Dear zoezhuyan,

I'm happy to respond.

You are correct that "additionally" continues the line of argument. You are correct that the passage began with stating a misconception, then stating what is really true. We got one example, and after the word "additionally," we get another example. But these are examples of what?? Let's think about this carefully.

Misconception: Environmental regulations have the same effect on all companies.
Truth: Environmental regulations have vastly different effects on different companies.

Example #1: location can affect how much or little regulatory attention a company gets
(then the word "additionally")
Example #2: size matters: big vs. small companies also are affected differently

Those are examples of what? They are examples of how different companies are affected by environmental regulations in different ways. In other words, they are examples of the "Truth" that we listed above. They are NOT examples of the "misconception"--in fact, they are all counterexamples to the "misconception." Choice (D) has it exactly backwards! These are NOT examples of the misconception: quite to the contrary, they are examples demonstrating that the misconception is wrong.

Does all this make sense?
Mike
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Passage: Environmental Regulations

Question: Passage Structure

The Simple Story

EMs (environmental managers) mistakenly believe that environmental regulations affect all competitors equally. This author asserts that the effects are unequal. Various examples are given; then the passage concludes that EMs would do a better job if they paid attention to how regulations affect their own specific companies, not just the industry at large.

Note that this passage follows a classic structure: The author disagrees with what some or most people believe, provides evidence or examples to support that disagreement, and then possibly discusses some consequence or follow-on analysis of the true situation.

Sample Passage Map

Here is one way to map this passage. (Note: abbreviate as desired!)

P1: Myth: most EMs think env regs affect all equally.
BUT diff firms affected differently

P2: (eg)
EMs = better job, comp adv if realize this

Note (eg) is an abbreviation for “examples are given at this point in the passage.”

Step 1: Identify the Question

The question asks you to determine the relationship of a particular statement to the passage as a whole. This language signals a hybrid question about the structure of the overall passage. You’ll need to understand the specific text referenced in the context of the primary purpose or overall point of the passage.

Step 2: Find the Support

First, remind yourself of the overall point of the passage: contrary to popular belief, environmental regulations typically apply unequally to companies in the same industry, resulting in competitive advantages or disadvantages.

Next, review the referenced text in lines 12 through 17:

“Additionally, large plants can spread compliance costs such as waste treatment across a larger revenue base; on the other hand, some smaller plants may not even be subject to certain provisions such as permit or reporting requirements by virtue of their size.”

Step 3: Predict an Answer

This statement indicates particular advantages that a plant may enjoy based on its size. Larger plants can spread costs across their larger revenue base, so per-unit costs are lower. At the same time, larger plants might be subject to certain requirements that smaller plants don’t even have to follow in the first place.

This information serves to support the author’s main idea: these regulations can apply unequally and therefore result in advantages or disadvantages for different companies.

Step 4: Eliminate and Find a Match

(A) The cited text is not disproved later in the passage. In fact, the cited text serves as support for the author’s main point.

(B) The passage does convey some opposition: there is a common misconception, on one hand, and the author’s conflicting view, on the other hand. The cited text, however, does not highlight the opposition between the two ideas. Rather, it provides support specifically for the author’s view.

(C) CORRECT. This choice matches the predicted answer. The referenced sentence does provide examples that serve to support the author’s main claim (which was indeed made earlier in the passage).

(D) The misconception is that regulations affect all competitors equally. The text in lines 12 to 17 does not support that misconception; rather, that text contradicts the misconception.

(E) The purpose of the cited text is to provide support for the author’s main point. This text does not draw an analogy between two situations described elsewhere in the passage.
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Dear Nevernevergiveup,

I'm happy to respond. Here's the relevant part of the passage:
Finally, older production technologies often continue to generate toxic wastes that were not regulated when the technology was first adopted. New regulations have imposed extensive compliance costs on companies still using older industrial coal-fired burners that generate high sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide outputs, for example, whereas new facilities generally avoid processes that would create such waste products.

First of all, the first sentence quoted here is a general-point sentence, and the sentence that follows it is an example sentence. Even if the second sentence were not clear, we would expect it to be about older companies "still continuing" to do something that is now regulated.

