In general, current practice for inspecting cargo shipments of fruits

Question

In general, current practice for inspecting cargo shipments of fruits and vegetables at United States ports is based on inspecting 2% of the items in a container for the presence of pests, with some allowances for the size, contents, and origin of the container. Although simple to apply, this inspection rule appears not to have any economic content. That is, it does not consider the costs of inspections or the losses of failing to prevent an invasive species from entering the country, nor does it account for the  severe  uncertainty associated with finding infestations in shipping containers—which are often no better than guesswork—and the potential losses from introductions of poorly understood or surreptitiously introduced invasive species. Our recommendation is to choose an inspection strategy that is robust in the sense that it maximizes the set of possible outcomes under which a performance criterion is met.    1 
 1. In the context in which it appears, “severe” ( Highlighted ) most nearly means

A. austere
B. strict
C. plain
D. momentous
E. trivial

2  
 2. Which of the following best characterizes the function of the following portion of the passage? (“ ... appears not to have any economic content.”)

A. It reiterates an assertion previously stated in the passage.
B. It provides concrete evidence that supports the passage’s position.
C. It provides a specific instance illustrating a broader principle.
D. It suggests that a particular strategy is unsound.
E. It summarizes a justification for a policy with which the author disagrees.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. In the context in which it appears, “severe” (     Highlighted     ) most nearly means

In this context, the author is emphasizing that the uncertainty is significant, and claims that finding the infestations is no better than guesswork. Therefore, the uncertainty must be momentous (extremely significant). 
 
  Answer: D

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. Which of the following best characterizes the function of the following portion of the passage? (“ ... appears not to have any economic content.”)

The author explains what he means by lack of  “economic content”  in the next sentence, saying that the current policy does not account for either costs or uncertainty. In other words, he is claiming that the current strategy is unsound (not well made).

Answer: D

In general, current practice for inspecting cargo shipments of fruits

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