Behind every book review there are two key figures: a book review edit

Official Explanation

RC69461.01-20

2. The main idea of the second paragraph is that

A. decisions made by book review editors are influenced by the business of selling books
B. book review editors must be familiar with all aspects of the book trade
C. advertising is the most important factor influencing book sales
D. book reviews usually have no influence on what books are ordered in quantity by stores
E. publishers deliberately try to influence the decisions of book review editors

Evaluation

What idea is most central to the second paragraph? A good strategy here is to identify the two most plausible answer candidates by quickly eliminating the three least plausible.

Looking through the options, answer choices B, C, and D can be reasonably easily eliminated, leaving the remaining two options as the most plausible candidates. Note that the paragraph focuses on the idea that review editors' decisions are influenced by the business of selling books (answer choice A).

A. Correct. As indicated, this idea is the main theme of the paragraph.

B. The paragraph is focused on how editors' decisions are influenced by the business of selling books, not on how much knowledge book review editors must have.

C. Although the paragraph suggests that advertising may significantly influence book orders by bookstores, the paragraph does not indicate that advertising is the most important factor.

D. The paragraph does not indicate that book reviews usually have no influence on book orders by bookstores.

E. The paragraph does not indicate that publishers' pre-publication outreach to review editors is a deliberate effort to influence the editors' decisions.

The correct answer is A.

Official Explanation

RC69461.01-30

3. According to the passage, a major concern of the unenthusiastic book reviewers mentioned in line 33 was to

A. ensure prompt payment for their work
B. influence public opinion of books
C. confirm the opinions of other reviewers
D. promote new books by their favorite authors
E. have their reviews published in the newspaper

Supporting idea

What does the passage suggest was a major concern of the unenthusiastic book reviewers mentioned? The necessary information is found in the final sentence of the third paragraph.

Given that the reviewers were paid promptly anyway, it follows that prompt payment would not be a major concern for them. This sentence goes on to suggest that having their material published in the newspaper was of concern, specifically implying that this concern may have induced some of them to provide more favorable reviews in order to ensure publication. While this is not directly stated, this line of reasoning is confirmed by the information that the review editor's brilliant system tended to publish only positive reviews.

A. The passage suggests that the practice was to promptly pay all reviewers—even those whose reviews were not published.

B. Nothing in the passage suggests that influencing public opinion was part of the agenda of any of the reviewers, even those occasionally writing unenthusiastic reviews.

C. Nothing in the passage suggests that writers of unenthusiastic book reviews were necessarily influenced by the opinions of other reviewers.

D. Nothing in the passage suggests that unenthusiastic book reviewers attempted to promote any book, let alone ones from their favorite authors.

E. Correct. The final sentence of the third paragraph indicates that this may have been a major concern of the unenthusiastic reviewers.

The correct answer is E.

Official Explanation

RC69461.01-40

4. The passage provides information to answer which of the following questions?

A. Would most book review editors prefer to have books reviewed without regard to the probable commercial success of the books?
B. Are publishers' efforts to persuade bookstores to order certain books generally effective?
C. On what basis do literary experts decide that a book is or is not important?
D. What criteria are used to determine the length of a particular book review?
E. Have book review practices in general changed significantly since a generation ago?

Inference

Which one of the five questions can be answered based on the information given in the passage? This implies that four of the answer choices will be questions that we cannot answer based on the passage. Certain among these choices are easily eliminated: the question regarding literary experts' evaluation and the question regarding criteria for length of reviews.

The question of whether book review practices in general have changed over the last generation is also fairly easily eliminated: the information about such practices a generation ago only concerns the system used by one review editor in one newspaper.

Thus we can narrow down our answer candidates to the following: the question about how expected commercial success relates to review editors' preferences, and the question about whether book publishers' outreach efforts for certain books succeed in persuading bookstores to order large quantities of those books. Which one of these two questions does the passage help answer?

