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Sajjad1994
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Where can I find the solution for this passage?
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Where can I find the solution for this passage?

1. In e-GMAT RC Webinar
2. Post your question here I will provide you the explanation
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Can someone explain why A is correct for Q2. I marked B.

Option (B) has limited scope for the purpose of the question, it failed to cover up all the necessary findings. It didn't cover up a necessary finding "that protists eat viruses". So it is out.

Option (A) covers all necessary details

1. Cohabitation of protists with bacteria and viruses
2. proof that they eat viruses

A is better than B

True that B do not cover the scope of question. However, how do we know that protists prefer virus over bacteria.

If this preference is not justified by passage then B is wrong.
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True that B do not cover the scope of question. However, how do we know that protists prefer virus over bacteria.

If this preference is not justified by passage then B is wrong.

Paragraph 2

But mounting evidence suggests that at least one group of organisms might willingly nosh on nutrientrich viruses: protists, microscopic and often singlecelled organisms that scientists have struggled to place on the tree of life. According to a study published in the journal ‘Frontiers in Microbiology’, protists, like viruses and bacteria, seethe in seawater by the billions and trillions and some might slurp up marine viruses. In fact, bacteria, protists, and viruses cohabitate.

Paragraph 3

"...........thereby proving that protists have eaten the viruses by choice under natural conditions despite having access to bacteria as an additional food source."
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Can someone explain why A is correct for Q2. I marked B.

A) In the last paragraph, they mentioned the tiger analogy citing protists prefer eating viruses over bacteria.

B) Distortion, it is mentioned that protists exist in millions and billions, not both combined.

C) Probably you wanted to pick this. This answer is mostly correct except for the last part where it talks about nutrients, there is no mention of viruses being more nutritious than bacteria.

D) This is the other way around, the stomach of protists contain more viruses than bacteria. Moreover, protists do not have a stomach, it was just an analogy.

E) Out of Scope, the passage never talked about the discovery of viruses.
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Can anyone explain questions 3 and 4?
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Official Explanation

3. Which of the following cannot be inferred from the passage?

Difficulty Level: 650

Explanation

Since this is a global question (no clues provided in the question), let us go to the options.

(A) Incorrect: This is given in paragraph 2

(B) Incorrect: True as per the passage. The sister study provided more conclusive evidence that protists eat viruses

(C) Correct: We are not given that viruses are richer, nutrient wise.

(D) Incorrect: True as per the passage (as per the sister study)

(E) Incorrect: True as per the passage (finding from the sister study

Answer: C
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Official Explanation

4. What is the main point of this passage?

Difficulty Level: 600

Explanation

Paragraph 1: Surprise that no species that eats virus found by scientists
Paragraph 2: New evidence which talks about a species that may eat viruses
Paragraph 3: Further evidence that confirms that this species eats viruses, by choice

(A) Incorrect: Misses the key point – that this species eats viruses

(B) Incorrect: How the species feeds on viruses (the mechanism) is out of scope

(C) Correct: As per passage summary

(D) Incorrect: The author does not discuss importance of such a species, just provides evidence that such a species exists

(E) Incorrect: The author does not discuss implications or impact of such a species, just provides evidence that such a species exists

Answer: C
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Hi Sajjad1994

#2 How is A the right option choice ? From the passage, we see that the first study did not prove that the protists consumed virus and not bacteria. This was proven by the second study. The mounting evidence here refers to the existence of protists which consumes virus, but never refers to the fact that it prefers virus over bacteria.
C appears to be more correct. However, the study did not mention that protists gulped viruses in billions or trillions.
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Hi Sajjad1994

#2 How is A the right option choice ? From the passage, we see that the first study did not prove that the protists consumed virus and not bacteria. This was proven by the second study. The mounting evidence here refers to the existence of protists which consumes virus, but never refers to the fact that it prefers virus over bacteria.
C appears to be more correct. However, the study did not mention that protists gulped viruses in billions or trillions.

(A) is correct because it captures the main idea of the evidence presented in the passage. The evidence suggests that protists, viruses, and bacteria coexist in seawater, and the study analyzed the genetic material in individual protist cells, finding a large amount of genetic material from viruses. This supports the notion that protists may prefer eating viruses over bacteria.

(C) is incorrect because it only mentions the coexistence of protists, viruses, and bacteria in seawater and the fact that protists slurp up viruses in large quantities. While this information is mentioned in the passage, it does not directly support the idea that protists prefer eating viruses over bacteria. The preference is inferred from the analysis of genetic material in protist cells, which is not explicitly mentioned in option (C).
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Hi Sajjad1994

#2 How is A the right option choice ? From the passage, we see that the first study did not prove that the protists consumed virus and not bacteria. This was proven by the second study. The mounting evidence here refers to the existence of protists which consumes virus, but never refers to the fact that it prefers virus over bacteria.
C appears to be more correct. However, the study did not mention that protists gulped viruses in billions or trillions.

(A) is correct because it captures the main idea of the evidence presented in the passage. The evidence suggests that protists, viruses, and bacteria coexist in seawater, and the study analyzed the genetic material in individual protist cells, finding a large amount of genetic material from viruses. This supports the notion that protists may prefer eating viruses over bacteria.

(C) is incorrect because it only mentions the coexistence of protists, viruses, and bacteria in seawater and the fact that protists slurp up viruses in large quantities. While this information is mentioned in the passage, it does not directly support the idea that protists prefer eating viruses over bacteria. The preference is inferred from the analysis of genetic material in protist cells, which is not explicitly mentioned in option (C).

Hi Sajjad1994

Thank you for the explanation. But somehow, I am not convinced here. Here the mounting evidence refers to the coexistence of protists, virus and bacteria, and that protists might feed on bacteria. The beginning of the third paragraph clearly mentions that the study fails to convincingly address the consumptive relation between the protists and the virus.
Hence, the mounting evidence nowhere reflects the main idea of the passage. But the sister study analyses the protists and then it clarifies that protists actually feed on virus. I believe the first study and the second study are "sister" studies and with that logic in mind, A is the right answer choice.
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