In fact, the second sentence is crystal clear. The use of the present participle "using" implies present action, and the adverb "still" reinforces this interpretation. The fact that the paragraph talks about "companies still using older industrial coal-fired burners that generate high sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide outputs" means, of course, that right now there are "companies" that "still use older industrial coal-fired burners that generate high sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide outputs." This is stated clearly and unambiguously.

Therefore (C) is absolutely undeniable as the OA.

Does this make sense?
Mike
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Dear gamerguy0074,

I'm happy to respond.

Here is Q 52:
52. It can be inferred from the passage that a large plant might have to spend more than a similar but smaller plant on environmental compliance because the larger plant is
(A) more likely to attract attention from local regulators
(B) less likely to be exempt from permit and reporting requirements
(C) less likely to have regulatory costs passed on to it by companies that supply its raw materials
(D) more likely to employ older production technologies
(E) more likely to generate wastes that are more environmentally damaging than those generated by smaller plants

Remember that inference on the GMAT RC (and on CR) means that something is not directly stated but that it's absolutely undeniable, based on what is explicitly stated. See:
Inference on GMAT Reading Comprehension

For Q52, this is the crucial sentence from the prompt:
Additionally, large plants can spread compliance costs such as waste treatment across a larger revenue base; on the other hand, some smaller plants may not even be subject to certain provisions such as permit or reporting requirements by virtue of their size.

If smaller companies, by virtue of their small size, are exempt from permit or reporting requirements, then it must be true that large companies would be subject to these requirements. Answer = (B)

Does all this make sense?
Mike
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I thought the same. Later I find the issue is different tone: argumentation or presentation . The verb" correct" in E implies argumentation , on the other hand A uses the verb" address" whose tone implies presenting an idea. Thus E suits better considering the tone.

Sure, you could say that the misconception is a problem, but does the author suggest possible solutions? In the last sentence, the author basically says that environmental managers CAN help their companies by avoiding that misconception, but does that really solve the misconception problem? Even if it does, the author certainly does not present multiple possible solutions to correct the misconception.

Instead, the author simply describes the misconception and attempts to correct that misconception. This is captured perfectly by choice (E).

In other words, the author is not presenting possible solutions for correcting the misconception. Instead, the author corrects the misconception in the passage, and then explains why environmental managers should adopt this corrected view to help their companies.

(E) is the best answer.
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Not quite... as described in my earlier post, the author is not primarily interested in solving a widespread environmental management problem. Instead, the author is primarily concerned with describing and correcting a common misconception (choice E).

Sure, the author says that environmental managers can better help their companies if they avoid this misconception... but is that really a solution to the management problem? Telling someone to avoid a certain problem isn't really solving the problem. The author tells the environmental managers that they should avoid the problem, but the author does NOT discuss how to avoid the problem.

(E) is still the best answer.
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Yes, changing the word "adapted" to "adopted" changes the meaning of (A) entirely. It's not so important to determine whether (A) would have been true with different wording -- instead, it is more useful to focus on reading answer choices accurately in the first place.

I hope that helps!
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First, let’s deal with the two sentences you mention in the passage, then we’ll consider question 1. Here’s the first sentence:

"In reality, regulatory costs—and therefore compliance—fall unevenly, economically disadvantaging some companies and benefiting others."

Whether “and therefore compliance” refers to compliance itself or compliance costs is somewhat ambiguous, but more importantly, this distinction is not necessary to understand the passage, or even that sentence, as a whole. Either way, the author’s point is that the burden to comply with regulations unduly falls on some companies at the expense of others.

And here’s the second sentence:

"For example, a plant situated near a number of larger non-compliant competitors is less likely to attract the attention of local regulators than is an isolated plant, and less attention means lower costs."

Here, the author is stating NOT that non-compliant compliant competitors are less likely to attract the attention of local regulators, BUT that a plant situated near non-compliant competitors is less likely to attract regulators’ attention.

Question 1 says:



And here’s (A):

The second sentence we considered above does not suggest that a given larger plant is more likely to attract attention from local regulators than a comparable smaller plant. Instead, it compares attention drawn by a plant among larger non-compliant competitors with that drawn by an isolated plant. On the other hand, the question simply compares a large plant to a small plant. It doesn’t provide us with any information of what’s situated in the vicinity of those two plants. Eliminate (A) for question 1.

