Dementia is one of the most dreaded human conditions, both by those ob

Question

Dementia is one of the most dreaded human conditions, both by those observing it and by those experiencing it. It is defined as a persistent and progressive impairment of intellectual function, and can affect memory, emotions, personality, language, judgment, and cognition. It is frequently associated with other medical conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and spongiform encephalopathies.

Encephalopathies are diseases of the brain. The spongiform encephalopathies are named for their characteristic deterioration of central nervous system tissue, resulting in a sponge-like appearance of the brain. They include kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD), Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker (GSS) disease, and familial fatal insomnia (FFI). Unlike Alzheimer’s disease and strokes, the spongiform encephalopathies can be transmissible. Transmission of dementia was originally thought to be due to a virus; however, subsequent information suggests that the agent of transmission is simply a protein, with no associated nucleic acid. These proteins were termed prions, and are normal proteins found primarily in a sponge-like tissue. Disease is associated with abnormal versions of prion proteins.

The normal function of prion proteins is unclear, but they are thought to protect critical brain cells from dying. Mice that lack normal prions develop ataxia (coordination problems) that resembles the ataxia of kuru and CJD patients. Prion-free mice develop symptoms at approximately 70 weeks (late middle age for a mouse).

Since proteins are unable to self- replicate, it seemed unlikely that a transmissible disease could be caused by protein alone. Contact between the normal and abnormal forms of protein can cause conformational change from the normal to the flawed form, if the abnormal and normal proteins are sufficiently similar. Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) can present with similar initial symptoms as the spongiform encephalopathies, most notably ataxia and mental disorientation. Encephalitis can have several causes, some of which are viral infections.   1 
  All of the following individuals display symptoms of dementia EXCEPT someone who:

a. cannot do the most rudimentary arithmetic operations.

b. cannot distinguish between the smells of the distinct flowers.
 
c. displays abrupt change in character.

d. has lost the ability to speak.

e. has tremendous difficulty remembering the days of the week.

2 
  According to the passage, which one of the below is a medical condition that is the least likely to be associated with dementia:

a.Alzheimer's disease

b. Familial fatal insomnia

c. Stroke

d. Meningitis

e. Spongiform encephalopathies

3 
 Spongiform encephalopathies are different from strokes because spongiform encephalopathies:

a. are more difficult to cure.

b. have more varieties.

c. are less researched.

d. are associated with human brain.

e. are transmissible.

PR CAT #3

AdityaHongunti · Accepted Answer

redskull1 
This is an except question
Our goal is to stay AS NEAR AS possible...

"impairment of intellectual function, and can affect memory, emotions, personality, language, judgment, and cognition"

a. cannot do the most rudimentary arithmetic operations.
- arithmetic operations= need cognition

b. cannot distinguish between the smells of the distinct flowers.
-- we are no where given that it will impair the senses of smell ... I guess you thought "judgment" would be fit for this...but the "judgement" is too broad and not specific enough to conclude that it represents"loss of smell sense"..

c. displays abrupt change in character.
- change in character= personality

d. has lost the ability to speak. 
= Ability to speak= language

e. has tremendous difficulty remembering the days of the week.
Difficulty remember= memory

Posted from my mobile device

Nikhil · Answer

+1 kudos to the posts containing answer explanations of all questions

pandeyashwin · Answer

Q1 B
Refer to "It is defined as a persistent and progressive impairment of intellectual function, and can affect memory, emotions, personality, language, judgment, and cognition"

Q2 D
"It is frequently associated with other medical conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and spongiform encephalopathies."
The spongiform encephalopathies include kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD), Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker (GSS) disease, and familial fatal insomnia (FFI)

Q3 E
"Unlike Alzheimer’s disease and strokes, the spongiform encephalopathies can be transmissible."

redskull1 · Answer

Need a proper explanation for q1).To distinguish between smells of 2 flowers,I would surely use intellect, judgement,cognition.,etc.How is B correct..?

nks2611 · Answer

i would to add my two cents here, although i am also not sure about the ans why its b as i lag behind with judgement , what i look over such as 
intellect= ability to think in most logical way 
cognition= process of being knowledge developed in mind 
judgement = means making decision from what we have resourced

so i too do not find b as the most suitable ans.
waiting for the committing response......

Gladiator59 · Answer

3 mins and all correct. Not sure if this is actually 700 level or is improperly tagged. Most of the questions ( two out of three) have more than 90% correct attempts in timer statistics. AkshdeepS maybe we need to move it to 600-700 if not sub-600?

