By the year 2030, the Earth’s population is expected to increase to 10

Question

By the year 2030, the Earth’s population is
expected to increase to 10 billion; ideally, all would
enjoy standards of living equivalent to those of present-
day industrial democracies. However, if 10 billion
 (5)  people consume critical natural resources such as
copper, nickel, and petroleum at the current per capita
rates of industrialized countries, and if new resources
are not discovered or substitutes developed, such an
ideal would last a decade or less. Moreover, projections
 (10)  based on the current rate of waste production in many
industrialized countries suggest that 10 billion people
would generate enough solid waste every year to bury a
large city and its surrounding suburbs 100 meters deep.

These estimates are not meant to predict a grim
 (15)  future. Instead they emphasize the incentives for
recycling, conservation, and a switch to alternative
materials. They also suggest that the traditional model
of industrial activity, in which individual
manufacturing processes take in raw materials and
 (20)  generate products to be sold plus waste to be 
disposed of, should be transformed into a more integrated
model: an industrial ecosystem. In such a system the
consumption of energy and materials is optimized,
wastes and pollution are minimized, and the effluents
 (25)  of one process—whether they are spent catalysts from
petroleum refining or discarded plastic containers from
consumer products—serve as the raw material for
another process.

Materials in an ideal industrial ecosystem would
 (30)  not be depleted any more than are materials in a
biological ecosystem, in which plants synthesize
nutrients that feed herbivores, some of which in turn
feed a chain of carnivores whose waste products and
remains eventually feed further generations of plants.
 (35)  A chunk of steel could potentially show up one year in
a tin can, the next year in an automobile, and 10 years
later in the skeleton of a building. Some manufacturers
are already making use of “designed offal” in the
manufacture of metals and some plastics: tailoring the
 (40)  production of waste from a manufacturing process so
that the waste can be fed directly back into that process
or a related one. Such recycling still requires the
expenditure of energy and the unavoidable generation
of some wastes and harmful by-products, but at much
 (45)  lower levels than are typical today.

The ideal industrial ecosystem, in which there is an
economically viable role for every product of a
manufacturing process, will not be attained soon;
current technology is often inadequate to the task.
 (50)  However, if industrialized nations embrace major and
minor changes in their current industrial practices and
developing nations bypass older, less ecologically
sound technologies, it should be possible to develop a
more closed industrial ecosystem that would be more
 (55)  sustainable than current industrial practices, especially
in the face of decreasing supplies of raw materials and
increasing problems of waste and pollution.   1 
 1. According to the passage, which one of the following is currently an obstacle to the implementation of an ideal industrial ecosystem?

(A) the unwillingness of manufacturers to change their industrial practices
(B) the unwillingness of industrialized countries to reduce their standards of living to a level that is sustainable for the entire world
(C) the unwillingness of developing nations to adopt new technologies that are more ecologically sound than those used by industrialized countries
(D) the inability of technology to provide a profitable use for every by-product of the manufacturing process
(E) the failure of the industrial ecosystem approach to provide sufficient quantities of manufactured goods

2 
 2. The author of the passage would most probably agree with which one of the following statements about standards of living?

(A) An increase in the standard of living in developing countries will be accompanied by a decrease in the standard of living in industrialized countries.
(B) It is likely that the standard of living of both industrialized and developing countries will decrease substantially by the year 2030.
(C) The current standard of living of industrialized countries cannot be sustained if the population of the world increases.
(D) All countries could enjoy a high standard of living without depleting natural resources if industrialized and developing countries implemented an ideal industrial ecosystem.
(E) Supplies of critical natural resources will be in serious danger of depletion by the year 2030 unless the current standard of living of both industrialized and developing countries is reduced.

3 
 3. The author of the passage would most probably agree with which one of the following statements about the use of “designed offal” (line 38)?

(A) It is a harmful step that requires the consumption of critical natural resources and results in the generation of waste and harmful by-products.
(B) It is not an entirely helpful step because it draws attention away from the central problems that still need to be solved.
(C) It is a temporary solution that will not contribute to the establishment of an industrial ecosystem.
(D) It is a promising step in the right direction, but it does not solve all of the problems that need to be addressed.
(E) It is the most practical solution to the environmental problems facing the world.