A. The passage provides neither a definitive “yes” nor a definitive “no” answer to this question, at least as concerns “most” book editors. The second paragraph of the passage indicates that expectations regarding the books that bookstores will order in quantity does figure prominently in decision making regarding publication of reviews. However, this does not necessarily indicate what most editors would prefer. It is possible, if not likely, that book review editors differ widely in their preferences. This does not of course answer whether book review editors listen to their personal preferences when making decisions about publication of book reviews. Ultimately, we do not have the information to address either this question or its nuances.

B. Correct. The passage tells us that the books that publishers heavily advertise will probably be among the books that most bookstores order in quantity. This provides a “yes” answer to the question.

C. The passage provides no information regarding how literary experts decide whether a book is “important.” Note that the passage specifically discusses book review editors. It is unclear whether this is the same thing as “literary expert,” but we are given no reason to think so.

D. The passage provides no information regarding how the length of a book review is determined.

E. The passage indicates that a generation ago, a review editor for a newspaper had a brilliant system of publishing only the reviews that were enthusiastic about particular books. However, the passage does not indicate that this was common editorial practice at the time. Rather, the passage tells us that most editors currently publish both positive and negative reviews. Nothing in the passage indicates that this practice was different a generation ago.

The correct answer is B.

Official Explanation

RC69461.01-50

5. The passage suggests which of the following about book review readers?

A. They pay careful attention to reviewers' biases as they read reviews.
B. They disapprove of book review editors who try to influence what their reviewers write.
C. They use book reviews in order to gauge whether a book is likely to endure.
D. They expect to see timely reviews of widely publicized books in the periodicals they read.
E. They are usually willing to search in several stores for a highly recommended book that is hard to find.

Inference

What does the passage convey about readers of book reviews? Note that the question does not concern what is most likely true of at least some book review readers; rather, the passage most strongly suggests what is true of book review readers in general.

Nothing in the passage implies that any of the first three answer choices given is true of book review readers in general. This leaves the final two answer choices as possible candidates. Of the two, D more clearly describes something that the passage suggests is generally true of book review readers.

A. No doubt some book review readers pay attention to reviewers' biases, but the passage does not imply that this is generally true of readers of book reviews.

B. The passage does not tell us that readers of book reviews generally know whether review content is influenced by book review editors. Furthermore, it does not tell us whether these readers generally approve or disapprove of such editors.

C. The passage nowhere suggests that readers of book reviews generally make judgments as to whether a book is likely to be a long-lasting cultural legacy.

D. Correct. The passage indicates that book review editors in general feel responsible to meet their readers' expectations by providing reviews of books that are newsworthy, advertised, and written about elsewhere.

E. The passage nowhere suggests that most book review readers will search in several stores for a highly recommended book. The passage refers to books that readers will have trouble finding in stores; however, this is more plausibly read as readers of books rather than readers of book reviews. Furthermore, it does not suggest that most readers—or most readers of book reviews—will go to several stores to search for a book.

The correct answer is D.

Official Explanation

RC69461.01-60

6. Which of the following words, if substituted for “brilliant” in line 26, would LEAST change the meaning of the sentence?

A. showy
B. articulate
C. literate
D. stingy
E. absurd

Evaluation

Which word, if substituted for “brilliant” in the sentence, would least alter the meaning of the sentence? In other words, we must pick the word we could substitute for brilliant in the sentence without significantly changing the meaning of the sentence.

Note that neither articulate nor literate would be an apt modifier of the word system. Stingy indicates a financial use of the system, which seems inappropriate.

Eliminating these options leaves only showy and absurd as candidates. Given these choices, it is fairly clear that brilliant is meant ironically. We are told that the unenthusiastic reviewers quickly learned that if they wanted their material to be printed, it was advisable to be kind.

A. Nothing in the passage conveys that the system, ironically designated brilliant, was showy, that is, eye-catching.

B. Articulate could describe fluent or coherent speech, description, or writing, but it does not appropriately modify the noun system in this context.

C. The adjective literate does not appropriately modify system; furthermore, it fails to convey a clear meaning that would match the ironic meaning of the modifier brilliant.

