Coffee has long been the subject of research due to its popularity as

Question

Coffee has long been the subject of research due to its popularity as an early-morning pick-me-up and its distinct taste and aroma. Although it has often been laden with a reputation for being potentially unhealthy, many studies have shown that the opposite is true; in fact, coffee has been tied to a wide range of benefits. The acid in coffee can contribute to heartburn, and the caffeine can raise blood pressure, but when consumed in moderation (a few regular cups a day), these disadvantages are minimized.

Although coffee was once linked to cancer, that association has long been dispelled. Instead, coffee may contribute to the prevention of certain types of cancers due to its high volume of antioxidants. Minerals found in coffee, like magnesium and chromium, help the body control blood sugar by influencing insulin, and this may contribute to preventing diabetes. Similarly, although researchers aren’t sure why, coffee drinkers seem to have a better chance than do non–coffee drinkers of fighting off Parkinson’s disease and dementia as they age. In the short term, coffee is low in calories, stimulates alertness and concentration, and, for some people, lengthens their attention spans.    1 
 1. Which statement best summarizes the reading passage?

A. The more coffee a person consumes, the healthier he or she will be.
B. The benefits of drinking coffee appear to outweigh the disadvantages.
C. Drinking coffee can prevent Parkinson’s disease and dementia.
D. Coffee consumption is unrelated to the incidence of cancer.
E. Caffeine is the cause of high blood pressure.

2 
 2. What can you infer from the passage?

I. Decaffeinated coffee offers the same benefits as caffeinated coffee.
II. If berries are high in antioxidants, they may help prevent cancer.
III. Insulin has an effect on diabetes.

A. I Only
B. II Only
C. III Only
D. I and II Only
E. II and III Only

3 
 3. The author would most likely disagree with which of the following statements?

I. Stimulants are inherently bad for the human body.
II. It is possible for coffee to be a part of a healthy diet.
III. Decaffeinated coffee does not have the same benefits as caffeinated coffee.

A. I Only
B. II Only
C. III Only
D. I and II Only
E. II and III Only

RC Butler 2023  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 261 Date: 02 Aug-2023
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chanandler_bong · Answer

I think question 2 ( answer E ) is a generalisation. As the final answer I put C, because although it is clear from the text that what prevents cancer in coffee is the "high antioxidant content", nevertheless it is specified that it helps to prevent CERTAIN TYPES of cancer. 
Therefore I can infer berries with high antioxidants may help to prevent CERTAIN TYPES of cancer too, but I cannot infer that they help preventing cancer in general. This would be adding information that I create. Logically I reasoned this way.

Can you please tell me your reasoning for E being the answer ? ( Insulin okay, it is really clear from the text that it has an effect on diabetes )

kushalrungta · Answer

Also to add, the answer option generalizes that coffee is made from some form of berries - nowhere in the passage does the author talk about berries.

shaunakpawar · Answer

Yes I do think C is the correct option .

slk00 · Answer

ale_sicheri , kushalrungta As we are talking about inference in the 2nd question, I believe inferring something does not have to explicitly have been detailed in any aspect. Although the passage nowhere talks about berries in particular, it does say : I can infer from the above, that prevention of (certain types) of cancers needs high volume of antioxidants. Therefore, if berries have high amounts of antioxidants, it may actually help prevent cancer! (Certain type, any type, doesn't matter. We need to look at the bigger picture here) You may also think of it this way - to be fair being able to contribute to prevent cancer of any type is a pretty big deal, whether it is a specific type, all types or a single type. Just a personal opinion. Good outweighs the bad

Carcass · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATIO0N QUESTION #1

B

While the general sentiment of this passage appears to be in support of coffee, it does not state that the benefits are proportionate to consumption as outlined in choice (A). In fact, it recognizes that there are downsides to drinking coffee and implies that drinking it to excess could exacerbate these problems by saying that the disadvantages are minimized when coffee is consumed in moderation. Instead, choice (B) is the statement that most closely aligns with the message of the passage. The use of the word "appear" acknowledges the fact that there are still unknowns about coffee that researchers are studying. Although the passage states that coffee may help a person fight off Parkinson's disease and dementia, you can infer from the passage that the link is merely a correlation and not necessarily a cause-andeffect relationship, rendering (C) inaccurate. The passage states that coffee does not cause cancer, as was once believed, but that it's now known to have some properties that help fight cancer, which means choice (D) is false. Choice (E) isn't correct because, although caffeine can be a cause of high blood pressure, it is certainly possible that someone who doesn't consume caffeine can have high blood pressure as well.

Carcass · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATIO0N QUESTION #2

E

This question asks you to evaluate the statements and identify what you can infer using material from the passage. Taking each individually, choice (A) may be true, but this particular passage does not address research done on both varieties of coffee. Because the antioxidants in coffee help contribute to fighting cancer, it can be inferred that choice (B) is correct because any other food or drink that contains antioxidants would carry the same properties. Similarly, you may deduce that if blood sugar impacts diabetes, and the magnesium and chromium in coffee interact with a person's insulin, thereby changing a person's blood sugar, choice (C) insulin has an effect on diabetes is correct.

Carcass · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATIO0N QUESTION #3

A

While the passage does recognize one downside of caffeine as a stimulant (high blood pressure), it also points out a handful of benefits (higher levels of alertness and concentration as well as longer attention spans). Therefore, the author is likely to disagree with choice (A). It is likely that the author would agree with choice (B), since coffee has been "tied to a wide range of benefits." Although there is no evidence to say that the author would agree with choice ( $\mathbf{C}$ ), because the author doesn't address research on different types of coffee, you can't infer anything about whether or not the author would disagree with that statement.

Coffee has long been the subject of research due to its popularity as

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Coffee has long been the subject of research due to its popularity as

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