I hope that helps!
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Hi Deeptanshu02,

Let me share my understanding about the lines in bold.

The author mentions the myths most environmental managers consider as facts, about the environmental regulations affecting all competitors in a given industry uniformly, are in reality untrue, as the regulatory costs and in turn compliance unevenly benefit some companies and are a disadvantage for others.
Author uses an example to justify his claim: [quote]A plant situated near a number of larger non-compliant competitors is less likely to attract the attention of local regulators than is an isolated plant, and less attention means lower costs.[quote]
This example means that a plant that is situated near many non compliant competitors has an advantage over other plants, it is less likely to come into notice of the local regulators, as there other non-compliant plants to than is an isolated, because an isolated will get more attention from the environmental regulators.

Hope This Helps.
Thanks.

I chose A for Q55. This is how I interpret A and E.

(A)
environmental management problem = uneven environmental regulation costs.
solutions = how to achieve competitive edge in the uneven costs condition (environmental managers can help their companies ...).


(E)
only mentioned misconception, but failed to address the last part of the passage (anticipating regulatory pressure and exploring all possibilities for addressing how changing regulations will affect their companies specifically).

What takeaway / realignment of GMAT world logic should I accept here?

source: OG13

Q53. Among the myths taken as fact by the environmental managers of most corporations is the Line belief that environmental regulations affect all competitors in a given industry uniformly. In reality, regulatory costs—and therefore compliance—fall unevenly, economically disadvantaging some companies and benefiting others. For example, a plant situated near a number of larger non-compliant competitors is less likely to attract the attention of local regulators than is an isolated plant, and less attention means lower costs. Additionally, large plants can spread compliance costs such as waste treatment across a larger revenue base; on the other hand, some smaller plants may not even be subject to certain provisions such as permit or reporting requirements by virtue of their size. Finally, older production technologies often continue to generate toxic wastes that were not regulated when the technology was first adopted. New regulations have imposed extensive compliance costs on companies still using older industrial coal-fired burners that generate high sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide outputs, for example, whereas new facilities generally avoid processes that would create such waste products. By realizing that they have discretion and that not all industries are affected equally by environmental regulation, environmental managers can help their companies to achieve a competitive edge by anticipating regulatory pressure and exploring all possibilities for addressing how changing regulations will affect their companies specifically.

According to the passage, which of the following statements about sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide outputs is true?
A. Older production technologies cannot be adapted so as to reduce production of these outputs as waste products.
B. Under the most recent environmental regulations, industrial plants are no longer permitted to produce these outputs.
C. Although these outputs are environmentally hazardous, some plants still generate them as waste products despite the high compliance costs they impose.
D. Many older plants have developed innovative technological processes that reduce the amounts of these outputs generated as waste products.
E. Since the production processes that generate these outputs are less costly than alternative processes, these less expensive processes are sometimes adopted despite their acknowledged environmental hazards.



So they regulations are in general and they are applicable to violators.

But option C says that

Although these outputs are environmentally hazardous, some plants still generate them as waste products despite the high compliance costs they impose.

but there is nowhere written that Some plants still do it or whether companies stopped doing so after the regulations are imposed.

So how can C be correct choice.

Hi NandishSS,
The below lines have the answer to question 1.
Additionally, large plants can spread compliance costs such as waste treatment across a larger revenue base; on the other hand, some smaller plants may not even be subject to certain provisions such as permit or reporting requirements by virtue of their size. -- comparison based on size of plant

Whereas , the last line of para 1 states the below -
For example, a plant situated near a number of larger non-compliant competitors is less likely to attract the attention of local regulators than is an isolated plant, and less attention means lower costs. -- Location of a plant matters ,but we are not comparing smaller plants with larger plants in these lines.

6 mins 30 seconds in total , including 2 mins 15 seconds to read . All correct .
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adkikani,

You have asked very interesting question.