Best,
Gladi

Best,
Gladi

AkshdeepS · Answer

That's true Gladi, we need to change it to 600-700 level. But I am not able to move this. 
Actually this 700 level was shown in parent source of the passage.

Thanks for pointing this.

workout , Please move the passage to 600-700 level.

Akshdeep

dabaobao · Answer

Passage has too many details so it's easy to get lost. Make sure to focus on the big picture. Got all Q correct in 7 min including 4:30 min to read the passage!

Passage Map: 
1) About Dementia
2) About E disease
3) About P. Protein
4) Transmission

sayan640 · Answer

VeritasKarishma   GMATNinja   GMATGuruNY   daagh   egmat   generis

Can you please explain the question no. 1 ?

KarishmaB · Answer

It is defined as a persistent and progressive impairment of intellectual function, and can affect memory, emotions, personality, language, judgment, and cognition.

All of the following individuals display symptoms of dementia EXCEPT someone who:

a. cannot do the most rudimentary arithmetic operations.

impairment of intellectual function

b. cannot distinguish between the smells of the distinct flowers.

Sensory organs especially the sense of smell is not discussed. Note that it doesn't ask one to recall which flower's smell it is etc. It just says "distinguish between distinct smells" - Is this the same smell as that or different. 
 
c. displays abrupt change in character.

impairment of personality

d. has lost the ability to speak.

impairment of language

e. has tremendous difficulty remembering the days of the week.

impairment of memory

Answer (B)

nayas96 · Answer

Doesn't Option (B) actually refer to the judgement. To distinguish between the the 2 smells. How is that not related to judgement?

Kindly please clarify my doubt

Hoozan · Answer

KarishmaB  please could you help me out with Q1.

Now, doesn't sense of smell come under "cognition"?

KarishmaB · Answer

Hoozan

No. Cognition is knowing something. Cognitive ability is the ability to reason, plan, use logic, learn etc. Sense of smell is one of our five basic senses. A person who can distinguish different smells doesn't need to have cognitive ability. One would need it perhaps to recall the exact flower given just the smell, but distinguishing the smells given different flowers is just about using the sense of smell.

MuskaanMittal · Answer

Question Explanation

QUESTION 1

This is a retrieval question, shown by the phrase all of the following. The task of the question is indicated by the word EXCEPT. The subject of the question is individuals who display symptoms of dementia. In order to answer this question, determine what the passage states about the subject, then evaluate the answer choices, eliminating any choice that can be supported by the text. According to the passage, dementia...is defined as a persistent and progressive impairment of intellectual function, and can affect memory, emotions, personality, language, judgment, and cognition. In evaluating the answer choices, look out for recycled language.

Choice A: No. This choice provides an example of impairment of intellectual function.

Choice B: Correct. This choice may be appealing due to outside information. However, an effect on the sense of smell is not listed as part of the effects of dementia.

Choice C: No. This choice provides an example of an effect on personality.

Choice D: No. This choice provides an example of an effect on language.

Choice E: No. This choice provides an example of an effect on memory.

The correct answer is choice B.

MuskaanMittal · Answer

Question Explanation

QUESTION 2

This is a retrieval question, as indicated by the phrase according to the passage. The task of the question is indicated by the word least likely. The subject of the question is a medical condition that is...associated with dementia. In order to answer this question, determine what the passage states about the subject, then evaluate the answer choices, eliminating any choice that is supported by the text. According to the passage, dementia is frequently associated with...Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and spongiform encephalopathies. In evaluating the answer choices, look out for recycled language.

Choice A: No. The passage states that dementia is frequently associated with...Alzheimer’s disease.

Choice B: No. This choice may seem to be missing from the list of conditions associated with dementia. However, the passage states both that spongiform encephalopathies...include...familial fatal insomnia (FFI) and that dementia is frequently associated with...spongiform encephalopathies.

Choice C: No. The passage states that dementia is frequently associated with...stroke.

Choice D: Correct. This choice may seem appealing as the word meningitis is similar to the word encephalitis, but meningitis is not referenced in the list of conditions associated with dementia.

Choice E: No. The passage states that dementia is frequently associated with...spongiform encephalopathies.

The correct answer is choice D.

MuskaanMittal · Answer

Question Explanation

QUESTION 3

This is a retrieval question, as indicated by the phrase are different from...because. The task of the question is indicated by the phrase different from...because. The subject of the question is how spongiform encephalopathies are different from strokes. In order to answer this question, determine what the passage says about the subject, then evaluate the answer choices, eliminating any choice that cannot be supported by the text. According to the passage, unlike Alzheimer’s disease and strokes, the spongiform encephalopathies can be transmissible.

