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

explanation for question no.4

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

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.­

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