First, it is a inference question. As inference question will not be stated directly in passage, we will have to infer it. Below quote is talking about LOCATION of SMALLER plant. It is not talking about LARGER plant. As per this quote, smaller plants which are located near non-compliant larger plant is less likely to attract regulators than smaller plan which are located in ISOLATED Place. This quote does not say "Larger plan is more/less likely to attract regulators or Larger plans are more non-compliant etc.

Please read below lines of second Paragraph

large plants can spread compliance costs such as waste treatment across a larger revenue base; on the other hand, some smaller plants may not even be subject to certain provisions such as permit or reporting requirements by virtue of their size.

It says Larger plants can spread compliance costs but smaller plant may not even have to pay for permits/reporting requirements. What does it mean ?
It means, Larger plants are less likely than smaller plants to be exempt from these requirements.
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Official Explnanation

Q1. It can be inferred from the passage that a large plant might have to spend more than a similar but smaller plant on environmental compliance because the larger plant is
A. more likely to attract attention from local regulators
B. less likely to be exempt from permit and reporting requirements
C. less likely to have regulatory costs passed on to it by companies that supply its raw materials
D. more likely to employ older production technologies
E. more likely to generate wastes that are more environmentally damaging than those generated by smaller plants
Inference
This item depends on understanding the implications of the passage’s discussion of differences between large and small plants. It asks what might be true of a larger plant that would compel it to spend more than a smaller plant on environmental compliance. The passage addresses this issue by stating that smaller plants are often not subject to the same permit or reporting requirements that larger plants are.
A. The likelihood of attracting regulatory attention is discussed only in the context of comparing plants that are isolated with small plants that are near large noncompliant ones. The passage does not suggest that size is generally the crucial determining factor in attracting regulatory attention.
B. Correct. According to the passage, certain permit or reporting requirements may not apply to smaller plants; this suggests that larger plants are less likely than smaller plants to be exempt from these requirements, and thus that the larger plants would have to spend more to comply.
C. The passage does not discuss the passing on of regulatory costs from suppliers to plants.
D. The passage does not suggest that larger plants are any more likely than smaller plants to employ older production technologies.
E. The passage does not distinguish between the types of wastes emitted by larger plants and those emitted by smaller plants.
The correct answer is B.

Q2. According to the passage, which of the following statements about sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide outputs is true?
A. Older production technologies cannot be adapted so as to reduce production of these outputs as waste products.
B. Under the most recent environmental regulations, industrial plants are no longer permitted to produce these outputs.
C. Although these outputs are environmentally hazardous, some plants still generate them as waste products despite the high compliance costs they impose.
D. Many older plants have developed innovative technological processes that reduce the amounts of these outputs generated as waste products.
E. Since the production processes that generate these outputs are less costly than alternative processes, these less expensive processes are sometimes adopted despite their acknowledged environmental hazards.
Supporting idea
This item depends on identifying what the passage states explicitly about outputs of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. The passage says that plants that produce these outputs are those that use older industrial coal-fired burners, and that such plants are subject to extensive compliance costs imposed by new regulations.
A. The passage does not address the question of whether older production technologies might be adapted to reduce outputs of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.
B. The passage states that new regulations have imposed high compliance costs on companies that produce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide outputs, not that these outputs are prohibited.
C. Correct. The passage states that some companies are still using the older kinds of burners that generate sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide outputs, and that new regulations have imposed high compliance costs on these companies.
D. The passage does not address the question of whether older plants have developed new processes to reduce the amounts of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide they produce.
E. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide outputs, the passage suggests, are produced only by older industrial coal-fired burners; newer facilities (using alternative processes) do not employ this technology, the expense of which is not mentioned in the passage.
The correct answer is C.