Choice A: No. While this choice may be tempting due to the information in the passage about the complexity of spongiform encephalopathies, the passage provides no such comparison between the difficulty of each to cure. While the passage refers to Dementia as persistent, it does not indicate treatment for stroke.

Choice B: No. While this choice may be tempting due to the reference in the passage to several varieties of encephalopathy, the passage provides no such comparison between the number of varieties of encephalopathy and those of stroke. The passage references only strokes in general and does not provide further detail.

Choice C: No. This choice may seem appealing due to the reference in the passage to subsequent information about encephalopathy transmission and other details which may be the result of research, but the passage provides no such comparison between the amount of research given to either disease. The passage references only strokes in general and does not provide further detail.

Choice D: No. This choice may seem appealing, as the second paragraph begins Encephalopathies are diseases of the brain. However, this choice is a memory trap. The passage references only strokes in general and does not provide further detail, so strokes may very well be associated with the human brain.

Choice E: Correct. This choice is supported by the statement in the passage that unlike...strokes, the spongiform encephalopathies can be transmissible.

The correct answer is choice E.

Level00up00Legend · Answer

Question 1 : (How is Option 2 Correct please can someone help me )

because in the passage it's said that " It is defined as a persistent and progressive impairment of intellectual function, and can affect memory, emotions, personality, language, judgment, and cognition. "

All of the following individuals display symptoms of dementia EXCEPT someone who:

a. cannot do the most rudimentary arithmetic operations. (This talks about Intellectual functions) -->incorrect

b. cannot distinguish between the smells of the distinct flowers. (This talks about judgement) --> should be incorrect | But is correct

c. displays abrupt change in character. (Talks about personality ) -> should be incorrect

d. has lost the ability to speak. (Talks about language) -->but says that " lost the ability to speak " which is too -ve

e. has tremendous difficulty remembering the days of the week. (Talks about memory ) -->Hence Incorrect

How to solve these type of questions ? i know i have to look for the answer which is least correct here !

and option a , c , e are stated and those options are not too Sharp , Direct

where as option d is Direct + Sharp

so I choose d

but how is the correct answer -> b ?

Thanks in Advance

egmat · Answer

Level00up00Legend  Looking at your analysis, I can see exactly where the confusion lies - you're incorrectly categorizing "distinguishing smells" as judgment. Let me help clarify this important distinction.

Key Insight: Sensory Perception vs. Intellectual Judgment

The passage specifically states dementia affects:  "memory, emotions, personality, language, judgment, and cognition."

Why Option B is Correct (the EXCEPT answer):

Option B:  "cannot distinguish between the smells of distinct flowers"
This describes  sensory perception  (specifically olfactory/smell function) - NOT intellectual judgment. The passage never mentions sensory abilities like smell, taste, touch, or hearing being affected by dementia.

What "Judgment" Actually Means in This Context: 
Judgment = intellectual decision-making ability (e.g., deciding whether it's safe to cross a street, choosing appropriate clothing for weather, making financial decisions)
NOT = sensory discrimination (distinguishing between smells, tastes, colors)

Your Other Options Analysis: 
✓ Option A (arithmetic) → relates to  cognition  (mentioned)
✓ Option C (character change) → relates to  personality  (mentioned) 
✓ Option D (cannot speak) → relates to  language  (mentioned)
✓ Option E (remembering days) → relates to  memory  (mentioned)

Where Your Approach Went Wrong: 
You tried to use a "sharpness/directness" elimination strategy instead of sticking to what the passage explicitly states. In RC EXCEPT questions, always return to the exact text - don't add interpretations.

Strategic Framework for RC EXCEPT Questions:

Step 1:  List EXACTLY what the passage says (no interpretation)
 Step 2:  Match each option to the list
 Step 3:  The option that doesn't match = your answer
 Step 4:  Ignore "strength" or "extremeness" unless the passage addresses it

Pattern Recognition:  When you see medical/scientific RC passages, be especially careful about technical distinctions. Sensory functions (smell, taste, sight, hearing, touch) are physiologically different from intellectual functions.

You can practice similar RC EXCEPT questions  here  (you'll find a lot of OG questions) - select Reading Comprehension under Verbal and choose Easy/Medium level questions to solidify your learning.

Level00up00Legend · Answer

Thanks a lot Sir/Ma'am,you explained it very well

Dementia is one of the most dreaded human conditions, both by those ob

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Dementia is one of the most dreaded human conditions, both by those ob

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

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My Rewards