IlanaEconomistGMAT wrote:
I agree that A, C, and D are correct.
In Q1 the two contenders are A and E. A is correct because what the first sentence wants to say about the "idea" is that it remained unchallenged until new research challenged it. This corresponds to answer choice A. Answer choice E represents the content of the idea - the reduction of effort, but not the 'reception' of the idea - i.e. what was the attitude to this idea, how was it received by others? That is what the first sentence wants to tell us.
In Q2, C is correct - and the reasoning here closely parallels the reasoning above. The passage is about the challenge to a prevailing idea.
In Q3 - Notice the phrasing of the question - the researchers would agree that "modernizing house technology did NOT". It is easy to pick an incorrect answer choice by not paying attention to that final "NOT".
D is correct because the part of the passage that describes the analysis by Vanek and Cowan stresses that there were two different insights from the analysis. 1 - for particular tasks, the time spent on them was reduced. 2 - overall, in homes of full-time home workers, the total time spent on housework was not reduced. The correct answer choice refers to the latter insight. Answer choice B would only be correct without that final "NOT" in the question stem. C would only be correct in relation to insight no. 2, but not in relation to insight no. 1.
I marked (E).
I don't know how you differentiated between 'Content' and 'reception' when neither is mentioned in the question.
Which of the following is TRUE about the 'IDEA'?
(E) is not true as it mentions 'EFFORT' rather than 'TIME SPENT'.
Had it mentioned reduced time spent, it would have been correct.
So (A) scores over (E).
I too mistook EFFORT for TIME SPENT and hence marked (E).