praetorian123 wrote:
1. Time yourself
2. Solve this the way you would on your actual gmat.
3. Explain your solution, and your time please
Farm animals have certain behavorial tendencies that result from the evolutionary history of these species. By imposing on these animals a type of organization that conflicts with their behavorial tendencies,current farm management practices cause the animals more pain and distress than do practices that more closely conform to the animals behavorial tendencies. Because the animals tend to resist this type of organization, current practices can also be less efficient than those other farm management practices.
If the statements above are true, which one of the following can be properly inferred from them?
A. Some of the behavorial tendencies of farm animals can be altered by efficient farm management practices
B. In order to implement efficient farm management practices,it is necessary to be familiar wit the evolutionary history of farm animals.
C. In order to create farm management practices that cause less pain and distress to farm animals ,a significant loss of efficiency will be required.
D. Farm Management Practices that cause the least amount of pain and distress to farm animals are also the most efficient management practices.
E. Some changes in farm management practices that lessen the pain and distress experienced by farm animals can result in gains in efficiency.
E is the correct answer.
B is out of scope because the passage in no way mentions what benefits can be derived from being "familiar" with the evolutionary history of farm animals. There is no parallel to be drawn,if we decide to conclude something about being "familiar" with the evolutionary history of farm animals, then we would be making unwarranted assumptions,which is not what we want to do. We want the passage to support the answer.
The answer has to have complete support from ALL the premises in the passage....A, B, C, & D fail to do this....
now looking at E:
here's what the passage basically says: farm animals have certain tendencies, trying to alter their tendencies causes pain and distress which leads to inefficienciess because the animals try to resist these alterations (ie changes, restrictions). here's the key: the passage finishes by saying because the animals tend to resist this type of organization-->these practices can also be less efficient than other practices..
Right after you finish reading the passage, we should look for an answer that is supported only by things mentioned or infered in the passage. Obviously, Anything that is not mentioned or inferred, is out of scope
We can properly infer "E" from the passage because the last line states this. Practices that cause pain are inefficient because of the pain. So we can properly assume that lessening the pain would somewhat improve efficiency because the inefficiency is caused by the pain.
Thus E is the best.
TIP : We are walking a very fine line when it comes to inference questions. The answer should NOT jump too far away from the passage's gist.
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