HOT Competition: Computer “viruses” are known to everyone and their ab

Question

Computer “viruses” are known to everyone and their ability to spread is also well known. But it is equally helpful to portray the biosphere of real, living microbes as a world wide web of informational exchange. Microbes exchange information with each other and their environment, with DNA serving as the packets of data going every which way. Microbes differ from computer viruses because they not only spread but evolve, and do so at a faster pace than their hosts. Microbes are in fact well designed to exploit this difference to their advantage in the war that occasionally erupts between them and other species - a war we see as disease and death.

The world wide web of microbes as presented in the argument rests most accurately on which of the following assumptions?

A. The capacity of computer viruses to transfer information to other computers.

B. Living viruses can integrate their own DNA into their host’s genetic material, and this can be copied and passed on.

C. Many segments of human DNA originated from encounters with viruses which “downloaded” their information into human cells.

D. The sheer number of microbes, their ability to exchange information, and the speed of transmission are akin to the World Wide Web.

E. The microbe’s capacity to transfer information to other organisms.

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

CRACK Verbal Explanation

In this assumption question the para speaks about - living microbes as a world wide web of informational exchange- then the complete discussion is related to the concept of exchange information by Microbes.

The skill to solve this question was more by eliminating the out of scope and irrelevant points and

A. The capacity of computer viruses to  transfer information to other computers .  (We are not discussing about transfer to other computers- our argument is about microbes)

B. Living viruses  can integrate their own DNA into their host’s genetic material , and this can be copied and passed on.  (according to the para microbes are exchanging not integrating in the host’s genetic material- in fact evolve faster than their hosts)

C. Many segments of human DNA  originated from encounters with viruses which “downloaded” their information into human cells.   (We are not discussing the how human DNA originated)

D.  The sheer number of microbes , their ability to exchange information, and  the speed of transmission are akin  to the World Wide Web.  (We are not discussing the number of Microbes & we are not comparing microbes with world wide web)

E. The  microbe’s capacity to transfer information  to other organisms.  (If this is true, then we can portray the biosphere of real, living microbes as a world wide web of informational exchange)

chaitralirr · Answer

Computer “viruses” are known to everyone and their ability to spread is also well known. But it is equally helpful to portray the biosphere of real, living microbes as a world wide web of informational exchange. Microbes exchange information with each other and their environment, with DNA serving as the packets of data going every which way. Microbes differ from computer viruses because they not only spread but evolve, and do so at a faster pace than their hosts. Microbes are in fact well designed to exploit this difference to their advantage in the war that occasionally erupts between them and other species - a war we see as disease and death.

Stimulus: Computer viruses are known to everyone and their ability to spread is also well known. The author also portrays living microbes as a world web of information exchange. Microbes exchange information with each other and their environment with DNS servicing as a packed of data going every which way. Microbes differ from computer virus in which they not only spread but evolve and do so at a faster pace than their host. Microbes are well designed to exploit the difference of evolution to their advantage in the war that occasionally erupts between them and other species a war we see as disease and death.

The world wide web of microbes as presented in the argument rests most accurately on which of the following assumptions?

A. The capacity of computer viruses to transfer information to other computers.  irrelevant

B. Living viruses can integrate their own DNA into their host’s genetic material, and this can be copied and passed on.  the author speaks of microbes virus is too specific

C. Many segments of human DNA originated from encounters with viruses which “downloaded” their information into human cells.  out of scope

D. The sheer number of microbes, their ability to exchange information, and the speed of transmission are akin to the World Wide Web.  Number is not mentioned in stimulus hence can be eliminated

E. The microbe’s capacity to transfer information to other organisms.  correct. The author as a world web of information exchange.

IMO E

HowdyPartner · Answer

Howdy Partners - Explanation and question for reference below.
----
Computer “viruses” are known to everyone and their ability to spread is also well known. But it is equally helpful to portray the biosphere of real, living microbes as a world wide web of informational exchange. Microbes exchange information with each other and their environment, with DNA serving as the packets of data going every which way. Microbes differ from computer viruses because they not only spread but evolve, and do so at a faster pace than their hosts. Microbes are in fact well designed to exploit this difference to their advantage in the war that occasionally erupts between them and other species - a war we see as disease and death.

The world wide web of microbes as presented in the argument rests most accurately on which of the following assumptions?

A. The capacity of computer viruses to transfer information to other computers.

B. Living viruses can integrate their own DNA into their host’s genetic material, and this can be copied and passed on.

C. Many segments of human DNA originated from encounters with viruses which “downloaded” their information into human cells.

D. The sheer number of microbes, their ability to exchange information, and the speed of transmission are akin to the World Wide Web.

E. The microbe’s capacity to transfer information to other organisms.

---
First glance -- CR problem. Signals that we need to look at the question stem first to identify the question type. "assumption" signals that the problem is going to be testing an assumption. Let's read the argument.

As we read the argument, we notice that a comparison is being made between computer viruses and living microbes. The only aspect mentioned regarding viruses is that they are known to everyone, and their ability to spread. Nothing really jumps out for predicting the answer, so let's jump to answer choices.