4 
 4. The author mentions all of the following as advantages of replacing current industrial practices with an industrial ecosystem approach EXCEPT:

(A) The amount of waste produced by industrial processes would be reduced.
(B) The amount of harmful by-products produced by industrial processes would be reduced.
(C) The use of alternative sources of energy to provide power for industrial processes would be increased.
(D) The consumption of raw materials used in industrial processes would be optimized.
(E) Better use would be made of the waste produced by industrial processes.

5 
 5. Of the following, which one is the best example of the use of “designed offal” (line 38) as it is defined in the passage?

(A) A paper container manufacturer purchases recycled newspaper that is turned into pulp and used as the raw material for producing paper containers.
(B) A demolition company strips brass fixtures from condemned buildings, reconditions the fixtures, and sells them to home renovation companies.
(C) A steel company buys metal taken from discarded automobiles, melts it down, and uses it in the production of steel beams.
(D) An automobile manufacturer turns the plastic left over from its production of automobile body panels into insulation for its automobile doors.
(E) A plastic company receives recycled beverage containers, reprocesses the containers, and uses the reprocessed material to produce polyester fiber.

Source:   LSAT Official PrepTest 31   
 Difficulty Level:   600

Saasingh · Answer

Any explanation for Q5 ?

I was confused between A and C a both seemed to say that waste of the manufacturing process is fed into the same manufacturing process or a similar one as input material.

However, how is D right? D says about "left over" material. I thought "designed offal" meant not left over but rather "Waste" material which is reused. In my opinion, left over material is not the same as waste material. Left over means extra material. And waste means the material which was "used" but is now waste. So how is D the correct answer ?

Any explanation for D would be helpful.
BTW I chose C after battling A vs C.

Thanks.

bM22 · Answer

Hi  Saasingh ,

Let me know if this helps.

Consider the lines: A chunk of steel could potentially show up one year in a tin can, the next year in an automobile, and 10 years later in the skeleton of a building. Some manufacturers are already making use of “designed offal” in the manufacture of metals and some plastics:  tailoring the production of waste from a manufacturing process so that the waste can be fed directly back into that process or a related one .

Thus, we are looking for an option, where the waste metals or plastics from a manufacturing process are reused in the same or a similar process.

Now, A is clearly incorrect, as it is not the waste part of the newspaper that is being recycled and reused.

C and D are really close, but C is incorrect, but what we are looking for is waste from a manufacturing process to be reused in the same or a similar manufacturing process, and not any random discarded material.

D is best choice. True that left over, doesn't explicitly imply waste, but suppose a manufacturing process uses an amount of plastic for some automobile production, and some plastic is left over, with no other purpose, wouldn't it count as waste. Thus, making D a better answer.

Thanks.

Saasingh · Answer

Hey,

Thanks for you time and explanation. I understand what you say. The only reason I POE'd D in my first round of elimination was solely because of the "left over" thing. And I kept A as a secondary option. So, for me C was way better than A. Too close I guess between C and D.

But don't you think it's more of a judgement call ? Like in D the "left over" thing really threw me off. So for me to choose between D and C is more a personal judgment kind of thing as both of them somehow deviate from the exact expected answer? Can we expect something that close on GMAT though ?

Thank you for your time.

bM22 · Answer

I wouldn't call it judgement. Suppose you have a cloth, you are using to make something, you cut, design and create what you want, but in all of this you still have some cloth left over right?? that is nothing but waste. Left-over could also imply, materials that couldn't be completely used. So its not all wrong.

CuriosStud · Answer

I made the same mistake of choosing A as the correct answer. In the hindsight now I realize why A might be wrong. It says recycled newspaper. Not a direct leftover or a waste in production of paper. While D directly mentions the use of the door as panles.

HASTOWINGMAT · Answer

Hi  Sajjad1994 ,

Can you please provide the answer for Q1,2,3,5. Even though the passage is quite easy to understand but the options in the questions were quite confusing. It was always stuck two options and chose the incorrect one.

