Historical documents have revealed that among the Timucua of Florida,

Passage breakdown

In the first paragraph (P1), the author introduces a theory concerning a Native American group.

• Research suggests that there was a relationship between social status and diet in the Dallas communities.
• Skeletons of higher-class people were taller that those of lower-class people.

In the second paragraph, the author further supports the diet/social status relationship introduced in P1.

• The author describes a pattern in burial mounds that supports the theory introduced in P1.
• He/she then counters the potential objection to the theory that height helped a person achieve social status.

In the third paragraph, the author provides additional evidence that supports the theory introduced in P1.

• Trace elements in excavated bones show that higher-class people had more nutritious diets.

For more on the process of breaking down RC passages, check out this article and our live RC videos.

Explanations for individual questions

• Question 1
• Question 2
  
  • Part 1
  • Part 2
• Question 4
  
  • Part 1
  • Part 2
  • Part 3

kkrrsshh feel sorry to hear that. Sometimes GMAT has the capability to throw us a passage that take off the ground.

But if it comforts you, I got only two right and it appeared in the middle of my Exam (awfully scary).

It is an official question, so there is no OE.

What you can do is to request an expert reply. I am sure they will give some good answers to the questions.

Can you please explain why answer option A is not correct for Q-4?

Hi GMATNinja, Could you help with Question 2?

In the highlighted text (it is possible that taller people were simply more successful in achieving high social standing), the author of the passage raises the possibility that taller people achieved greater success most probably in order to

(A) suggest that two explanations for a phenomenon are equally plausible
(B) introduce empirical data supporting a position
(C) anticipate an objection to an argument
(D) question the usefulness of relying solely on physical evidence
(E) point out a weakness in a traditional argument

If someone doesn't know the meaning of 'game', then is there any clue in the passage to suggest that it is referring to meat ?

I'm still not clear with Q2. The word "anticipate" means to expect or foresee, but After the quoted lines for this question, there is no argument presented. Only in these lines is it purported that it is quite possible that the relation between status and height may be reversed. In the very next line, the author resumes talking about the argument that the reverse relation is not likely. I don't quite understand what is being "anticipated" here? This made me choose E - "point out a weakness in a traditional argument"
Considering the words written literally, I do agree that the "weakness" is not established, as it is only a conjecture. But I don't think anybody would argue that "status causes height" is not a traditional argument, as this is what is talked about everywhere in the passage. I would really appreciate any help. Sorry for getting too much into details, but that's what works for me . Thanks in advance for your help

HI GMATNinja , mikemcgarry , egmat , sayantanc2k, RonPurewal , DmitryFarber , MagooshExpert (Carolyn), ccooley , EMPOWERgmatVerbal

Can you please help me with below questions?

1. According to the passage, which of the following statements regarding earthen mounds in the Dallas communities is accurate?

(A) They sewed primarily as burial grounds.
(B) They were constructed in key locations on the perimeter of the village.
(C) They were elements in important structures in the community.
(D) They were used as storehouses for keeping valuable possessions safe.
(E) They contained utilitarian items made of nonlocal materials.

The relevant part is quoted below, Why not E?


3. The passage suggests that the "relationship" mentioned in the highlighted text was initially recognized when archaeologists

(A) attempted to trace the ancestry of the Timucua of Florida
(B) discovered a height differential among members of subgroups in the Dallas community
(C) realized that the Dallas communities endured periods of nutritional deprivation
(D) began to compare the social organization and economies of the Timucua with that of the Dallas communities
(E) became curious about differences in trace elements found in the bones of Dallas community members

Hi NandishSS,

Happy to help

To see why E is not correct, we need to look at one more sentence:


I've bolded the relevant parts. These earthen mounds did contain items made of nonlocal material, but those items were not necessarily utilitarian (since they were associated with people with high political standing, we can assume that these "finely crafted items" were things like jewelry and decoration, which are not utilitarian). The utilitarian items, in contrast, were presumably made of local materials, and were associated with lower-class individuals and were buried separately. So we can't conclude that the earthen mounds contained utilitarian items made of nonlocal materials, as E says Does that make sense?

The relevant part of the passage is here:


The archaeologists' "first clue", indicating the first time that this relationship was recognized, was when they realized that there was a difference in height associated with social status in the Dallas communities. This matches perfectly with B.

