Economists have long defined prosperity in terms of monetary value, ga

Question

Economists have long defined prosperity in terms
of monetary value, gauging a given nation’s
prosperity solely on the basis of the total monetary
value of the goods and services produced annually.
  (5)   However, critics point out that defining prosperity
solely as a function of monetary value is questionable
since it fails to recognize other kinds of values, such
as quality of life or environmental health, that
contribute directly to prosperity in a broader sense.
  (10)   For example, as the earth’s ozone layer weakens and
loses its ability to protect people from ultraviolet
radiation, sales of hats, sunglasses, and sunscreens are
likely to skyrocket, all adding to the nation’s total
expenditures. In this way, troubling reductions in
  (15)   environmental health and quality of life may in fact
initiate economic activity that, by the economists’
measure, bolsters prosperity.

It can also happen that communities seeking to
increase their prosperity as measured strictly in
  (20)   monetary terms may damage their quality of life and
their environment. The situation of one rural
community illustrates this point: residents of the
community value the local timber industry as a
primary source of income, and they vocally protested
  (25)   proposed limitations on timber harvests as a threat to
their prosperity. Implicitly adopting the economists’
point of view, the residents argued that the harvest
limitations would lower their wages or even cause the
loss of jobs.

(30)   But critics of the economists’ view argue that this
view of the situation overlooks a crucial consideration.
Without the harvest limitations, they say, the land on
which the community depends would be seriously
damaged. Moreover, they point out that the residents
  (35)   themselves cite the abundance of natural beauty as
one of the features that make their community a
highly desirable place to live. But it is also extremely
poor, and the critics point out that the residents could
double their incomes by moving only 150 kilometers
  (40)   away. From their decision not to do so, the critics
conclude that their location has substantial monetary
value to them. The community will thus lose much
more—even understood in monetary terms—if the
proposed harvest limits are not implemented.

(45)   Economists respond by arguing that to be a useful
concept, prosperity must be defined in easily
quantifiable terms, and that prosperity thus should not
include difficult-to-measure values such as happiness
or environmental health. But this position dodges the
  (50)   issue—emphasizing ease of calculation causes one to
disregard substantive issues that directly influence
real prosperity. The economists’ stance is rather like
that of a literary critic who takes total sales to be the
best measure of a book’s value—true, the number of
  (55)   copies sold is a convenient and quantifiable measure,
but it is a poor substitute for an accurate appraisal of
literary merit.    1 
 1. Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the passage?

(A) According to critics, communities that seek to increase their prosperity recognize the need to gauge the value and ensure the long-term health of their local environment.
(B) Economists’ definition of prosperity strictly in terms of monetary value is too narrow to truly capture our ordinary conception of this notion.
(C) If economists were to alter and expand their definition of prosperity, it is likely that the economic and environmental health of most communities would appear worse under the new definition than under the old definition.
(D) In contrast with the views of economists, some critics believe that prosperity can be neither scientifically measured nor accurately defined, and as a concept is therefore of little use for economists.
(E) While they are generally an accurate and practical measure of current economic prosperity, figures for the total expenditures of a nation do not aid in providing an indication of that nation’s future economic prospects.

2 
 2. The example in the passage of the timber industry and its effect on a poor rural community suggests that the critics would most likely agree with which one of the following statements?

(A) Harvest limitations have little relationship to lower wages or fewer jobs in the community.
(B) Harvest limitations should be imposed only when the limitations have wide public support in the community.
(C) The advantages to the community that would be created by harvest limitations are likely to outweigh the disadvantages.
(D) Communities protest harvest limitations primarily because they do not understand the long-term monetary impact of such regulation.
(E) It is the arguments of economists that often cause residents of rural communities to view harvest limitations more negatively.

3 
 3. Based on the information in the passage, the author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements regarding the weakening of the earth’s ozone layer?

(A) Paradoxically, the weakening of the ozone layer actually contributes to environmental health and quality of life.
(B) The environmental effects of this problem are likely to occur more gradually than the economic effects.
(C) The appearance of prosperity that results from this problem has directed attention away from solving it.
(D) This problem should be regarded primarily as threatening rather than contributing to true prosperity.
(E) This problem has resulted in part from the failure of economists to recognize it in its formative stages.

4 
 4. According to the passage, economists defend their concept of prosperity in which one of the following ways?

