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Sub 505 (Easy)|   Long Passage|   Social Science|                     
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Question 1 -- how to differentiate between A and B ...

I selected A :( but the OA is B ..

OA says A is wrong because "While explaining in paragraph 5 that museums often store countless artifacts unseen in their basement , the author proposes no alternative for museum display of these artifacts"

But isn't the author proposing -- that

a) excavators sell privately
b) (implying : less artifacts will be available for the museum to display once this practice is underway)
c) (implying: this activity will be in a way an alternative to museum display as there will be less artifacts to display for the museum)

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5. The author’s argument concerning the effect of the official sale of duplicate artifacts on illegal excavation is based on which of the following assumptions?

(A) Prospective purchasers would prefer to buy authenticated artifacts.
(B) The price of illegally excavated artifacts would rise.
(C) Computers could be used to trace sold artifacts.
(D) Illegal excavators would be forced to sell only duplicate artifacts.
(E) Money gained from selling authenticated artifacts could be used to investigate and prosecute illegal excavators.


I also have a question regarding Q5. It asks the assumption but option (A) is clearly mentioned in the last paragraph of the passage , how can it be assumption. Assumption is something that is unstated. because of this reason I did not mark this option. Yes I agree that other options are cannot be correct but option A has confused me a bit. Can someone explain where am I going wrong . Or am I just over-analyzing
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GMATNinja

Question 1 -- how to differentiate between A and B ...

I selected A :( but the OA is B ..

OA says A is wrong because "While explaining in paragraph 5 that museums often store countless artifacts unseen in their basement , the author proposes no alternative for museum display of these artifacts"

But isn't the author proposing -- that

a) excavators sell privately
b) (implying : less artifacts will be available for the museum to display once this practice is underway)
c) (implying: this activity will be in a way an alternative to museum display as there will be less artifacts to display for the museum)
The question asks what the primary purpose of the passage is, so the correct answer must tell us the overall purpose of the entire passage, not the purpose of a single paragraph.

Quote:
(A) an alternative to museum display of artifacts
Sure, we could say that (A) is wrong because it focuses on an alternative to the museum display of artifacts, while paragraph 5 focuses on an alternative to storing artifacts in museum basements (which is quite different from putting artifacts on display). But a much simpler reason to eliminate (A) is that it's too narrow to represent the primary purpose of the passage.

The question asks us why the author wrote this passage. Choice (A) tells us why the author wrote paragraph 5, and gets a key detail wrong as well. That's why we eliminate it.

Quote:
(B) a way to curb illegal digging while benefiting the archaeological profession
Choice (B), on the other hand, is a succinct expression of the passage's purpose. The author is verbose, but ultimately wrote this whole thing to offer a way to fund archaeologists' work while reducing the negative effects of illegal excavation. The author identifies these two problems right up front, then spends the rest of the passage explaining how the act of selling excavated artifacts can solve both.

I hope this helps!
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Question 7



Quote:
7. The author implies that which of the following would occur if duplicate artifacts were sold on the open market?

I. Illegal excavation would eventually cease completely.
II. Cyprus would become the primary source of marketable duplicate artifacts.
III. Archaeologists would be able to publish the results of their excavations more frequently than they currently do.

(A) I only
(B) III only
(C) I and II only
(D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and III
Let's take these three statements one at a time:

Quote:
I. Illegal excavation would eventually cease completely.
The author admits, "It would be unrealistic to suggest that illegal digging would stop if artifacts were sold on the open market." This suggests that illegal excavation would NOT cease completely, so we can eliminate the first statement.

Quote:
II. Cyprus would become the primary source of marketable duplicate artifacts.
One SMALL excavation in Cyprus is mentioned as an example, but the author's idea (to sell excavated artifacts on the open market) would apply to excavations all over the world, not just in Cyprus. We have no reason to believe that Cyprus, and not some other country, would become the primary source of marketable duplicate artifacts. Eliminate II.

Quote:
III. Archaeologists would be able to publish the results of their excavations more frequently than they currently do.
We are told that, "Only paltry sums are available for excavating and even less is available for publishing the results and preserving the sites once excavated." But if artifacts were sold on the open market, "such sales would provide substantial funds for the excavation and preservation of archaeological sites and the publication of results."

Archaeologists currently do not have a lot of money to spend on publishing results. But if they sell duplicate artifacts on the open market, those sales will provide funding to publish results. This suggests that archaeologists would be able to publish the results of their excavations more frequently than they currently do. Keep III.

Only III works, so (B) is the answer!

Question 5


5. The author’s argument concerning the effect of the official sale of duplicate artifacts on illegal excavation is based on which of the following assumptions?

