ever, about the growth of labor productivity between 1973-1997.
there's some discussion of the figure for 1997, but nothing about that whole period.

[RonPurewal]

Hi Ron,

Q2
According to the passage, which of the following is true of the average rate at which real GDP per capita grew in the twenty-four years immediately before 1997?
A. It was less than it had been between 1873 and 1973 because only forty percent of the population worked for wages between 1873 and 1973.
B. It was less than it had been between 1873 and 1973 because labor productivity grew less between 1973 and 1997 than it had between 1873 and 1973.
C. It was less than it had been between 1873 and 1973 as a result of an increase in the percentage of the population earning wages during these years.
D. It was less than the average rate at which real GDP per capita grew between 1873 and 1973.
E. It was less than the rate at which real GDP per capita grew in 1997.

Q2 OA is D but I have chosen B. Could you please explain why ans A and B are not correct?

Many thanks

also—you can eliminate A and B without looking at the passage at all. in fact, you can eliminate them even if the passage has been stolen from you.

you can eliminate A and B here simply because there can only be one correct answer!

consider:

A/
X happened because Y.

B/
X happened because Z.

D/
X happened.

if only one of these statements is true, then it ABSOLUTELY MUST be choice D.
you can see why: if either A or B were true, then D would have to be true as well!

there's never more than one correct answer.
so, as soon as you notice choice D, you can eliminate A and B without even looking at the text.

[RonPurewal]

On this same question... what is so wrong with B here? I was choosing between B/C.

^^ there are at least four different problems in this thread. so, you'll need to quote the specific problem here.
thanks.

[alexjohnhumphries]

On this same question... what is so wrong with B here? I was choosing between B/C.

^^ there are at least four different problems in this thread. so, you'll need to quote the specific problem here.
thanks.

Ron,

Sorry. I thought I was replying to the qoute in which you directly responded to that questions, but I realize the quote doesn't show the full history. Here it is:

Q 4. The author of the passage asserts that " the GDP is almost always higher than ever before" (bold portion) most probably in order to

A. show that a fact cited in support of a claim is inaccurate.
B. show that a fact cited in support of a claim actually contradicts the claim
C. show that a fact cited in support of a claim doesnot prove the claim
D. explain why a fact cited in support of a claim is relevant to the claim
E. explain how the proponent of a claim selected a fact cited in support of a claim.


It came down to B/C for me. I chose C, but wanted clarity on the slight nuances that make each statement different. Thanks