(A) by claiming that alternative definitions of the concept would not be easily quantifiable
(B) by asserting that environmental preservation can cause the loss of jobs
(C) by citing the relevance of nonmonetary values such as environmental health
(D) by showing that the value of natural beauty can be understood in quantifiable terms
(E) by detailing the historical development of their definition of the concept

5 
 5. The author compares the economists’ position to that of a literary critic (lines 52–57) primarily to

(A) introduce the idea that the assessment of worth is basically subjective
(B) advocate an innovative method of measuring literary merit
(C) suggest that quality of life is mainly an aesthetic issue
(D) provide additional evidence that prosperity cannot be quantified
(E) illustrate the limitations of the economists’ position

6 
 6. In the passage, the author cites which one of the following claims?

(A) that hats, sunglasses, and sunscreens provide an adequate substitute for the ozone layer
(B) that environmental protection measures are unpopular and often rejected by communities
(C) that the value of a locale’s environment can be gauged by the incomes of its residents
(D) that timber harvest limits are needed to save one area from environmental damage
(E) that most nations measure their own prosperity in terms broader than monetary value

7 
 7. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) argue that there is an inherent and potentially detrimental conflict between two schools of thought concerning a certain concept
(B) summarize and illustrate the main points of the conflict between two schools of thought over the definition of a certain concept
(C) question one school of thought’s definition of a certain concept and suggest several possible alternative definitions
(D) criticize one school of thought’s definition of a certain concept by providing examples that illustrate the implications of adhering to this definition
(E) bring one school of thought’s perspective to bear on a concept traditionally considered to be the exclusive territory of another school of thought

Source:   LSAT Official PrepTest 46   
 Difficulty Level:   600

RC Butler 2021  -  Practice Two RC Questions Everyday.   
Passage # 314 Date: 17-Aug-2021
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2021 .  Click here for Details

DwightScruthe · Answer

can you please give explanation for all the questions? Thanks.

RohiniK · Answer

1. Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the passage?

(A) According to critics, communities that seek to increase their prosperity recognize the need to gauge the value and ensure the long-term health of their local environment.
(B) Economists’ definition of prosperity strictly in terms of monetary value is too narrow to truly capture our ordinary conception of this notion.
(C) If economists were to alter and expand their definition of prosperity, it is likely that the economic and environmental health of most communities would appear worse under the new definition than under the old definition.
(D) In contrast with the views of economists, some critics believe that prosperity can be neither scientifically measured nor accurately defined, and as a concept is therefore of little use for economists.
(E) While they are generally an accurate and practical measure of current economic prosperity, figures for the total expenditures of a nation do not aid in providing an indication of that nation’s future economic prospects.

Overall point of the passage is the definition of prosperity as per Economist's view. And the critics are opposing the view. This is inferred based on the first sentence of the passage. The second sentence starts with However i.e. the contrast / critics opposing or disagreeing with the Economist's view.

(A) According to critics, communities that seek to increase their prosperity recognize the need to gauge the value and ensure the long-term health of their local environment. -  The passage is mainly about Economist's view and not critics'. So incorrect. 
 (B) Economists’ definition of prosperity strictly in terms of monetary value is too narrow to truly capture our ordinary conception of this notion. 
(C) If economists were to alter and expand their definition of prosperity, it is likely that the economic and environmental health of most communities would appear worse under the new definition than under the old definition. -  There is no old and new definition.  
(D) In contrast with the views of economists, some critics believe that prosperity can be neither scientifically measured nor accurately defined, and as a concept is therefore of little use for economists. -  The first part of the sentence is correct i.e. it cannot be measured but the later half is incorrect. 
(E) While they are generally an accurate and practical measure of current economic prosperity, figures for the total expenditures of a nation do not aid in providing an indication of that nation’s future economic prospects -  no mention of future economic prospects.

Anshuman0902 · Answer

explanation for question no.4

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

4. According to the passage, economists defend their concept of prosperity in which one of the following ways?

Difficulty Level:   550-600

Explanation

This question shifts gears and asks us how the economists that the author has been criticizing defend themselves. We know from our Roadmap that the author discusses the economists’ response in  paragraph 4 , and there we see that the economists whined about how hard it would be to quantify happiness and environmental health.  (A)  restates exactly that.

(B)  distorts a detail from the end of  paragraph 2 ; the loss of jobs is an argument made by the rural community’s residents, not by the economists.

(C)  is a 180: It’s the critics, not the economists, who believe in the relevance of nonmonetary values.

(D)  is a train wreck in that  (1)  it’s the critics, not the economists, who think that nonmonetary values, perhaps including natural beauty, can be quantified;  (2)  the entire concept of  “natural beauty”  is a distortion from  paragraph 3 ; and  (3)  the entire answer choice is outside the scope, as the author never expressly takes up whether  “natural beauty”  can be quantified.