(A) Prospective purchasers would prefer to buy authenticated artifacts.
(B) The price of illegally excavated artifacts would rise.
(C) Computers could be used to trace sold artifacts.
(D) Illegal excavators would be forced to sell only duplicate artifacts.
(E) Money gained from selling authenticated artifacts could be used to investigate and prosecute illegal excavators.

I also have a question regarding Q5. It asks the assumption but option (A) is clearly mentioned in the last paragraph of the passage , how can it be assumption. Assumption is something that is unstated. because of this reason I did not mark this option. Yes I agree that other options are cannot be correct but option A has confused me a bit. Can someone explain where am I going wrong . Or am I just over-analyzing
The author basically says, in the form of a question, that if buyers have a choice between an unmarked pot and another whose provenance (place of origin) was known and that was dated by a professional archaeologist, they will choose the latter. The author talks about what buyers would choose, not what buyers would prefer.

If the author had said, "Based on extensive survey data, we know that buyers prefer artifacts whose provenance is known and that are dated by professional archaelogists.", then, yes, (A) would be a repeat of information in the passage. The author's statement (err, question) is basically a hypothesis -- one that is based on the ASSUMPTION that buyers would prefer to buy authenticated artifacts.

The author's question is similar to something like this: "If we offer pizza and spam, who wouldn't want the pizza??" Behind that rhetorical question is the assumption that people prefer pizza over spam. If that assumption is incorrect, then the implied argument -- that most or all people would choose pizza -- would be weakened.

I hope that helps!
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Question 4


Quote:
4. The author mentions the excavation in Cyprus (lines 31-34) to emphasize which of the following points?
(A) Ancient lamps and pottery vessels are less valuable, although more rare, than royal seal impressions.
(B) Artifacts that are very similar to each other present cataloguing difficulties to archaeologists.
(C) Artifacts that are not uniquely valuable, and therefore could be sold, are available in large quantities.
(D) Cyprus is the most important location for unearthing large quantities of salable artifacts.
(E) Illegal sales of duplicate artifacts are wide-spread, particularly on the island of Cyprus.
We are told that, "in one small excavation in Cyprus, archaeologists recently uncovered 2,000 virtually indistinguishable small jugs in a single courtyard." This example reinforces the point made in the preceding sentence: that there are "thousands of pottery vessels and ancient lamps that are essentially duplicates of one another."

The author is trying to counter the objection that "everything that comes out of the ground has scientific value." If we have 2,000 virtually indistinguishable small jugs, does each one have scientific value? According to the author, no. Sure, we might want to study a few of those jugs and put a few on display at museums. But most of those duplicates will just wind up lost in a museum basement, "as inaccessible as if they had never been discovered" (because they have not been properly cataloged).

The Cyprus excavation is just one example of a large quantity of artifacts that, because they are not uniquely valuable, could be sold (to provide funds for archaeology and reduce the amount of illegal digging).

This fits with choice (C): The author mentions the excavation in Cyprus (lines 31-34) to emphasize the point that (C) artifacts that are not uniquely valuable, and therefore could be sold, are available in large quantities.
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Question 6



Quote:
6. The author anticipates which of the following initial objections to the adoption of his proposal?
In the second paragraph, the author makes the "outrageous" proposal that "scientific archeological expeditions and governmental authorities sell excavated artifacts on the open market."

In the third paragraph, he lists some potential objections to that proposal:
  • "Professionals excavate to acquire knowledge, not money," AND
  • "Ancient artifacts are part of our global cultural heritage, which should be available for all to appreciate, not sold to the highest bidder."

Our task in answering question 6 is to choose the answer choice that best reflects one of the two objections listed above.

Quote:
(A) Museum officials will become unwilling to store artifacts.
Nope, not a good match. The author does mention that "basements of museums are simply not large enough to store the artifacts that are likely to be discovered in the future," but that doesn't mean that museum officials will become unwilling to store artifacts. Eliminate (A).

Quote:
(B) An oversupply of salable artifacts will result and the demand for them will fall.
This doesn't line up with the objections listed. In addition, the author states that "the demand for the clandestine product would be substantially reduced" if his proposal were adopted. But that's because he believes that the demand will shift from illegally excavated artifacts to legally excavated artifacts -- he doesn't think that overall demand for artifacts will fall. (B) is out.

Quote:
(C) Artifacts that would have been displayed in public places will be sold to private collectors.
This aligns with the second objection anticipated by the author: that "ancient artifacts are part of our global cultural heritage, which should be available for all to appreciate, not sold to the highest bidder."

An item displayed in a public place would be "available for all to appreciate." The hypothetical objection here is that these objects would have been available to the public, but are instead scooped up by private collectors. (C) is looking good.

Quote:
(D) Illegal excavators will have an even larger supply of artifacts for resale.
The author never lists this as a potential objection to his proposal. In fact, he says that his proposal will "break the illegal excavator’s grip on the market." Get rid of (D).