Q3. Which of the following best describes the relationship of the statement about large plants (lines 12–17) to
the passage as a whole?
A. It presents a hypothesis that is disproved later in the passage.
B. It highlights an opposition between two ideas mentioned in the passage.
C. It provides examples to support a claim made earlier in the passage.
D. It exemplifies a misconception mentioned earlier in the passage.
E. It draws an analogy between two situations described in the passage.
Evaluation
This question asks about the role played in the passage by the following statement: Additionally, large plants can spread compliance costs such as waste treatment across a larger revenue base; on the other hand, some smaller plants may not even be subject to certain provisions such as permit or reporting requirements by virtue of their size. This statement describes situations in which compliance costs for plants of different sizes may differ, which serve as evidence in support of the passage’s main claim: that environmental regulations do not affect all competitors in a given industry uniformly.
A. The statement in question is not a hypothesis; rather, it reports factors that are known to affect the varying impact of environmental regulations.
B. This is too vague to be a good description of the kind of relationship the question asks about. The highlighted statement does present a contrast—it suggests that larger plants’ compliance costs are lower under some circumstances, while smaller plants’ compliance costs are lower under other circumstances. But this purports to state two facts rather than mere ideas; they are contrasting facts but not in any meaningful sense opposed, since they can easily coexist.
C. Correct. The statement provides examples to support the initial claim made in the passage that regulatory costs fall unevenly on competitors in an industry: large plants can spread compliance costs around, and smaller plants may not even have to pay certain costs.
D. This statement helps to dispel, not exemplify, a misconception mentioned earlier in the passage—i.e., the myth that environmental regulations affect all companies in an industry the same way.
E. The statement does not suggest that the situation of larger and smaller plants is similar (or analogous) to any other situation mentioned in the passage.
The correct answer is C.

Q4. The primary purpose of the passage is to
A. address a widespread environmental management problem and suggest possible solutions
B. illustrate varying levels of compliance with environmental regulation among different corporations
C. describe the various alternatives to traditional methods of environmental management
D. advocate increased corporate compliance with environmental regulation
E. correct a common misconception about the impact of environmental regulations
Main idea
This question depends on understanding the passage as a whole. Its first sentence indicates its main purpose: to dispel a myth about environmental regulations that is often taken as fact.
A. The passage is not about the management of any environmental problem, which would be a problem about how to prevent or undo damage to the environment. The passage primarily aims to dispel a belief that the passage says is widely held by environmental managers.
B. The passage refers to variations in firms’ levels of compliance with environmental regulations, but its primary purpose is not to illustrate those varying levels, nor does it do so.
C. The passage suggests that most environmental managers are mistaken about a key concept; its primary purpose is not to describe traditional methods of environmental management or alternatives to those traditional methods, nor does it do so.
D. The passage takes no position on whether companies should increase their compliance with environmental regulation.
E. Correct. The passage primarily aims to dispel the belief that environmental regulations affect all companies in an industry uniformly.
The correct answer is E.

Thank you for the reply GMATNinja!
Yes, I completely agree with you. I have built some bad reading habits over time which have come to realize after preparing for GMAT.

I initially picked B, but after reading the passage again, changed my mind into A.
My reasoning is like this.
If older production technologies can be adapted to reduce production of sulfur dioxide, who doesn't modify thier production when there is a regulation that imposes extensive compliance costs on companies that generate sulfur dioxide? In other words, the regulation affects older productions and new production evenly because older production can modify their production. However, since older production cannot be adapted to reduce production of sulfur dioxide, the older production is disadvenataged by the regulation just as the passage explained.

To be sure, I looked up this question and found a lot of people insist the answer for this Q is C.
I can see why those people picked C.

I'd like to hear people's opinions on this issue.

Can anyone answer the below question?. it is based on the same passage

It can be inferred from the passage that a large plant might have to spend more than a similar but smaller plant on environmental compliance because the larger plant is

(A) more likely to attract attention from local regulators
(B) less likely to be exempt from permit and reporting requirements
(C) less likely to have regulatory costs passed on to it by companies that supply its raw materials
(D) more likely to employ older production technologies
(E) more likely to generate wastes that are more environmentally damaging than those generated by smaller plants

Well, let me try..

Additionally, large plants can spread compliance costs such as waste treatment across a larger revenue base; "on the other hand, some smaller plants may not even be subject to certain provisions such as permit or reporting requirements by virtue of their size".

There is a contrast being presented and it states that Small firms can sometimes dodge the provisions such as permit or other requirements because of its SIZE.
Now, since its an inference question, and a contrast is presented , we can judiciously infer that LARGE firms wont be able to dodge these regulations and therefore, they may have to pay more compliance costs as compared to small size firms.

Any thoughts ?
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