(E)  The economists never discuss even the slightest  “historical”  basis for their definition. Totally outside the scope.

Answer: A

Akarshkhan86 · Answer

Hello  Sajjad1994  can you share the OE of Ques.2? I am facing difficulty in eliminating between option C & E.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

2. The example in the passage of the timber industry and its effect on a poor rural community suggests that the critics would most likely agree with which one of the following statements?

Difficulty Level:   600-650

Explanation

We’re asked what the critics would  “most likely agree”  with regarding the “rural community.” We noted the rural community in  paragraph 2  and the critics’ response to the situation in  paragraph 3.  Looking to  paragraph 3 , we find that the critics were in favor of harvest limitations and believe that in the absence of limits,  “the community will…lose much more.” Only (C)  points out the beneficial nature of the harvest limitations for which the critics argue.

(A)  distorts two details—lower wages and fewer jobs— and does so in a tone contrary to that of the critics. We don’t know how strong or weak the critics believe the relationship to be.

(B)  The critics think the limitations are good, for starters, and the author never presents a condition that’s necessary to their imposition.

(D)  This particular community protested timber harvest limitations because they derive income from timber, period. We don’t know what these folks did or did not understand about long-term implications, nor can we make an inference about other protesting communities generally.

(E)  We know from  paragraph 2  that the community’s residents  “implicitly adopt  the economists’ point of view.”  In no sense does that imply that they listened to economists’ arguments, let alone heeded them.

Answer: C

siddhantvarma · Answer

It took 16 mins with 2 incorrect, got both correct during the review. I probably spent a bit more time reading the passage since it's simple and easy to understand.😅

Summary : This passage discusses the debate between economists and their critics over the definition of prosperity. Economists traditionally define prosperity in purely monetary terms, while critics argue this definition is too narrow and overlooks important factors like quality of life and environmental health. The passage presents examples illustrating how a strictly monetary definition of prosperity can be misleading or even harmful, and argues for a broader, more comprehensive understanding of prosperity.

Passage Breakdown:

Paragraph 1: Introduces the economists' monetary definition of prosperity and the critics' objections. Provides an example of how environmental degradation (ozone depletion) could paradoxically increase monetary prosperity.

Paragraph 2: Presents an example of a rural community where pursuing monetary prosperity (through timber harvesting) could damage quality of life and the environment.

Paragraph 3: Expands on the rural community example, showing how the critics argue that even in monetary terms, preserving the environment has value for the community.

Paragraph 4: Presents the economists' defense of their definition, arguing for the need for easily quantifiable measures. The author criticizes this stance as dodging the real issues.

Paragraph 5: Concludes with an analogy comparing the economists' stance to judging a book's value solely by its sales, emphasizing the limitations of purely quantitative measures.

Question 1: Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the passage?

(A) According to critics, communities that seek to increase their prosperity recognize the need to gauge the value and ensure the long-term health of their local environment.
  This is incorrect   because the passage doesn't state that communities seeking to increase prosperity recognize the need to gauge environmental value. In fact, the passage suggests the opposite in the timber industry example.

(B) Economists’ definition of prosperity strictly in terms of monetary value is too narrow to truly capture our ordinary conception of this notion.
  This is correct   because it accurately summarizes the main argument of the passage. The author consistently criticizes the economists' narrow monetary definition of prosperity and argues for a broader conception that includes factors like quality of life and environmental health. This is evident in the summary and throughout the passage breakdown.

(C) If economists were to alter and expand their definition of prosperity, it is likely that the economic and environmental health of most communities would appear worse under the new definition than under the old definition.
  This is incorrect   because the passage doesn't discuss how expanding the definition would affect the appearance of economic and environmental health.

(D) In contrast with the views of economists, some critics believe that prosperity can be neither scientifically measured nor accurately defined, and as a concept is therefore of little use for economists.
  This is incorrect   because while critics argue for a broader definition of prosperity, they don't claim it can't be measured or defined at all.

(E) While they are generally an accurate and practical measure of current economic prosperity, figures for the total expenditures of a nation do not aid in providing an indication of that nation’s future economic prospects.
  This is incorrect   because the passage doesn't focus on current vs. future economic prospects, but rather on the limitations of purely monetary measures of prosperity.

Question 2: The example in the passage of the timber industry and its effect on a poor rural community suggests that the critics would most likely agree with which one of the following statements?

(A) Harvest limitations have little relationship to lower wages or fewer jobs in the community.
  This is incorrect   because the passage acknowledges that harvest limitations could lower wages or cause job losses (lines 27-29).