Does that make sense? If not, let me know
-Carolyn

4. The passage suggests which of the following about the diet of the Dallas communities?

(A) Wild edible plants were a relatively minor element in the diet.
(B)Game was less likely to be available to lower-status individuals than were edible plants.
(C) The diet was composed primarily of agricultural crops when game was scarce.
(D) The diet was obtained entirely from local food sources.
(E) The diet was well balanced, especially at harvest time.

“Very low concentrations of vanadium, which is scarce in meats and somewhat lower in nuts than in other plant resources, are good evidence of meat consumption and thus a better balanced-diet. As expected, vanadium was found in considerably greater quantities in skeletons in the burials of lower-status groups.”

Low vanadium -> Balanced Diet with meat.
High vanadium -> Less meat more plants.

I'll explain each and every aspect of this tough GMAT RC because I believe as even I got only 3/4 correct, many more would need help.

Lets see what the passage says, Try to understand the abbreviations

#1
T = Florida
hunt food goes to- hi status
DC = Texas
coz hi (more food), more height, more status


#2
DC
Pots-non local- near- hi stat
pots-local-far- low stat
pattern- decreasing height
(contrast) Stress- less ht- low status

#3
3 food
Alluvial plants, Game, WEP(nuts)
Mg,Sr, V- hi- bad diet- low status
V -less- meat- hi status

NOTE: SINCE NUTS AND ALLUVIAL PLANTS CANNOT BE MEAT, GAME HAS TO BE MEAT. (FOR NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS/ PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT GAME IS)

QUESTION 1
A. THEY SERVED AS BURIAL GROUNDS BUT NOT "PRIMARILY", IF ANYTHING PASSAGE SUGGESTS THEIR PURPOSE IN #2 THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH BUILDINGS AND STUFF
B. "VERY TEMPTING CHOICE" THIS CHOICE TAKES ADVANTAGE OF HUMAN BRAIN'S THOUGHT PROCESS, WHILE AUTHOR SAID THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN BURIAL LOCATION BASED ON HEIGHT AS FOUND IN EVIDENCE, DOES IT HAVE TO BE CIRCULAR OR AROUND THE VILLAGE? OR CAN IT ALSO BE IN A STRAIGHT LINE, MAY BE ZIG ZAG MAY BE LIKE A RANDOM BURIAL ON ONE SIDE, SO PERIMETER OF VILLAGE HERE IS BOTH THE GROUNDS OF TEMPTATION AND ELIMINATION
C. THEY DID SAY SOMETHING ABOUT STRUCTURE/ BUILDING IN PASSAGE SO THIS CHOICE COULD BE RIGHT BUT READ OTHERS
D. NOT MEANT FOR KEEPING ANYTHING SAFE, THINGS WERE KEPT, BUT, SAFE? THEY WERE LIKE COFFINS, DO YOU USE COFFIN TO KEEP ANYTHING SAFE? NO!!!
E. OK THIS OPTION IS WRONG IN TWO WAYS, 1. THERE WERE LOCAL non utility materials in low status group AND 2. WELL THEY ALSO CONTAINED DEAD PEOPLE (BUT THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT THING TO ELIMINATE IT BY), GO WITH FIRST ONE.


QUESTION 2
TRICKY TRICKY TRICKY

YOU KNOW SOME BOOKS ON GMAT, I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THE NAMES(THEY DON'T PAY ME), SAY THAT LOOK AT THE TONE OF THE PASSAGE, AUTHOR, CONTRAST WORDS etc, THIS IS A QUESTION BASED ON THAT
THE KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE PASSAGE ARE
AUTHOR
YOU(READER)
T GROUP
DC GROUP
ARCHAEOLOGISTS

IN #1 ARCHAEOLOGIST DUDES FOUND SOMETHING THAT SAID DIET LEADS TO HEIGHT, THEN HEIGHT LEADS TO SOCIAL STATUS
NOW YOU SEE THE WORD WHILE , JUST B4 HIGHLIGHTED TEXT, IT SAYS, OK DUDE WE AGREE WITH YOUR FIRST STATEMENT BUT WE THINK THAT HEIGHT DOESN'T LEAD TO SOCIAL STATUS, SOCIAL STATUS GETS YOU HEIGHT. SO LOOK AT IT THIS WAY

ARCHAEOLOGIST SAID DIET-HEIGHT-STATUS
AUTHOR SAID STATUS-DIET-HEIGHT
SO AUTHOR KINDA SAYS, ARCHAEOLOGISTS CAN &%$# IT.

