In a shallow-water grave off the coast of the Dominican Republic lies

Question

In a shallow-water grave off the coast of the Dominican Republic lies the 1699 shipwreck  Quedagh Merchant . This Indian merchant vessel was captured off the west coast of India and then abandoned in the Caribbean by the infamous pirate Captain William Kidd. When Kidd left the ship to address piracy charges in New York, his men looted the ship, set it on fire, and then left it adrift to find its final resting place. When the wreckage was discovered in 2007, the archeological remains closely matched the historical record of the ship. According to anthropologist Geoffrey Conrad, "All the evidence that we find underwater is consistent with what we know from historical documentation, which is extensive."

On the 310th anniversary of Kidd's 1701 execution in London, the site of the  Quedagh Merchant  wreck was dedicated as a "Living Museum of the Sea." As such, the ship's remains, which are 70 feet offshore and under 10 feet of water, will be a no take, no-anchor cultural preserve. This arrangement protects the rich biodiversity of the surrounding reef systems. While the treasure-which included gold, silver, and silks-is long gone, divers will have the unique opportunity to explore the 17thcentury ship's remains, including cannons and anchors that are now home to coral and other aquatic life. Valuable research and conservation is ongoing, and artifacts are on temporary public display at Indiana University, the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, and the Museum of London Docklands.    1 
 1. With which of the following statements would the author of the passage most likely agree?

A. Historical records are unreliable for the identification of shipwrecks.
B. It may be important to consider environmental concerns when attempting historical research and preservation.
C. Historical research should be conducted to recover the missing treasure.
D. Captain Kidd was unjustly executed on false evidence.
E. Shipwrecks are interesting, but academic grants could be better spent on more relevant research projects.

2 
 2. In the first paragraph, the author includes the quotation by Geoffrey Conrad in order to

A. state that the ship's remains match the historical record.
B. support the claim that the shipwreck is the  Quedagh Merchant. 
C. describe how researchers identify shipwrecks.
D. refute claims that the remains match historical records.
E. authenticate Captain Kidd's journals.

3 
 3. According to the passage, what happened to the treasure of the  Quedagh Merchant ?

A. Captain Kidd's men stole it before they set the ship on fire.
B. Treasure hunters plundered the wreckage over the centuries.
C. It remains on the ocean floor with the wreckage.
D. Choice items are on display at museums in Indianapolis and London.
E. Captain Kidd took it with him to New York.

RC Butler 2021  -  Practice Two RCs Daily.   
Passage # 34 Date: 25-Jan-2021
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2021 .  Click here for Details

VBudhew · Answer

B
A
A

I dont think the difficulty level of this passage is 550+

Can someone please tell the difficulty level of this passage??

Vie3nrose · Answer

Question 1. With which of the following statements would the author of the passage most likely agree?

A. Historical records are unreliable for the identification of shipwrecks.
 INCORRECT  --  "archeological remains closely matched the historical record" author doesn't question reliability of historical records
 
B. It may be important to consider environmental concerns when attempting historical research and preservation.
 CORRECT  --  author talks about both environmental and research efforts: "This arrangement protects the rich biodiversity of the surrounding reef systems."/ " cannons and anchors that are now home to coral and other aquatic life. Valuable research and conservation is ongoing"
 
C. Historical research should be conducted to recover the missing treasure.
 INCORRECT  --  treasure is mentioned to be long-gone, but no research suggested
 
D. Captain Kidd was unjustly executed on false evidence.
 INCORRECT  --  "Kidd's 1701 execution in London" (no mention of false evidence)
 
E. Shipwrecks are interesting, but academic grants could be better spent on more relevant research projects.
 INCORRECT  --  author didn't seem to be making this argument

Question 2. In the first paragraph, the author includes the quotation by Geoffrey Conrad in order to
 
A. state that the ship's remains match the historical record.
 INCORRECT  --  this is stated in the preceding sentence ("the archeological remains closely matched the historical record of the ship"), followed by GC's quote to further support this statement
 
B. support the claim that the shipwreck is the Quedagh Merchant.
 CORRECT  --  supports the statement made in the preceding sentence ("the archeological remains closely matched the historical record of the ship")
 
C. describe how researchers identify shipwrecks.
 INCORRECT  --  no detail is really give on the ID process 
 
D. refute claims that the remains match historical records.
 INCORRECT  --  opposite: author seems to be providing evidence to support these claims
 
E. authenticate Captain Kidd's journals.
 INCORRECT  --  don't think Kidd's journals are mentioned (out of scope)

Question 3. According to the passage, what happened to the treasure of the Quedagh Merchant?
 
A. Captain Kidd's men stole it before they set the ship on fire.
 CORRECT  --  "When Kidd left the ship to address piracy charges in New York, his men looted the ship, set it on fire..."
 
B. Treasure hunters plundered the wreckage over the centuries.
 INCORRECT  --  author does not indicate this
 
C. It remains on the ocean floor with the wreckage.
 INCORRECT  --  opposite: "While the treasure-which included gold, silver, and silks-is long gone"
 
D. Choice items are on display at museums in Indianapolis and London.
 INCORRECT  --  mix up: "artifacts" are on display at museums but other specifically stated that the treasure is "long gone"
 
E. Captain Kidd took it with him to New York.
 INCORRECT  --  author doesn't mention that Kidd brought treasure with him to NY

Anshuman0902 · Answer

hey someone can tell me why A is wrong of question number 2?
i end up marking A as its clearly mentioned in the passage.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Contrary to the option A is indeed mentioned but not what A says, this option is basically opposite. The contrary to A lines in the passage:

When the wreckage was discovered in 2007, the archeological remains closely matched the historical record of the ship. According to anthropologist Geoffrey Conrad, "All the evidence that we find underwater is consistent with what we know from historical documentation, which is extensive."

So it is clear that historical records are actually reliable for the identification of shipwrecks. Eliminate A

While the lines:

the ship's remains, which are 70 feet offshore and under 10 feet of water, will be a no take, no-anchor cultural preserve. This arrangement protects the rich biodiversity of the surrounding reef systems.

and

including cannons and anchors that are now home to coral and other aquatic life.

Are clearly supporting B.

Thank you!

VerbalBot · Answer

Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.

In a shallow-water grave off the coast of the Dominican Republic lies

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

In a shallow-water grave off the coast of the Dominican Republic lies

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards