It is now possible to hear a recording of Caruso's singing that is far

The first paragraph does not present a general thesis. Instead, it presents a specific example.

The word "dramatic" might sour you on choice (D). But if we remove that word, then (D) is clearly 100% accurate. So now we just have to decide whether the example cited qualifies as "dramatic" (i.e. "striking" or "sensational"). Well, the author refers to Caruso as a "great operatic tenor", and tells us that it is now possible to hear a recording that is FAR SUPERIOR to any made during his lifetime. Sounds like a dramatic statement to me. Also, this example involves replacing decades-old technology with new, digital technology. This improvement can certainly be described as dramatic.

(D) is the best answer.


We are told that analog recording systems cause distortion: "When analog playback systems reproduce this waveform, however, they invariably introduce distortion."

We are also told that digital recording systems cause distortion: "it is impossible for digital systems to avoid some distortion."

Since both types produce distortion, (C) must be eliminated. We are looking for a way in which the two methods differ. "In analog recording systems, the original sound is represented as a continuous waveform... Digital recordings, by contrast, reduce the original sound to a series of discrete (i.e. not continuous) numbers that represent the sound's waveform."

(B) is the best answer.
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1. Which of the following best describes the relationship of the first paragraph to the passage as a whole?

The first paragraph presents an example/instance of a new process:
It is now possible to hear a recording of Caruso's singing that is far superior to any made during his lifetime. A decades-old wax-cylinder recording of this great operatic tenor has been digitized, and the digitized signal has been processed by computer to remove the extraneous sound, or “noise,” introduced by the now “ancient” wax-cylinder recording process.
Than the second paragraph talks about analog recording systems and their problems; the third one talks about digital recordings: how it overcome some f the old problems, and introduces the new issues it has.

(A) The first paragraph introduces a general thesis that is elaborated on in detail elsewhere in
the passage.
The first paragraph does not introduce a thesis.
(B) The first paragraph presents a concrete instance of a problem that is discussed elsewhere
in the passage.
Maybe, I'll keep it for now.
(C) The first paragraph describes a traditional process that is contrasted unfavorably with a
newer process described elsewhere in the passage.
The first paragraph does not talk about the process itself.
(D) The first paragraph presents a dramatic example of the potential of a process that is
described elsewhere in the passage.
This seems good as well.
(E) The first paragraph describes a historic incident that served as the catalyst for
developments described elsewhere in the passage.
The fact presented in the first part is not an historic incident.

B and D are the contenders. Which is better: "first paragraph presents a concrete instance of a problem" or "first paragraph presents a dramatic example of the potential of a process"?
It is now possible to hear a recording of Caruso's singing that is far superior to any made during his lifetime.<== D is better because this presents the potential of the process (discussed after as said above)

2. According the passage, one of the ways in which analog recording systems differ from digital recording systems is that analog systems
analog recording systems, the original sound is represented as a continuous waveform
Digital recordings, by contrast, reduce the original sound to a series of discrete numbers
(B) record the original sound as a continuous waveform
CORRECT

3. Which of the following statements about the numbers by which sound is represented in a digital system can be inferred from the passage?
Because the digital playback system “reads” only numbers, any noise and distortion that may accumulate during storage and manipulation of the digitized signal will have little effect
(D) They are not readily altered by distortion and noise accumulated as the digital signal is
stored and manipulated.
CORRECT


4. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about the digital approach to the processing of sound?
Over the long term, these (of the digital process) errors are random, and the noise produced (a background buzzing) is similar to analog noise except that it only occurs when recorded sounds are being reproduced.
(E) It is not yet capalbe of reprocessing old recordings in a completely distortion-free manner.
CORRECT

Question 1

The issue with (B) is that the first paragraph is not presenting a PROBLEM that is discussed later in the passage. Instead, it presents the recent SOLUTION that has been developed to digitize wax-cylinder recordings.

Sure, the second paragraph discusses some of the problems with analog systems. But we’re asked about the relationship of the first paragraph to the passage as a whole. And the passage as a whole is interested in the solutions presented by digital recordings, not the problems of analog recordings.

For that reason, we can eliminate (B).

I hope that helps!
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To answer this question, you must use information contained in the passage to draw an inference about the digital approach to sound processing.

Choice E is the best answer. The passage notes that it is impossible for digital systems to avoid some distortion, so it may be inferred that it is not possible to digitally reprocess old recordings without at least some measure of distortion.

Choice A is not correct because the wax-cylinder process is characterized as "ancient" (line 7), while digital recording is called "new and superior" (line 9). The wax-cylinder recording mentioned in line 3 is described as "decades-old." The suggestion thus is that the two processes were developed at different times, not that they were developed in competition with each other.

Both choices B and D contradict information presented in the passage: it is stated that it is impossible for digital recordings to avoid distortion completely (lines 29-32), and an example is provided in the first paragraph of an analog recording being digitally reprocessed.

While the statement in choice C could be true without contradicting any information provided in the passage, the passage does not furnish enough information to justify such an inference.
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The news in the first paragraph is WHOLLY POSITIVE: the digitization process can be used to remove the extraneous sound...introduced by the old process, so that it is now possible to hear a recording of Caruso's singing that is far superior to any made during his lifetime.

D: The first paragraph presents a concrete instance of a problem.
A problem is a harmful circumstance that has not yet been overcome.
In the first paragraph, a harmful circumstance HAS been overcome: the extraneous sound introduced by the old process has been removed with digitization.
Thus, the purpose of the first paragraph is to present not a problem but a recently discovered SOLUTION.
Eliminate D.
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To answer this question, you must use information contained in the passage to draw an inference about the numbers by which sound is represented in digital recording systems.

