Iguacu Falls, which sit on the border between Argentina and Brazil, ar

Question

Iguacu Falls, which sit on the border between Argentina and Brazil, are said to make Niagara look like a leaky faucet. The great cataracts stretch for two and a half miles across lushly foliaged rocky outcroppings before plunging a staggering two hundred and thirty feet into the river below. The falls region is densely forested, and is home to a wide variety of plants and animals, including a number of endangered ones. It is a paradise where parrots dive and swoop through the spray, butterflies cavort among the tropical plants and coatis, and giant otters and anteaters amble through the trees. The foliage itself varies between tropical and deciduous with orchids blushing in the shade of pines and ferns nodding gracefully in the shadow of fruit trees.

Depending on rainfall and water flow, between 100 and 300 individual falls tumble over the cliffs creating a stunning panoply of churning water. Small wonder that this natural powerhouse attracted the attention of developers. At the top of the falls on the Parana River sits Itaipu Dam, the world’s largest operational hydroelectric power plant. The dam is often numbered among the wonders of the modern world.

The falls’ superlatives don’t stop with technology. Many consider the cataract system itself one of the natural wonders of the world. In 1986, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) concurred when it declared the falls a World Heritage site in order to ensure its preservation in the face of continuing technological development.   1 
 1. The comparison in the first sentence is meant to emphasize the

A. Abundant beauty of Niagara Falls.
B. Plumbing problems that can be caused by building in close proximity to a waterfall.
C. Smallness of Niagara Falls in relation to Iguacu Falls.
D. Distance of Iguacu Falls from civilization.
E. Fact that Niagara Falls is a less popular tourist destination than Iguacu Falls.

2 
 2. The author’s attitude toward Iguacu Falls can best be described as which of the following?

A. Overweening pride.
B. Positive appreciation.
C. Mild acceptance.
D. Apathetic objectivity.
E. Cautious optimism

3 
 3. What can most reasonably be inferred from the information in the final two paragraphs?

A. Iguacu Falls’ success as a hydroelectric site could potentially cause a threat to its longevity.
B. Conservationist efforts have made a tremendous impact in the maintenance of the Itaipu Dam hydroelectric power plant.
C. Brazil and Argentina are two of the largest producers of hydroelectric power in the world.
D. UNESCO considers the preservation of Iguacu Falls crucial to the balance of the world ecosystem.
E. Developers consider any opportunity to invest in hydroelectric power a lucrative business venture.

4 
 4. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with

A. Exalting the beauties of a variety of waterfall sites.
B. Outlining the history of Iguacu Falls since its discovery.
C. Portraying the positive aesthetic and economic aspects of a natural phenomenon.
D. Describing Iguacu Falls in terms that would make sense to an American audience.
E. Discussing the tension between economic development and natural conservation.

Source:  McGraw Hill GMAT 2013 
Difficulty Level:   650

Sajjad1994 · Accepted Answer

Official Explanation

1. The comparison in the first sentence is meant to emphasize the

Difficulty Level:   600

Explanation

This is a logical structure question that asks what point is emphasized by the comparison in the first sentence. The sentence says that Niagara Falls, which is commonly regarded as a huge series of waterfalls, looks like a leaky faucet when compared to Iguacu Falls. This is certainly a negative comparison for Niagara and one that makes a point of how small Niagara is (and, potentially, how unattractive). So answer  choice A  is not a possibility, and  B and C  have nothing to do with the purpose of the comparison that we’ve just stated. That leaves  C and E , and while  E  may be true or reasonable, the passage doesn’t give us support for it, certainly not in the first sentence.