Quote:
(E) Counterfeiting of artifacts will become more commonplace.
The author never mentions counterfeiting of artifacts, so this is definitely not an objection that he anticipated.

(E) is out, and (C) is the answer to question 6.

I hope that helps!
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Hi GMATNinja,

My question is not about the passage, but about grammar used in one of the sentences of the paragraph. The sentence reads as below:
There is not enough money even to catalog the finds; as a result, they cannot be found again and become as inaccessible as if they had never been discovered.
Why are we using Past Perfect Progressive? Why can't we just use "as if they were never discovered" ?

Many thanks!
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OFFICIAL GMAT EXPLANATION TO QUESTION (4)

The best answer is C. In lines 27-29, the author refutes the assertion that every object excavated has potential scientific value and therefore should not be sold. In lines 30-31, the author defines those objects that do not have scientific value: "the thousands of pottery vessels... that are essentially duplicates of one another." The Cyprus excavation appears in the next sentence as an example of one location in which such duplicate artifacts have been found in large quantities. The reference to "2,000 virtually indistinguishable small jugs" highlights the profusion and uniformity of the Cyprus finds. Thus, the excavation is mentioned in order to emphasize the ready availability of objects that lack unique value and therefore could be sold.
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bmvs
Hi GMATNinja,

My question is not about the passage, but about grammar used in one of the sentences of the paragraph. The sentence reads as below:
There is not enough money even to catalog the finds; as a result, they cannot be found again and become as inaccessible as if they had never been discovered.
Why are we using Past Perfect Progressive? Why can't we just use "as if they were never discovered" ?

Many thanks!
First, a disclaimer: this is not an SC question so there is pretty much no point worrying about grammar nuances -- especially things like "past perfect progressive" that rarely come up in GMAT SC questions! (If you're interested in some thoughts on how the GMAT tests verb tenses, check out this video.)

Also, remember that the GMAT will NEVER ask you to look at a sentence in a bubble and determine whether it's right or wrong -- your job is always to pick the BEST answer choice out of the five available, so analyzing this one particular sentence on its own, while perhaps interesting, isn't a good use of your study time.

All that said, I think it's quite common to use the past perfect after "as if" or "as though" when the action is something that didn't really happen. For example:

    "Tim is skipping around as if he had won the lottery." - Tim didn't actually win the lottery.

Similarly, in the passage, the artifacts actually HAVE been discovered, so "never been discovered" represents something that didn't actually happen. In this case, the past perfect is used.

In the unlikely event that this comes up as a decision point on a GMAT SC question, please let us know! Until then, there are much more important things to worry about ;).
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KarishmaB GMATNinja

In q2, why A & D are incorrect?

2. The author implies that all of the following statements about duplicate artifacts are true EXCEPT:
(A) A market for such artifacts already exists.
The author suggested to sell duplicate artifacts but there is no info to support that market or demand for duplicate already exist. We know from the passage that "thousands of pottery vessels and ancient lamps" exist or could be found but demand exists is not mentioned anywhere.

(D) Museums are well supplied with examples of such artifacts.
There are not enough space in basement for artifacts likely to be discovered in future but current supply of duplicate artifacts wasn't mentioned.

The author has discussed about a "possible solution" by selling duplicate artifacts but both A & D focus on market already exist for duplicate artifacts.

Thanks for your time!
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KarishmaB GMATNinja

For q5, I agree that A is correct but why C is incorrect?

5. The author’s argument concerning the effect of the official sale of duplicate artifacts on illegal excavation is based on which of the following assumptions?
(C) Computers could be used to trace sold artifacts.
- Author is not saying that bcz we can trace artifacts, illegal excavation would stop. He is saying that demand for unmarked pot would not be there. So tracing the artifacts does not affect illegal excavation.
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KarishmaB GMATNinja

In q2, why A & D are incorrect?

2. The author implies that all of the following statements about duplicate artifacts are true EXCEPT:
(A) A market for such artifacts already exists.
The author suggested to sell duplicate artifacts but there is no info to support that market or demand for duplicate already exist. We know from the passage that "thousands of pottery vessels and ancient lamps" exist or could be found but demand exists is not mentioned anywhere.

(D) Museums are well supplied with examples of such artifacts.
There are not enough space in basement for artifacts likely to be discovered in future but current supply of duplicate artifacts wasn't mentioned.

The author has discussed about a "possible solution" by selling duplicate artifacts but both A & D focus on market already exist for duplicate artifacts.

Thanks for your time!

You are looking for what is implied. You have to "figure it out."

Such sales would provide substantial funds for the excavation and preservation of archaeological sites and the publication of results. At the same time, they would break the illegal excavator’s grip on the market, thereby decreasing the inducement to engage in illegal activities.