(B) Harvest limitations should be imposed only when the limitations have wide public support in the community.
  This is incorrect   because the passage doesn't discuss public support for harvest limitations.

(C) The advantages to the community that would be created by harvest limitations are likely to outweigh the disadvantages.
  This is correct   because the critics argue that without harvest limitations, the land would be seriously damaged (lines 32-34), and that the natural beauty of the area has substantial value to residents (lines 34-42). This suggests that the critics believe the benefits of limitations outweigh the disadvantages.

(D) Communities protest harvest limitations primarily because they do not understand the long-term monetary impact of such regulation.
  This is incorrect   because the passage doesn't suggest that communities misunderstand the long-term monetary impact of regulations.

(E) It is the arguments of economists that often cause residents of rural communities to view harvest limitations more negatively.
  This is incorrect   because the passage doesn't attribute the community's view of harvest limitations to economists' arguments.

Question 3: Based on the information in the passage, the author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements regarding the weakening of the earth’s ozone layer?

(A) Paradoxically, the weakening of the ozone layer actually contributes to environmental health and quality of life.
  This is incorrect   because the passage presents the economic activity resulting from ozone depletion as a misleading indicator of prosperity, not a genuine contribution to health and quality of life.

(B) The environmental effects of this problem are likely to occur more gradually than the economic effects.
  This is incorrect   because the passage doesn't compare the timelines of environmental and economic effects.

(C) The appearance of prosperity that results from this problem has directed attention away from solving it.
  This is incorrect   because the passage doesn't suggest that the appearance of prosperity has distracted from solving the problem.

(D) This problem should be regarded primarily as threatening rather than contributing to true prosperity.
  This is correct   because the author presents the ozone layer example to illustrate how "troubling reductions in environmental health and quality of life" can paradoxically appear to increase prosperity by the economists' measure (lines 14-17). This implies that the author views the problem as a threat to true prosperity.

(E) This problem has resulted in part from the failure of economists to recognize it in its formative stages.
  This is incorrect   because the passage doesn't attribute the ozone problem to economists' failure to recognize it early on.

Question 4: According to the passage, economists defend their concept of prosperity in which one of the following ways?

(A) by claiming that alternative definitions of the concept would not be easily quantifiable
  This is correct   because the passage states that "Economists respond by arguing that to be a useful concept, prosperity must be defined in easily quantifiable terms" (lines 45-47).

(B) by asserting that environmental preservation can cause the loss of jobs
  This is incorrect   because the passage attributes this view to community residents, not economists.

(C) by citing the relevance of nonmonetary values such as environmental health
  This is incorrect   because the passage presents economists as excluding non-monetary values from their definition.

(D) by showing that the value of natural beauty can be understood in quantifiable terms
  This is incorrect   because the passage presents this argument as coming from the critics, not the economists.

(E) by detailing the historical development of their definition of the concept
  This is incorrect   because the passage doesn't mention the historical development of the economists' definition.

Question 5: The author compares the economists’ position to that of a literary critic (lines 52–57) primarily to

(E) illustrate the limitations of the economists’ position
  This is correct   because the author uses the literary critic analogy to illustrate "the limitations of the economists' position" (lines 52-57). The analogy shows how relying solely on easily quantifiable measures (book sales or monetary value) can miss important aspects of value (literary merit or true prosperity).

A, B, C, and D are incorrect   because they don't accurately reflect the purpose of the analogy, which is specifically to illustrate the limitations of the economists' position.

Question 6: In the passage, the author cites which one of the following claims?

(D) that timber harvest limits are needed to save one area from environmental damage
  This is correct   because the passage states that "Without the harvest limitations, they say, the land on which the community depends would be seriously damaged" (lines 32-34).

A, B, C, and E are incorrect   because these claims are not made in the passage.

Question 7: The primary purpose of the passage is to

(D) criticize one school of thought’s definition of a certain concept by providing examples that illustrate the implications of adhering to this definition
  This is correct   because the primary purpose of the passage is to criticize the economists' definition of prosperity by providing examples (ozone depletion, timber industry) that illustrate the problematic implications of adhering to this definition.

A, B, C, and E are incorrect   because they don't accurately capture the main purpose of the passage, which is to criticize the economists' definition and illustrate its shortcomings.

SH160703 · Answer

what should be ideal time to solve passage of this level if a candidae is practicing gmat rc from past three months .... i took 12:50 .... thanks brother

Economists have long defined prosperity in terms of monetary value, ga

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