TONE- NOT HAPPY
A. LOOK AT THE WORD " MORE LIKELY"? YES!!! THAT'S IT, WHEN SOMETHING IS MORE, IT IS NOT EQUAL.... DUHHH!!
B. AUTHOR IS KINDA OPPOSING MUCH AS I TOLD YOU, SO Y WOULD AN OPPOSING PARTY SUPPORT
C. YES HE'S KINDA OBJECTING, AND IN AN ANTICIPATING WAY, THAT IS, "BUT THIS IS ALSO A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION"
D. NOT EVEN MENTIONED THAT AUTHOR IS QUESTIONING PHYSICAL EVIDENCE, THE DUDE SAYS, "FINE, YOU FOUND THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE, BUT YOUR THEORY IS WRONG" SO HE'S ONTO THE THEORY NOT THE EVIDENCE
E. "VERY TEMPTING" AS THIS OPTION AGREES WITH A DARKER, NEGATIVE TONE, BUT HE'S NOT CALLING THE THEORY WEAK, HE WANTS THE THEORY TO BE WEAK, BY SAYING, "MAY BE YOU ARE RIGHT, BUT PROVE MY ALTERNATIVE WRONG", REMEMBER, MAKING ENEMY WEAK IS NOT THE SAME AS POINTING OUT HIS WEAKNESS.


QUESTION 3
PERHAPS THE EASIEST OF 4, PERHAPS NOT, DEPENDS ON HOW YOU READ THE #1
A. NOPE NOPE NOPE, THINK OF IT THIS WAY, YOU CANNOT CLAP WITH ONE HAND, THE FINDING OF TWO PEOPLE IS NEEDED IF YOU WISH TO ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP.
B. "THE "FIRST" REAL CLUE" WE DO NEED INITIALLY/FIRST, DO WE NOT?
C. NOT MENTIONED ANYWHERE NEAR OUR DISCUSSION
D. "TEMPTING" BUT THE RELATIONSHIP WAS IN SOCIAL STATS AND DIET AND THE ORGANISATION AND ECONOMY HAS NOT BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE MUCH OF A CONNECTION, NEVER THE LESS, "THE FIRST" REAL THING, RIGHT? IT COULD BE THE FAKE THING, IT COULD BE THE SECOND REAL THING AND SO IT KINDA MAKES THIS OPTION TOPPLE SO C IS STRONGER THAN D.
E. THAT CURIOSITY MIGHT HELP THEM IN #3 BUT WE WANT #1 PARA RELATIONSHIP

QUESTION 4

REMEMBER THE NOTE I WROTE AFTER SUMMARY, THE QUESTION JUST WANTS YOU TO KNOW THAT GAME WAS MEAT.
ALL OPTIONS ARE MISLEADING, THEY SAY NOTHING ABOUT WHATS MENTIONED IN #3 AND RATHER MAKE UNNECESSARY RELATIONSHIPS, ALL OPTIONS BUT B
LESS VANADIUM MEANS MEAT, THAT GOES TO HI STATUS
AND VANADIUM IS MORE IN LOW STATUS PEOPLE
MEANING??
THEY DIDN'T GET MEAT OR GOT LESS MEAT

I'll explain each and every aspect of this tough GMAT RC because I believe as even I got only 3/4 correct, many more would need help.

Lets see what the passage says, Try to understand the abbreviations

#1
T = Florida
hunt food goes to- hi status
DC = Texas
coz hi (more food), more height, more status


#2
DC
Pots-non local- near- hi stat
pots-local-far- low stat
pattern- decreasing height
(contrast) Stress- less ht- low status

#3
3 food
Alluvial plants, Game, WEP(nuts)
Mg,Sr, V- hi- bad diet- low status
V -less- meat- hi status

NOTE: SINCE NUTS AND ALLUVIAL PLANTS CANNOT BE MEAT, GAME HAS TO BE MEAT. (FOR NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS/ PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT GAME IS)

