rohan2345 wrote:
New laws make it easier to patent just about anything, from parts of the human genome to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Commentators are concerned about the implications of allowing patents for things that can hardly be described as “inventions.” However, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office believes that allowing for strong copyright and patent protections fosters the kind of investment in research and development needed to spur innovation.
Which of the following can be properly inferred from the statements above?
(A) It was not possible in the past to patent something as common as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
(B) The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is more interested in business profits than in true innovation.
(C) Investment in research and development is often needed to spur innovation.
(D) The human genome is part of nature and shouldn’t be patented.
(E) Commentators who are concerned about too many patents aren’t very well informed.
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:
A. This critical-reasoning question asks you to draw an inference from the passage. Inference questions generally focus on a premise rather than on a conclusion. The passage implies that the patent office wants to promote invention, so Choice (B) doesn’t work. Choices (D) and (E) express opinions that aren’t presented in the passage. Although you may agree that the genome shouldn’t be patented or that people who are concerned about patents aren’t well informed, the question doesn’t ask you for your opinion.
Don’t choose answer choices to critical-reasoning questions just because you agree with them. Base your answers on the opinions stated or implied by the paragraph.
Because Choice (C) is stated in the passage, it can’t be an inference. The answer must be Choice (A), because it flows logically from the first premise and isn’t stated in the passage.