Answer: C

2. The author’s attitude toward Iguacu Falls can best be described as which of the following?

Difficulty Level:   650

Explanation

This is a style/tone question asking for the author’s general attitude toward Iguacu Falls. We can tell from the many positive things the author says about Iguacu in the passage that it is a positive attitude.  C and E  are not positive enough and  D  is not positive at all, so they should be eliminated. Answer  choice A  is strongly positive, but there is no indication that the author is proud of Iguacu;  “pride”  is not reasonable because we have no reason to think that the author had any responsibility for any of the events in the passage, so it can be eliminated.  So though B is probably a little weakerthan the tone of the passage, it is the best answer choice.

Answer: B

3. What can most reasonably be inferred from the information in the final two paragraphs?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

This is an inference question focusing on the final two paragraphs. Answer  choices B and C  are reasonable enough to assume, but the passage doesn’t give any support for them. Answer  choice D  is also reasonable, but it goes farther in scope than the passage supports by saying  “crucial”  and  “world ecosystem.”  Answer  choice E  is not supported by the passage and the word  “any”  makes this an extreme, and therefore bad, answer.  Answer choice A is the only good inference ; if UNESCO elected to declare the falls a World Heritage Site for its protection, it is reasonable to infer that there might be a potential threat to its survival, particularly because of the large hydroelectric power site mentioned in the next-to-last paragraph.

Answer: A

4. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with

Difficulty Level:   600

Explanation

This is a primary purpose/main idea question. Answer choice A is too broad in scope; the only waterfall site the author could be said to exalt in this passage is Iguacu Falls. Answer  choice B  is not supported by the passage, as very little of Iguacu Falls’ history was discussed. Answer  choice D  is somewhat supported because of the comparison to Niagara Falls at the beginning, but ultimately it is not the focus of the whole passage. Similarly, answer  choice E  is tempting because of the information in the last paragraph, but it is not the focus of the passage as a whole.  Answer choice C is the best supported , as the author does spend the whole passage extolling the virtues of a natural phenomenon, Iguacu Falls.

Answer: C

Hope it helps

KS15 · Answer

Source: McGraw Hill GMAT

Do you have the OA for question 3. Answer should be D IMO.

Thanks.

sobby · Answer

3 out of 4 ...4:28 ..
Got 2nd one wrong .. i thought , it is A ..but realized it is way to specific answer ..

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OA is Absolutely A

Here is the explanation

This is an inference question focusing on the final two paragraphs. Answer choices B and C are reasonable enough to assume, but the passage doesn’t give any support for them. Answer choice D is also reasonable, but it goes farther in scope than the passage supports by saying “crucial” and “world ecosystem.” Answer choice E is not supported by the passage and the word “any” makes this an extreme, and therefore bad, answer. Answer choice A is the only good inference; if UNESCO elected to declare the falls a World Heritage Site for its protection, it is reasonable to infer that there might be a potential threat to its survival, particularly because of the large hydroelectric power site mentioned in the next-to-last paragraph

Hope it helps

Regards

kannu44 · Answer

Iguacu Falls’ success as a hydroelectric site could potentially cause a threat to its longevity.

I dont understand paragraph relation with threat to its longevity .

Can you please elaborate.

Thank you

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Here is the explanation of this question.

This is an inference question focusing on the final two paragraphs. Answer choices B and C are reasonable enough to assume, but the passage doesn’t give any support for them. Answer choice D is also reasonable, but it goes farther in scope than the passage supports by saying “crucial” and “world ecosystem.” Answer choice E is not supported by the passage and the word “any” makes this an extreme, and therefore bad, answer. Answer choice A is the only good inference; if UNESCO elected to declare the falls a World Heritage Site for its protection, it is reasonable to infer that there might be a potential threat to its survival, particularly because of the large hydroelectric power site mentioned in the next-to-last paragraph.

Regards

ricardorr04 · Answer

4/4 in 6 minutes including 2.5 to read. thought this was a pretty easy one. Hopefully get something like this on the actual test lol

AnirudhaS · Answer

This is a 600-700 level passage in my opinion.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Iguacu Falls, which sit on the border between Argentina and Brazil, ar

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Iguacu Falls, which sit on the border between Argentina and Brazil, ar

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