A --> nothing ever mentions the capacity of computer viruses to transfer information. Out of scope.

B --> This answer uses "DNA" to capture out attention, yet DNA integration is not an assumption of the argument and is out of scope.

C --> This is out of scope. Human DNA and its origination was never mentioned here.

D --> The only aspects mentioned regarding computer "viruses" are the fact that they are 1) "known to everyone" 2) "their ability to spread is also well known". The number and speed of transmission are not mentioned regarding computer viruses -- so this is out of scope.

E --> Correct answer. This answer relates to the ability to exchange information to other organisms. "Computer virus' ability to spread is well-known" -- known that it can spread to other computers. As a result, the comparison between the two assumes the capacity of microbes to spread to other organisms, i.e., transferring information to other organisms.

Target4bschool · Answer

The argument is trying to bring the analogy between computer virus and biological/living virus.
Computer virus - can spread

A. The capacity of computer viruses to transfer information to other computers. 
Yes, but what about the living virus - can they do the same?

B. Living viruses can integrate their own DNA into their host’s genetic material, and this can be copied and passed on.
What about spreading of living viruses?

C. Many segments of human DNA originated from encounters with viruses which “downloaded” their information into human cells.
Only talks about humans.

D. The sheer number of microbes, their ability to exchange information, and the speed of transmission are akin to the World Wide Web.
We don't need information of the speed.

E. The microbe’s capacity to transfer information to other organisms.
Yes, transferring sth means spreading. Also, here the focus is not just one organism (human for eg) but for all organisms. 
Like computer virus will spread to only one machine - is not specified.

IMO, answer is E.

Posted from my mobile device

JonShukhrat · Answer

Answer choices go forth and back between “microbes” and “viruses”. They are not the same things. 
An assumption is the bridge that connects author’s evidence to his conclusion. This conclusion is presented in the beginning of the argument: “it is equally helpful to portray the biosphere of real, living microbes as a world wide web of informational exchange”. 
Later the authors proceeds to explain why it is so.

A. The capacity of computer viruses to transfer information to other computers.

The argument is all about microbes, not viruses.

B. Living viruses can integrate their own DNA into their host’s genetic material, and this can be copied and passed on.

The argument is about microbes. At the beginning it mentions about computer viruses, but not about “living” viruses

C. Many segments of human DNA originated from encounters with viruses which “downloaded” their information into human cells.

This information too out from scope of the argument.

D. The sheer number of microbes, their ability to exchange information, and the speed of transmission are akin to the World Wide Web.

“the speed of transmission” is out of scope.

E. The microbe’s capacity to transfer information to other organisms.

The correct answer. The world wide web of microbes as presented in the argument rests most accurately on this assumption.

Hence E

Posted from my mobile device

sid0791 · Answer

VeritasKarishma   egmat   CrackVerbal

Can you please help me with E and D

Although I agree D isn't perfect but it should be best from among all the given options.
According to the argument, "Microbes exchange information with each other and their environment, with DNA serving as the packets of data going every which way."

Now in option E- The microbe’s capacity to transfer information to other organisms.

So how can we conclude E?

It's true that Microbes exchange information with each other and their environment and that's why Microbes could be considered as a World Wide Web (used for exchanging information).
But E states that Microbes transfer information to other organisms, so how can we conclude that "other organisms" are basically "other Microbes" nor we have any information regarding the environment, so how can we conclude that by environment it means "other organism".

I know E could be perfect if we could solve the above discrepancy, but my main reason to neglect E was because of the above reason.

Please let me know, why my reasoning is wrong?

Thanks & Regards
Siddharth Jain

KarishmaB · Answer

The question stem is awkward and not GMAT-like. 
As for the answer, it has to be (E).

We can infer that what they want to know is how microbes in the biosphere are like the world wide web if info exchange.
We know that the world wide web connects all devices of the world and exchanges information among them.

The argument tells us that the microbes exchange information too with their environment through DNA. It tells us that they spread in hosts and evolve.

A. The capacity of computer viruses to transfer information to other computers.

We need to say why microbes are like WWW.

B. Living viruses can integrate their own DNA into their host’s genetic material, and this can be copied and passed on.

We need to talk about all microbes, not just viruses.

C. Many segments of human DNA originated from encounters with viruses which “downloaded” their information into human cells.

How human DNA originated is irrelevant.

D. The sheer number of microbes, their ability to exchange information, and the speed of transmission are akin to the World Wide Web.

The argument says nothing about "speed of transmission" in www and in microbe world. Hence this cannot be correct.

E. The microbe’s capacity to transfer information to other organisms.

Correct. The argument compares the microbe world to "www of informational exchange" because of their ability to transfer information to others through DNA. The "environment" refers to all other organisms. The argument talks about hosts etc. So it makes sense.

VerbalBot · Answer

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HOT Competition: Computer “viruses” are known to everyone and their ab

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HOT Competition: Computer “viruses” are known to everyone and their ab

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