QUESTION 1
A. THEY SERVED AS BURIAL GROUNDS BUT NOT "PRIMARILY", IF ANYTHING PASSAGE SUGGESTS THEIR PURPOSE IN #2 THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH BUILDINGS AND STUFF
B. "VERY TEMPTING CHOICE" THIS CHOICE TAKES ADVANTAGE OF HUMAN BRAIN'S THOUGHT PROCESS, WHILE AUTHOR SAID THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN BURIAL LOCATION BASED ON HEIGHT AS FOUND IN EVIDENCE, DOES IT HAVE TO BE CIRCULAR OR AROUND THE VILLAGE? OR CAN IT ALSO BE IN A STRAIGHT LINE, MAY BE ZIG ZAG MAY BE LIKE A RANDOM BURIAL ON ONE SIDE, SO PERIMETER OF VILLAGE HERE IS BOTH THE GROUNDS OF TEMPTATION AND ELIMINATION
C. THEY DID SAY SOMETHING ABOUT STRUCTURE/ BUILDING IN PASSAGE SO THIS CHOICE COULD BE RIGHT BUT READ OTHERS
D. NOT MEANT FOR KEEPING ANYTHING SAFE, THINGS WERE KEPT, BUT, SAFE? THEY WERE LIKE COFFINS, DO YOU USE COFFIN TO KEEP ANYTHING SAFE? NO!!!
E. OK THIS OPTION IS WRONG IN TWO WAYS, 1. THERE WERE LOCAL non utility materials in low status group AND 2. WELL THEY ALSO CONTAINED DEAD PEOPLE (BUT THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT THING TO ELIMINATE IT BY), GO WITH FIRST ONE.


QUESTION 2
TRICKY TRICKY TRICKY

YOU KNOW SOME BOOKS ON GMAT, I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THE NAMES(THEY DON'T PAY ME), SAY THAT LOOK AT THE TONE OF THE PASSAGE, AUTHOR, CONTRAST WORDS etc, THIS IS A QUESTION BASED ON THAT
THE KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE PASSAGE ARE
AUTHOR
YOU(READER)
T GROUP
DC GROUP
ARCHAEOLOGISTS

IN #1 ARCHAEOLOGIST DUDES FOUND SOMETHING THAT SAID DIET LEADS TO HEIGHT, THEN HEIGHT LEADS TO SOCIAL STATUS
NOW YOU SEE THE WORD WHILE , JUST B4 HIGHLIGHTED TEXT, IT SAYS, OK DUDE WE AGREE WITH YOUR FIRST STATEMENT BUT WE THINK THAT HEIGHT DOESN'T LEAD TO SOCIAL STATUS, SOCIAL STATUS GETS YOU HEIGHT. SO LOOK AT IT THIS WAY

ARCHAEOLOGIST SAID DIET-HEIGHT-STATUS
AUTHOR SAID STATUS-DIET-HEIGHT
SO AUTHOR KINDA SAYS, ARCHAEOLOGISTS CAN &%$# IT.

TONE- NOT HAPPY
A. LOOK AT THE WORD " MORE LIKELY"? YES!!! THAT'S IT, WHEN SOMETHING IS MORE, IT IS NOT EQUAL.... DUHHH!!
B. AUTHOR IS KINDA OPPOSING MUCH AS I TOLD YOU, SO Y WOULD AN OPPOSING PARTY SUPPORT
C. YES HE'S KINDA OBJECTING, AND IN AN ANTICIPATING WAY, THAT IS, "BUT THIS IS ALSO A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION"
D. NOT EVEN MENTIONED THAT AUTHOR IS QUESTIONING PHYSICAL EVIDENCE, THE DUDE SAYS, "FINE, YOU FOUND THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE, BUT YOUR THEORY IS WRONG" SO HE'S ONTO THE THEORY NOT THE EVIDENCE
E. "VERY TEMPTING" AS THIS OPTION AGREES WITH A DARKER, NEGATIVE TONE, BUT HE'S NOT CALLING THE THEORY WEAK, HE WANTS THE THEORY TO BE WEAK, BY SAYING, "MAY BE YOU ARE RIGHT, BUT PROVE MY ALTERNATIVE WRONG", REMEMBER, MAKING ENEMY WEAK IS NOT THE SAME AS POINTING OUT HIS WEAKNESS.