Looks like there is a market for such objects. The author expects the sale to raise a lot of money. Also, it seems the illegal excavator has a grip on the market. Then the market must be there.

Indeed, with the help of a computer, sold artifacts could be more accessible than are the pieces stored in bulging museum basements.

The museum basements are bulging so it means they have enough of such artefacts.
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KarishmaB GMATNinja

For q5, I agree that A is correct but why C is incorrect?

5. The author’s argument concerning the effect of the official sale of duplicate artifacts on illegal excavation is based on which of the following assumptions?
(C) Computers could be used to trace sold artifacts.
- Author is not saying that bcz we can trace artifacts, illegal excavation would stop. He is saying that demand for unmarked pot would not be there. So tracing the artifacts does not affect illegal excavation.


5. The author’s argument concerning the effect of the official sale of duplicate artifacts on illegal excavation is based on which of the following assumptions?

(A) Prospective purchasers would prefer to buy authenticated artifacts.
(B) The price of illegally excavated artifacts would rise.
(C) Computers could be used to trace sold artifacts.
(D) Illegal excavators would be forced to sell only duplicate artifacts.
(E) Money gained from selling authenticated artifacts could be used to investigate and prosecute illegal excavators.

The author says this about the effect of official sale on illegal excavation:
I would like to make an outrageous suggestion that would at one stroke provide funds for archaeology and reduce the amount of illegal digging. I would propose that scientific archeological expeditions and governmental authorities sell excavated artifacts on the open market. Such sales would provide substantial funds for the excavation and preservation of archaeological sites and the publication of results. At the same time, they would break the illegal excavator’s grip on the market, thereby decreasing the inducement to engage in illegal activities.

The assumption is that people will buy officially sold artefacts.
The effect on illegal sale doesn't assume that computers could be used to trace sold artefacts. In fact, it is given as an advantage of officially selling artefacts. It has no connection with the impact on illegal trade.
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1. The primary purpose of the passage is to propose (B) a way to curb illegal digging while benefiting the archaeological profession.
The author suggests selling excavated artifacts on the open market as a means to provide funds for archaeology and reduce illegal excavation. The proposal aims to address the financial constraints faced by archaeologists and the problem of illegal digging.

2. The author implies that all of the following statements about duplicate artifacts are true EXCEPT: (E) Such artifacts frequently exceed in quality those already catalogued in museum collections.
In the passage, the author discusses the abundance of duplicate artifacts, such as pottery vessels and ancient lamps. The author acknowledges their lack of unique artistic merit or scientific value. However, there is no mention of these duplicate artifacts frequently exceeding the quality of those already catalogued in museum collections. Therefore, option (E) is the correct answer.

3. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as a disadvantage of storing artifacts in museum basements? (E) Such artifacts often remain uncatalogued and thus cannot be located once they are put in storage.
The passage states that there is not enough money to catalogue the finds, resulting in artifacts being stored in museum basements without proper documentation. As a result, these artifacts become inaccessible and cannot be located again. This supports option (E) as the correct answer.

4. The author mentions the excavation in Cyprus (lines 31-34) to emphasize which of the following points? (C) Artifacts that are not uniquely valuable, and therefore could be sold, are available in large quantities.
The excavation in Cyprus is mentioned to highlight the discovery of thousands of virtually indistinguishable small jugs and a large number of royal seal impressions. This serves to emphasize that artifacts which are not uniquely valuable but could be sold are available in large quantities. This aligns with option (C) as the correct answer.

5. The author’s argument concerning the effect of the official sale of duplicate artifacts on illegal excavation is based on which of the following assumptions? (A) Prospective purchasers would prefer to buy authenticated artifacts.
The author suggests that by selling excavated duplicate artifacts on the open market with proper documentation and authentication, prospective purchasers would prefer these authenticated artifacts over unmarked, illegally obtained ones. This assumption is central to the author's argument, making option (A) the correct answer.

6. The author anticipates which of the following initial objections to the adoption of his proposal? (C) Artifacts that would have been displayed in public places will be sold to private collectors.
The passage mentions that artifacts with unique artistic merit or scientific value should not be sold. The author anticipates objections that artifacts that would have been displayed in public places, such as museums, may be sold to private collectors instead. This aligns with option (C) as the correct answer.

7. The author implies that which of the following would occur if duplicate artifacts were sold on the open market? (B) III only. (III. Archaeologists would be able to publish the results of their excavations more frequently than they currently do.)
The passage suggests that by selling duplicate artifacts on the open market, substantial funds could be generated for the excavation, preservation, and publication of archaeological findings. This implies that archaeologists would be able to publish the results of their excavations more frequently than they currently do, supporting option (B) as the correct answer. The passage does not imply that illegal excavation would completely cease or that Cyprus would become the primary source of marketable duplicate artifacts.[/b][/b]
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