For millennia, the Nile River flooded nearly every year as a natural consequence of heavy summer rains on the Ethiopian Plateau; in the last century, as the population in the region exploded, the cycle of flooding interspersed with periodic drought caused widespread suffering for the local population. In the mid-1950s, the Egyptian government concluded that a significant dam was necessary to enable the country’s economic development to be on a par with that of Western nations. The Aswan Dam would prevent the annual flooding, generate hydroelectric power and supply a steady source of water for residents and agricultural activities, though it would also have other, less positive effects.
By the 1970s, most Egyptian villages had electric power, and the dam provided approximately half of Egypt’s entire output of electricity. The benefits were counteracted, however, by consequences which were sometimes slow to appear but ruinous in their long-term effects. Dams prevent silt from flowing through to downstream lands. The silt is essential for renewing the minerals and nutrients that make the land fertile; before the dam, the Nile floodplain was famously productive. Farmers have had to substitute artificial fertilizers, reducing profits and causing pervasive chemical pollution with deleterious effects for the human, animal and plant populations living near or in the river. It is difficult to draw definite conclusions about a project with such substantial and varied results, but it would be untenable to assert that the Egyptian government should never have built the Aswan Dam.
(C) CORRECT. The passage essentially states that, despite mixed consequences, we cannot defend the position that the dam should not have been built, as the last sentence indicates that "it would be untenable to assert that the Egyptian government should never have built the Aswan Dam." This mirrors the idea that
"unpredictable" or mixed results do not necessarily lead to "condemning the entire endeavor."
1. Based upon the content of the passage, the author would most likely agree with which of the following propositions?
(A) If a plan achieves its stated goals, it should still be carried out, even in the face of unintended negative results.
(B) Planners of highly complex projects should expect some unintended negative consequences, even if they cannot foresee what those consequences will be.
(C) Although a major undertaking may have unpredictable results, those results are not necessarily grounds for condemning the entire endeavor.
(D) Any potential positive and negative effects should be weighed before starting a project of considerable magnitude or complexity.
(E) It is necessary to determine the net impact of all outcomes, good and bad, before deciding whether to denounce the overall project
The passage is fairly balanced but turns positive at the end. The author first states the intended positive consequences and acknowledges the unintended negative
effects of the dam before stating, in the last sentence, that the dam was ultimately successful. The author concludes this last sentence by giving the opinion (very mildly stated) that the dam should have been built. (D) CORRECT. The author examines both sides of the issue before asserting that the dam should have been built; this reflects a mild endorsement
2. The author’s attitude toward the Aswan Dam Project is best reflected by which of the following phrases?
(A) inconsistent support
(B) strict neutrality
(C) keen enthusiasm
(D) mild endorsement
(E) cautious opposition
(C) CORRECT. In the second paragraph, the passage states "before the dam, the Nile floodplain was famously productive" and goes on to say that farmers now have to use artificial fertilizers. This implies that the land is not as fertile as it was before the dam was built.
3. The passage implies which of the following about the effects of the Aswan Dam?
(A) Crops cannot grow without silt.
(B) Although farmers are pleased with the absence of seasonal flooding, they would prefer that the dam not have been built because of the problems it has caused.
(C) The land around the river is not as fertile as it was before the dam was built.
(D) Egypt now competes successfully on an economic level with Western nations.
(E) The country would have been better off if the dam had not been built.
(B) CORRECT. The author quantified the output in order to demonstrate the magnitude of this particular benefit.
4. What is the significance of the author’s statement that the dam generated half of Egypt’s output of electricity by the 1970s?
(A) It proves that Egypt no longer needed to rely on other sources of electricity.
(B) It demonstrates the magnitude of the positive effects created by the dam.
(C) It argues that the positive energy output is more important than any negative effects.
(D) It shows that the dam fell short of initial expectations.
(E) It contrasts the positive and negative effects of the dam.
In the first paragraph, the passage introduces a problem (flooding) and a solution (the Aswan Dam). In the second, the passage notes that the dam had both the
intended positive effects and some unexpected negative consequences. The author concludes by noting that, despite the negative effects, the dam did accomplish its
primary intended goal; the author also explicitly rejects the idea that the dam should not have been built. (A) CORRECT. The passage discusses the "varied effects" (positive and negative consequences) that resulted from a plan that generally succeeded.
5. What is the primary purpose of the passage?
(A) to explain that varied effects can result even from sound business plans that accomplish their goals
(B) to demonstrate that advantages are usually outweighed by unforeseen disadvantages
(C) to assert that the Egyptian government should not have undertaken these plans for economic development
(D) to describe the implementation of a project with significant environmental effects
(E) to detail the negative effects suffered because of poor planning
One helpful technique is to label each answer choice with a T (for "true") if you find it in the passage and an F (for "false") if you cannot. (E) CORRECT. False. In fact, the opposite is true; the dam led farmers to use fertilizers which caused pollution and harmed the animal and plant life in the area
6. All of the following are mentioned as benefits of the Aswan Dam EXCEPT
(A) a constant source of fresh water for consumers and industry
(B) electrical power for a sizable portion of the population
(C) the facilitation of economic development possibilities similar to those in Western nations
(D) the elimination of annual flood cycles in the region
(E) the protection of animal and plant life in and near the river