D. The system does not seem to have a monetary purpose, so stingy would not fit. Note that the final sentence of the paragraph suggests that the system self-selects for books that are likely to be successful, potentially at the expense of writers who write “unenthusiastic reviews.” Nevertheless, the passage notes that the unpublished writers would still be paid, so their risk lies in not having their work read rather than in not being paid for their work.

E. Correct. Among the answer choices, absurd best captures the ironic use of brilliant and preserves the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

The correct answer is E.

Official Explanation

RC69461.01-70

7. Which of the following is an assumption made by the book review editor referred to in line 27?

A. A book of great worth will receive only good reviews.
B. An important book will endure despite possible bad reviews.
C. Reviewers might hide their true opinions in order to have their reviews published.
D. Book review editors should select reviewers whose opinions can be guessed in advance.
E. Book review editors have an obligation to print extensive reviews of apparently important books.

Evaluation

Which one of the five options is an assumption the book review editor made in following the book review system described? The editor's policy was to publish the reviews that gave books a sufficiently positive evaluation while often refusing to publish unenthusiastic reviews; that is, reviews that did not rate books highly.

Given the information in the passage, it is likely that this editor followed other editors in feeling some concern about what might endure. That is, these editors would presumably not wish to risk ignoring a book of great worth. Therefore, this editor may have believed that his brilliant system of not publishing negative reviews would guard against such a risk. In other words, the editor assumed that unenthusiastic reviews accurately reflected the value of the books reviewed. By this logic, a book of great worth would, of course, receive only positive reviews.

A. Correct. The editor, in applying the system described, assumed that a book of great worth would receive only positive reviews.

B. If the editor assumed this, he would be justified in publishing bad reviews given that a good book would eventually be vindicated.

C. There is nothing to suggest that the editor thought the reviewers to be dishonest in representing their views of the books they review; that is, that the reviewers would lie in order to get their reviews published. While this may have been the case, the passage provides no evidence to suggest that the editor assumed this.

D. Nothing in the passage suggests that the editor's practice was governed by this sort of rule regarding how book review editors should select reviewers.

E. The passage suggests the book review editor wanted books of significant worth reviewed in his newspaper. However, it does not suggest that the editor assumed this rule should apply to all book review editors.

The correct answer is A.

Official Explanation

RC69461.01-80

8. It can be inferred that, as a prospective book buyer, the author of the passage would generally respond to highly enthusiastic reviews of new books with

A. resignation
B. amusement
C. condemnation
D. skepticism
E. disinterest

Inference

What does the passage suggest about how its author might respond to highly enthusiastic reviews of new books? Nothing in the passage suggests the response would be resignation, amusement, or condemnation.

This narrows down the possibilities to skepticism or disinterest. The intended meaning of disinterest is “lack of interest.” It is unlikely that the author of the passage would be generally uninterested in highly enthusiastic reviews of new books.

This of course leaves skepticism as the best candidate. The passage does suggest that this might be the passage author's attitude: the passage discusses the impact of commercial considerations—the business of selling books—on review editors' choices regarding which books to review. It follows that highly enthusiastic reviews may, at least in some cases, be influenced by such considerations. With this in mind, the author of the passage is likely to approach such reviews with skepticism. In other words, the author holds a certain amount of doubt as to whether such reviews accurately reflect the true worth of the books reviewed.

A. Given the critical approach to reviewing practices conveyed in the passage, it is unlikely that the response of the author would be resignation.

B. The author of the passage might, for various reasons, be amused at some highly enthusiastic reviews. Nevertheless, the passage does not suggest that amusement would be the author's response to any highly enthusiastic review.

C. Nothing in the passage suggests that the author's general response to enthusiastic reviews would be condemnation.

D. Correct. As explained above, skepticism is most likely to be the author's most usual response.

E. Some book reviews, even highly enthusiastic ones, might not interest the author of the passage. However, nothing in the passage indicates that the author's general response would be to show no interest.