The best answer is D because the passage states that storage and manipulation have little effect on the sound quality of digital recordings.

Since the sounds of a digital recording are represented by numbers, it may thus be inferred that the numbers themselves are not easily altered by storage and manipulation.

Choice A is not correct: since the passage makes no mention of time intervals between successive sounds, one cannot infer that the numbers describe such intervals.

Choice B can be eliminated because in its description of sampling error, the passage suggests that small changes in amplitude are sometimes recorded inaccurately in digital systems. However, the passage does not indicate that digital systems have difficulty modeling large changes in amplitude.

Choices C and E are incorrect because there is no indication in the passage that the numbers representing sounds in a digital recording are altered in any way during playback, nor that the numbers are stored and read in groups.
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GMATNinja GMATNinjaTwo

1. Which of the following best describes the relationship of the first paragraph to the passage as a whole?


Introduces is mentioned as - It is now possible.. in very first sentence of passage.
General thesis - Digital recording - Elaborated in last para of passage


Rejected because the phrase - dramatic example - sounded too strong to be proven true.

2. According the passage, one of the ways in which analog recording systems differ from digital recording systems is that analog systems




This can be inferred from
In analog recording systems, the original sound is represented as a continuous waveform created by variations in the sound's amplitude over time. When analog playback systems reproduce this waveform, however, they invariably introduce distortions.
Since original sound is represented as a continuous waveform.
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P1 - WC for recording ; Digitalization.
P2 - digital vs analog.
P3 - distortions in digital

1. Which of the following best describes the relationship of the first paragraph to the passage as a whole?

(A) The first paragraph introduces a general thesis that is elaborated on in detail elsewhere in the passage.
(B) The first paragraph presents a concrete instance of a problem that is discussed elsewhere in the passage.
(C) The first paragraph describes a traditional process that is contrasted unfavorably with a newer process described elsewhere in the passage.
(D) The first paragraph presents a dramatic example of the potential of a process that is described elsewhere in the passage. ~~~~~
(E) The first paragraph describes a historic incident that served as the catalyst for developments described elsewhere in the passage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2. According the passage, one of the ways in which analog recording systems differ from digital recording systems is that analog systems
Analog systems are defined in P2.

(A) can be used to reduce background noise in old recordings --- true but not defined in passage.
(B) record the original sound as a continuous waveform ~~~~~~~correct.
(C) distort the original sound somewhat ---- No
(D) can avoid introducing extraneous and nonmusical sounds - no, even it introduces that.
(E) can reconstruct the original waveform with little loss quality -- No.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3. Which of the following statements about the numbers by which sound is represented in a digital system can be inferred from the passage?
Lines to read - Because the digital playback system “reads” only numbers, any noise and distortion that may accumulate during storage and manipulation of the digitized signal will have little effect: as long as the numbers remain recognizable, the original waveform will be reconstructed with little loss in quality.

(D) They are not readily altered by distortion and noise accumulated as the digital signal is stored and manipulated. - correct

--------------------------------------------

4. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about the digital approach to the processing of sound?

(A) It was developed in competition with wax-cylinder recording technology. --- it can't be . a generation gap is b/w the two.
(B) It has resulted in the first distortion-free playback system. -- nope.
(C) It has been extensively applied to nonmusical sounds. --- no
(D) It cannot yet process music originally recorded on analog equipment. -- yes it can.
(E) It is not yet capable of reprocessing old recordings in a completely distortion-free manner.- correct

for 1. Which of the following best describes the relationship of the first paragraph to the passage as a whole?

(A) The first paragraph introduces a general thesis that is elaborated on in detail elsewhere in the passage.
(B) The first paragraph presents a concrete instance of a problem that is discussed elsewhere in the passage.
(C) The first paragraph describes a traditional process that is contrasted unfavorably with a newer process described elsewhere in the passage.
(D) The first paragraph presents a dramatic example of the potential of a process that is described elsewhere in the passage.
(E) The first paragraph describes a historic incident that served as the catalyst for developments described elsewhere in the passage.

I got it right but I was stuck between B and D for 5 minutes. Evantually I went with D because I felt its better but couldn't find a good reason to reject B. After all, in B, the passage talks about the noise problem that is described elsewhere in the passage.

Little more than 8 min for all 4 and with all 4 correct even though I have understood less than 50% of above passage.

Question 3 took more than 4 mins as I was getting confused as have not read entire passage in the start, At the end I was sure that A, B, C, and E were incorrect hence selected D.

I still don't know why D is correct and that's perfectly fine with GMAT and that's the beauty of GMAT

Hi mallya12

GMATNinja has already provided answer for that, could you please that re-post if you have any queries in understanding that.

In future please review all the comments properly and then post with reason as in what you are not able to understand in that.

How to eliminate option B from question1 ? I have understood from the above posts that D is the correct answer, but how is B wrong?

GMATNinja GMATNinjaTwo EducationAisle

I was confused between B and D in q1. I selected B as I could not find a reason to eliminate B.
I have understood that D is correct but how to eliminate B.
Please help.

Dear Expert,

Question 3

Why (C) is incorrect?

Question 3 is about the numbers that represent sound in a digital system.

The only area of the passage that says anything about playback being modified from the original is the second paragraph—but that part is about analog systems, not digital systems.

Moreover, the passage says that playback in a digital system merely "reads" numbers—a wording that implies that NO modification occurs at this process. (Consider what "read-only" means for computer files in general.)

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