Gaurav2896 · Answer

can anyone answer q2 , i think it should be E

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

1. According to the passage, which one of the following is currently an obstacle to the implementation of an ideal industrial ecosystem?

Difficulty Level:   Easy

Explanation

“According to the passage,”  and the categorical  “which…is,”  clearly signal a Detail Question. But where? The phrase  “obstacle to the implementation”  doesn’t occur in the text per se, but our Roadmap must send us to  Paragraph 4 , in which the author asserts pessimism about the early implementation of the iie. The semicolon gives it away. That little punctuation mark connects the pessimistic prediction with  line 19 , which  (D)  directly echoes: Today’s technology is just not up  “to the task,”  meaning it’s not ready to process and reuse manufacturing by-products.

(A), (B), (C)  Each asserts an intransigence on someone’s part that is either contradicted by, or off the topic of, the passage. Far from balking, manufacturers  (A)  are cited in  Paragraph 3  as changing in the spirit of the iie.

The author wants the industrialized countries  (B)  to change their manufacturing ways, and shows no interest in their cutting back for the good of the rest of the world.

As for the developing countries  (C) , the author wants them to avoid older and damaging technologies; there’s no sense that they would be unwilling to do so. Anyway,  (C)  makes an unwarranted comparison to the industrial nations’ technology.

(E)  implies that it’s the new industrial ecosystem that wouldn’t be up to the task—that it wouldn’t supply what we need. But it’s current technology that’s the obstacle to the idea, as  (D)  points out, not the idea itself.

Answer: D

2. The author of the passage would most probably agree with which one of the following statements about standards of living?

Difficulty Level:   Medium

Explanation

From  line 49  for Q. 1, we’ll move back to  line 3.   “Most probably agree”  signals Inference, and the Buzzword phrase  “standards of living”  should send you up top, where the author asserts his  “ideal”  of everyone, all 10 billion of us, enjoying the same standards. Think Globally—does the author think that that can happen? Sure, if the  “iie”  ever came to pass. Remember, he explicitly told us to reject the prediction of a grim future  (lines 14–15) . A quick scan of the choices in search of this kind of optimism must yield  (D) —it’s the idea that underlies the entire plan thereafter outlined.

(A), (B), (C)  All are way too pessimistic, all suggestive of some sort of  “grim future.”  The author is not interested in improving industrialized countries’ living standards  (A) , just in maintaining everyone’s; nor does he imply that one set of nations’ standards must be at the expense of another’s.  (B)  might work if appended to it were the words  “unless we institute an iie,”  but as is,  (B)  sounds as if the author were despairing and had no plan to offer. (Even then,  (B)  would have to read  “by the year 2040.”  The author seems confident that the downturn would happen between 2030 and 2040—see  lines 8–9 ).

(C)  has the same flaw as  (B) . Sure we can maintain the industrialized nations’ living standards in the face of a population boom, IF the iie plan takes hold.

Answer: D

3. The author of the passage would most probably agree with which one of the following statements about the use of “designed offal” (line 38)?

Difficulty Level:   Easy

Explanation

“Most probably agree”  again. That means Inference again. And both the quoted phrase and line reference send us to the latter portion of  Paragraph 3 . Now (if not before) would be the time to read and understand the  “designated offal”  example as a current procedure in which the  “waste from a manufacturing process…can be fed back into that process or a related one.”  That’s the kind of thinking right in line with the new, iie. Yet we have to keep reading, the author’s not done with  “designated offal” : The procedure, he implies, is still a bit wasteful, but less than normal  (lines 42–45) . The only choice that registers qualified enthusiasm is  (D).

(A) “Harmful” ? Toss this one immediately.  “Designated offal”  is way too close to the iie to merit such disdain.

(B) “Not entirely helpful” ? That’s OK, but the remainder of  (B)  is sheer fancy.  “Designated offal”  is distracting us from nothing; it’s a step in the right direction.

(C) , like  (A) , is way too downbeat, and the  “temporary”  thing comes out of nowhere.