The correct answer is D.

GMATNinja

Could you please help out and explain the reasoning behind question 7?
This is a CR type assumption question, isn't the use of "only" in the right answer choice a bit radical and out of the scope to use it as an assumption?

I think the question stats speak for itself, we need an expert explaining the answer choice.

Thank you very much

Official Explanations are too bad.
Can some expert please put the solutions to 4,6,7?
GMATNinja

I am not an expert but I can present my reasoning .

Q4 The passage provides information to answer which of the following questions?

A. Would most book review editors prefer to have books reviewed without regard to the probable commercial success of the books?
B. Are publishers' efforts to persuade bookstores to order certain books generally effective?

C. On what basis do literary experts decide that a book is or is not important?(irrelevant, passage indicates that enthusiastic reviews have power but it also says the efforts to make a book important are mixed ones and the intention is set in very beginning , which means that deciding wether book is imp or not is not a factor .the passage is more about on how reviews are made (the inside story). )

D. What criteria are used to determine the length of a particular book review?(irrelevant)

E. Have book review practices in general changed significantly since a generation ago? (only mentioned in one line not entire passage)
SOLUTION -C,D,E are a direct NO.
B VS A
the passage gives info about how the inside part works . What happens and how things are influenced .INFLUENCE IS A STRONG & crispy word .
A says about preference of MOST (means more than 50%) editors . We haven't come across any line which shows EDITORS concerened about preference of books getting reviewed without regard to commercial success)

B - the persuade word gives us little clue. The passage is also about publishers putting best efforts to get their books published .They try to make strategy and plan how they can promote a certain book . The example of a generation ago method is also given .So YES the passage does answer this question .
REFER LINES - signifying that the
⠀⠀⠀ publishers will make special efforts to promote these
⠀⠀⠀ books. They will be heavily advertised and probably (this word indicates that if publishers are successful in their efforts then they might be able to make those particular books one which bookstores order in QUANTITY)be among the books that most bookstores order in
⠀⠀⠀ quantity.

6. Which of the following words, if substituted for “brilliant”(CLEVER) in line 26, would LEAST change the meaning of the sentence?

A. showy
B. articulate (fluent writing)
C. literate
D. stingy (ungenerous)
E. absurd (illogical)

SOLUTION - We need to replace the word brilliant without changing context of those lines.A,B,C are easy to eliminate .D cannot replace the clever move because we are not measuring generosity of newspaper.NOW E, We know this was a clever(brilliant) move by that newspaper and at the same time it was not reasonable move . There was no logical strategy .The unenthu and enthu both kinds of reviewers were getting paid . There was no real value adding strategy for the reviews . This method was very clever and hence we can call it illogical on basis of the comments made he reasoned that the book was not important enough to be discussed immediately. Absurd means illogical .
REFER LINES - A generation ago, a newspaper used
⠀⠀⠀ a brilliant system of choosing which books to feature.
⠀⠀⠀ The book review editor sent out a greater number of
⠀⠀⠀ books than reviews he actually intended to publish.
⠀⠀⠀ If a review was unenthusiastic, he reasoned that the
(30)⠀⠀book was not important enough to be discussed
⠀⠀⠀ immediately, and if good reviews of enough other
⠀⠀⠀ books came in, the unenthusiastic review might never
⠀⠀⠀ be printed. The unenthusiastic reviewers were paid
⠀⠀⠀ promptly anyway, but they learned that if they wanted
(35)⠀⠀their material to be printed, it was advisable to be
⠀⠀⠀ kind.

7. Which of the following is an assumption made by the book review editor referred to in line 27?

A. A book of great worth will receive only good reviews.
B. An important book will endure despite possible bad reviews.
C. Reviewers might hide their true opinions in order to have their reviews published.
D. Book review editors should select reviewers whose opinions can be guessed in advance.
E. Book review editors have an obligation to print extensive reviews of apparently important books.
SOLUTION - this is the easy assumption question . The intention of sending books greater in number and upon receiving unenthusiastic review act as if that book is not important is clearly on basis that a good book will receive good reviews only . That is the purpose of sending books in great numbers.