QUESTION 3
PERHAPS THE EASIEST OF 4, PERHAPS NOT, DEPENDS ON HOW YOU READ THE #1
A. NOPE NOPE NOPE, THINK OF IT THIS WAY, YOU CANNOT CLAP WITH ONE HAND, THE FINDING OF TWO PEOPLE IS NEEDED IF YOU WISH TO ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP.
B. "THE "FIRST" REAL CLUE" WE DO NEED INITIALLY/FIRST, DO WE NOT?
C. NOT MENTIONED ANYWHERE NEAR OUR DISCUSSION
D. "TEMPTING" BUT THE RELATIONSHIP WAS IN SOCIAL STATS AND DIET AND THE ORGANISATION AND ECONOMY HAS NOT BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE MUCH OF A CONNECTION, NEVER THE LESS, "THE FIRST" REAL THING, RIGHT? IT COULD BE THE FAKE THING, IT COULD BE THE SECOND REAL THING AND SO IT KINDA MAKES THIS OPTION TOPPLE SO C IS STRONGER THAN D.
E. THAT CURIOSITY MIGHT HELP THEM IN #3 BUT WE WANT #1 PARA RELATIONSHIP

QUESTION 4

REMEMBER THE NOTE I WROTE AFTER SUMMARY, THE QUESTION JUST WANTS YOU TO KNOW THAT GAME WAS MEAT.
ALL OPTIONS ARE MISLEADING, THEY SAY NOTHING ABOUT WHATS MENTIONED IN #3 AND RATHER MAKE UNNECESSARY RELATIONSHIPS, ALL OPTIONS BUT B
LESS VANADIUM MEANS MEAT, THAT GOES TO HI STATUS
AND VANADIUM IS MORE IN LOW STATUS PEOPLE
MEANING??
THEY DIDN'T GET MEAT OR GOT LESS MEAT

MagooshExpert

The passage map for para 1 says
1) they discovered a relationship in diet and Social class in Florida
2) the found a same relationship in dallas communities
3) the first evidence was the height differential in corposes

The question stem asks for the point where relationship was first recognized and not when it was first proved or first evidence of the relationship is provided. I can recall a similar question from OG ( mouse experiment and protein and tryptophan) where the option choice which stated the first inference as the correct answer choice. Can you please explain why the OA to this question is B and not D.

GMATNinja if you can help.

Thanks

Hi Mudit27021988!

Happy to help

Just because certain things are listed in a particular order in the passage does not mean that that's the order in which those events occurred Here, the passage is not saying that the three phenomena that you mentioned occurred in that order. The paragraph is instead summarizing our present knowledge of these societies. Numbers 1 and 2 that you identified are simply the author's summary of what we now know. The first time that the relationship was recognized, as indicated by the passage (by "first clue"), was the height differences. Those height differences then indicated that there may be a relationship between social class and diet. This clue then led to further studies of the social organization and economies of these communities.

Hope that's helpful
-Carolyn

VeritasKarishma GMATNinja
Where it is mentioned in passage that game has high of vanadium or low level of vanadium ?
I was not able to conclude on option B, how passage is supporting
Please explain.
.

Last paragraph suggests this.

three food categories : agricultural crops, game, and wild edible nuts.
Higher than normal levels of manganese, strontium, and vanadium probably indicate a less nutritious diet heavily dependent on edible plants. (High vanadium means 'plant diet' means 'less nutritious diet'
Very low concentrations of vanadium, which is scarce in meats and somewhat lower in nuts than in other plant resources, are good evidence of meat consumption and thus a better balanced-diet. (Low vanadium means meat (game) and nuts diet means better balanced diet)
As expected, vanadium was found in considerably greater quantities in skeletons in the burials of lower-status groups. (High vanadium found in lower status groups)
Recall that high vanadium means plant diet.

(B) Game was less likely to be available to lower-status individuals than were edible plants.

Hence, we can say that lower status groups had high vanadium and hence a plant diet (not a meat (game) diet). So game was less likely to be available to lower status groups.

[/quote]

Didn't knew Game=meat
Thanks for understanding my doubt.

non-native:

I was thrown off balance when I saw the word 'game' in the passage and it was mentioned in a sentence which was describing the diet constituents. I thought maybe GMAT will help me with some context as to what 'game' is. Unfortunately there was none.

With zero understanding of the word 'game' I approached the questions and it was no surprise to me when I got the 4th question wrong.

So, I want someone to help me with 2 things
- WTF is a 'game' in this context
- How to tackle such passages where you dont know the meaning of a certain word and there is not much info about that word

TIA!