(E)  errs in the other direction—too celebratory of a procedure that has limits  (lines 42–44) , and too global in scope.  “Designated offal”  is not the author’s #1 solution, of course.

Answer: D

4. The author mentions all of the following as advantages of replacing current industrial practices with an industrial ecosystem approach EXCEPT:

Difficulty Level:   Medium

Explanation

“The author mentions”  is the kind of categorical language that clearly signals a Detail Question. And where are the advantages of the iie to be found? In  Paragraph 2 , of course, where it’s described. And the list, in  lines 22–28 , of aspects of the proposal is practically tailor-made for an  “all of the following EXCEPT.”  Your approach ought to be to reread that list, and try matching up each of its phrases to the choices. We’ll review them in order. The list begins at  lines 22–23  with optimizing energy consumption and materials—the latter is  (D) .

Minimizing waste is next, that’s  (A) . Minimizing pollution—or “harmful by-products” as  (B)  has it—is next. Finally, the reuse of one process’s  “effluents”  (don’t panic, it’s just a fancy way of saying “waste”) is echoed in  (E) .

Interestingly, that list begins at  line 23  with the issue of energy, but notice how correct  choice (C)  distorts it.  (C) ’s reference to alternative energy sources sounds pretty progressive and environment friendly. Also, it might seem to echo the reference to  “alternative materials”  in  lines 16–17 . But alternative energy sources never appear in the text, are never attached to the iie concept.

Answer: C

5. Of the following, which one is the best example of the use of “designed offal” (line 38) as it is defined in the passage?

Difficulty Level:   Hard

Explanation

“Which one is the best example,”  and the off-the-topic nature of the choices, signal a Logic Question, in specific a Parallel Logic puzzler of the type we associate with Logical Reasoning. Happily, it’s based on the  “designated offal”  concept to which we have already given keen attention thanks to Q. 3. Brush up on it:  “Designated offal”  means feeding  “waste from a manufacturing process…back into that process or a related one”  in an almost circular way. That’s what we want. Attack the choices and accept no substitutes.

(A)  Using purchased recycled newspaper isn’t the same as using waste from the production of newspaper. There’s no  “offal”  involved in  (A) .

(B) , likewise, fails to involve the use of waste. Both  (A)  and  (B)  sound vaguely like positive recycling, and thus may have tempted you as being somewhat in line with the sensible use of resources that the author wants to institute. But you must keep the specific idea of  “designated offal”  in mind for this question: We are looking for the positive use of production waste in a way that will tie into the original, or a related, process. Anyhow,  (B)  further errs by selling its reconditioned brass rather than rolling it over into a manufacturing process.

(C)  Taking steel from  “discarded”  cars doesn’t involve the use of manufacturing waste. And even if it did,  (C) ’s steel is going into beams, whereas in the  “designated offal”  model it would have to go back into car manufacture or some related area.

(D)  There ya go: Auto manufacturing waste circles right back into an auto manufacturing process. Fits like a glove.

Let’s look at  (E)  for completeness’s sake, but not with any respect.  (E)  As expected, it’s way off. Recycling, however admirable, is not using manufacturing waste, and there’s no circular reuse present between beverage containers and polyester fiber.

Answer: D

Explanation Credit: Kaplan LSAT

CEdward · Answer

1. According to the passage, which one of the following is currently an obstacle to the implementation of an ideal industrial ecosystem?

(A) the unwillingness of manufacturers to change their industrial practices X
-never mentioned
(B) the unwillingness of industrialized countries to reduce their standards of living to a level that is sustainable for the entire world
-never mentioned
(C) the unwillingness of developing nations to adopt new technologies that are more ecologically sound than those used by industrialized countries 
-never mentioned
(D) the inability of technology to provide a profitable use for every by-product of the manufacturing process 
Correct. The last sentence of the final paragraph says the following: The ideal industrial ecosystem, in which there is an economically viable role for every product of a manufacturing process, will not be attained soon; current technology is often inadequate to the task.
(E) the failure of the industrial ecosystem approach to provide sufficient quantities of manufactured goods
-never mentioned…in fact from the description of the ecosystem approach we learn that it would function much like a bio-ecosystem…the inputs and outputs would feed in/out of one component and into another seamlessly…no particular concerns were raised about not getting enough final product

2. The author of the passage would most probably agree with which one of the following statements about standards of living?