For Q4. The passage provides information to answer which of the following questions?

The correct answer is : B. Are publishers' efforts to persuade bookstores to order certain books generally effective?

Can an expert guide me where in the passage, is the information mentioned in option B answered.

Also, for Q5, when the correct answer says that book review readers expect to see timely reviews of widely publicized books in the periodicals they read, are we referring to the following line:

"Not having such books reviewed might give the impression that the editor was caught napping".

Question 4

The information you're looking for in the passage to answer question 4 is on lines 9-14:

These two sentences tell us that books that publishers are making special efforts to promote will be heavily advertised and will probably be among the books that most bookstores order in quantity.

This part of the passage tells us that publishers' efforts to persuade bookstores to order certain books are generally effective, so (B) is the correct answer to question 4.

Question 5

To answer this question about the part of the passage needed to answer question 5, you're right that you should look at lines 14-15:

"Not having such books reviewed might give the impression that the editor was caught napping..."

This sentence refers back to the heavily advertised books mentioned in the previous sentence and suggests that readers of these periodicals will think the editor has made a mistake by not including a review of a widely publicized book in their periodical.

There's also further information in lines 18-20 of the passage:

"Editors can risk having a few of the less popular titles reviewed, but they must consider what will be newsworthy, advertised, and written about elsewhere."

While editors can have some less popular titles reviewed, this part of the passage tells us they must consider what is advertised. This suggests that there is some pressure on editors to include reviews of books that are widely publicized in their periodicals. Also, editors must consider what is written about elsewhere, suggesting an editor must consider publishing timely reviews of books to prevent them from looking out of step with other periodicals that publish book reviews.

Between these two sentences, we can conclude that readers of these periodicals expect to see timely reviews of widely publicized books in the periodicals they read, giving us enough information to choose (D) as our final answer.

I hope that helps!

Yes, that is right. Though the OE quotes a different line(newsworthy, advertised, and written about elsewhere.... this is about few of the less popular titles reviewed ) the question is about widely publicized books and the above quoted line is regarding the same.

"The unenthusiastic reviewers were paid promptly anyway, but they learned that if they wanted their material to be printed, it was advisable to be kind."
Above line from suggest that reviewers might be biased. Hence I chose "C"
Reviewers might hide their true opinions in order to have their reviews published.
How to eliminate C ?

What you said is true. But did the book editor make this assumption? If he did, How can he expect a bad review from a reviewer, knowing that the reviewer will lie to get his review published? After all, a review is expected to reveal the true worth of the book, isn't it? And if the book editor knew that the review doesn't reveal the true worth, how'd he differentiate between a genuine review and fake review? All the reviews he gets will be a enthusiastic review and how'd he choose which reviews to not publish? After all, he wants to filter out unenthusiastic reviews and not publish it. In this scenario, he'd get ZERO unenthusiastic reviews if he made this assumption.

The sequence of the events is below:

Book editor asks book to be reviewed -->(1) Reviewer gives good review ---> Gets published
......................................................-->(2) Reviewer gives bad review ----> Doesn't get published--> Unpublished reviewer stops giving bad reviews to get published

Thus hiding the opinions happens only in the "Reviewer" side of the events and the Book editor is unaware of this.

"C. Reviewers might hide their true opinions in order to have their reviews published." this could be an assumption made by the reader of the passage or general audience or may be by the book editor contemplating in the future.

But not while the sequence of events happened. He was unaware of this and thats why he used such a "brilliant" system. Had he been aware, he would have avoided it. Why'd he wantedly fall in a trap?

Hope I cleared why (C) is out of contention.

Can Expert explain why A in the Question 4 is not right?

"Editors can risk having a few of the less popular
titles reviewed, but they must consider what will be
newsworthy, advertised, and written about elsewhere."

does the above indicates they must consider the commercial success?