(A) An increase in the standard of living in developing countries will be accompanied by a decrease in the standard of living in industrialized countries.
-no, the author remains optimistic that in the future an idealized standard of living can be achieved provided the ecosystem is developed properly…there’s no hint that some may gain at the expense of others (although this is probably true in real life) 
(B) It is likely that the standard of living of both industrialized and developing countries will decrease substantially by the year 2030. X
-no…the entire passage seeks to argue otherwise (via the idea of an integrated ecosystem)
(C) The current standard of living of industrialized countries cannot be sustained if the population of the world increases. 
-again no…see response to B)
(D) All countries could enjoy a high standard of living without depleting natural resources if industrialized and developing countries implemented an ideal industrial ecosystem. 
Correct. This is exactly the point of the passage
(E) Supplies of critical natural resources will be in serious danger of depletion by the year 2030 unless the current standard of living of both industrialized and developing countries is reduced.
-no…this is not what he/she is suggesting…there are solutions

3. The author of the passage would most probably agree with which one of the following statements about the use of “designed offal” (line 38)?

(A) It is a harmful step that requires the consumption of critical natural resources and results in the generation of waste and harmful by-products.
-‘harmful step’ is wrong
(B) It is not an entirely helpful step because it draws attention away from the central problems that still need to be solved. 
-‘not an entirely helpful step is wrong’…it’s the complete opposite…the offal can be inputted into other processes downstream 
(C) It is a temporary solution that will not contribute to the establishment of an industrial ecosystem.
-no mention of it being temporary
(D) It is a promising step in the right direction, but it does not solve all of the problems that need to be addressed.
Correct…the point was to show that some manufacturers have already started to adopt elements of this ecosystem, but some things like waste and harmful by products would remain 
(E) It is the most practical solution to the environmental problems facing the world. 
-we don’t know if it is the ‘most practical solution’…there may be others…

4. The author mentions all of the following as advantages of replacing current industrial practices with an industrial ecosystem approach EXCEPT:

(A) The amount of waste produced by industrial processes would be reduced. X
(B) The amount of harmful by-products produced by industrial processes would be reduced. X
(C) The use of alternative sources of energy to provide power for industrial processes would be increased. 
Correct. This was never mentioned.
(D) The consumption of raw materials used in industrial processes would be optimized. X
(E) Better use would be made of the waste produced by industrial processes. X

5. Of the following, which one is the best example of the use of “designed offal” (line 38) as it is defined in the passage?

(A) A paper container manufacturer purchases recycled newspaper that is turned into pulp and used as the raw material for producing paper containers. X
(B) A demolition company strips brass fixtures from condemned buildings, reconditions the fixtures, and sells them to home renovation companies. 
(C) A steel company buys metal taken from discarded automobiles, melts it down, and uses it in the production of steel beams.
(D) An automobile manufacturer turns the plastic left over from its production of automobile body panels into insulation for its automobile doors.

Correct. This is a question about parallel reasoning…the point about the designed offal is that it represents a waste product that gets fed back into the process to produce things downstream. Here’s the sentence:

Some manufacturers are already making use of “designed offal” in the manufacture of metals and some plastics: tailoring the production of waste from a manufacturing process so that the waste can be fed directly back into that process or a related one.

(E) A plastic company receives recycled beverage containers, reprocesses the containers, and uses the reprocessed material to produce polyester fiber. X

KittyDoodles · Answer

Hi  GMATNinja  GMATNinjaTwo  KarishmaB

Please can you help me with QS 2. I had selected option C based on the below lines from the passage "The ideal industrial ecosystem, in which there is an economically viable role for every product of a manufacturing process, will not be attained soon; current technology is often inadequate to the task."

Please advise how Option D is correct as the author doesn't clearly state the same in the passage

VerbalBot · Answer

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By the year 2030, the Earth’s population is expected to increase to 10

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