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Difficulty:
45%
(medium)
Question Stats:
69% (01:58) correct
31%
(02:04)
wrong
based on 1767
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Archaeologists excavating an ancient Chi-Xua site found a small statue along with white-and-red striped pottery fragments and small bits of cloth in a one-room building approximately 6 meters by 5 meters. The building had a single entrance, opening to a narrow exterior porch. The building’s walls were made of local sandstone.
Select the proposition that, if true, would provide the strongest evidence For the hypothesis that the room had a residential function and select the proposition that, if true, would provide the strongest evidence Against the hypothesis. Make only two selections, one in each column.
Select the proposition that, if true, would provide the strongest evidence For the hypothesis that the room had a residential function and select the proposition that, if true, would provide the strongest evidence Against the hypothesis. Make only two selections, one in each column.
| For | Against | Statements |
| Local sandstone was rarely used for building in ancient Chi-Xua sites. | ||
| Nearly all Chi-Xua residential buildings had multiple rooms. | ||
| Some Chi-Xua buildings included multiple storage rooms measuring approximately 30 square meters. | ||
| The cloth fragments did not contain the pigments commonly used in Chi-Xua ceremonial robes. | ||
| Red-and-white striped pottery was used in Chi-Xua almost exclusively for personal food storage. |
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Posts: 16,400
Official Explanation
In the absence of more information about the use of sandstone in ancient Chi-Xua buildings, the fact that the building material was unusual does not, in itself, imply any particular function. This rules out the first option as the correct response for either selection. While the building in question did have an area of 30 square meters, the fact that it was a one-room building makes the third option irrelevant. Finally, even if it could be known with certainty that the bits of cloth were not part of ceremonial robes, the absence of ceremonial robes provides no evidence to suggest that the room served a residential function. Thus the fourth option is also irrelevant.
If red-and-white striped pottery was used almost exclusively for personal food storage, this strongly suggests that the room was a private space, such as a residence.
The correct answer is Red-and-white striped pottery was used in Chi-Xua almost exclusively for personal food storage.
If nearly all of the Chi-Xua residential buildings had multiple rooms, then strong evidence of residential use would be required to accept that this building is one of the few exceptions.
The correct answer is Nearly all Chi-Xua residential buildings had multiple rooms.
In the absence of more information about the use of sandstone in ancient Chi-Xua buildings, the fact that the building material was unusual does not, in itself, imply any particular function. This rules out the first option as the correct response for either selection. While the building in question did have an area of 30 square meters, the fact that it was a one-room building makes the third option irrelevant. Finally, even if it could be known with certainty that the bits of cloth were not part of ceremonial robes, the absence of ceremonial robes provides no evidence to suggest that the room served a residential function. Thus the fourth option is also irrelevant.
If red-and-white striped pottery was used almost exclusively for personal food storage, this strongly suggests that the room was a private space, such as a residence.
The correct answer is Red-and-white striped pottery was used in Chi-Xua almost exclusively for personal food storage.
If nearly all of the Chi-Xua residential buildings had multiple rooms, then strong evidence of residential use would be required to accept that this building is one of the few exceptions.
The correct answer is Nearly all Chi-Xua residential buildings had multiple rooms.
General Discussion
For:Red-and-white striped pottery was used in Chi-Xua almost exclusively for personal food storage.
Since in the passage it's written that few red and white pottery fragments are there and if the fragments were exclusively used for storing the food that clearly shows that the rooms was used for a residential function since if someone resided there then there might be people who would store there food in it and this option is amongst the best possible one from the given ones
Against: Nearly all Chi-Xua residential buildings had multiple rooms.
Since it's clearly written in the passage that it was a single room and according to above point residential buildings had multiple rooms ,so it's clearly the opposite option
Posted from my mobile device
Since in the passage it's written that few red and white pottery fragments are there and if the fragments were exclusively used for storing the food that clearly shows that the rooms was used for a residential function since if someone resided there then there might be people who would store there food in it and this option is amongst the best possible one from the given ones
Against: Nearly all Chi-Xua residential buildings had multiple rooms.
Since it's clearly written in the passage that it was a single room and according to above point residential buildings had multiple rooms ,so it's clearly the opposite option
Posted from my mobile device
mSKR
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A: Irrelevant
B: AGAINST : if residential has multiple rooms but it has single room then it is against the hypothesis
C. it doesn't mention whether storage rooms are for residential or not
D: same as C
E. FOR :exclusively for personal food storage : means residential support
B: AGAINST : if residential has multiple rooms but it has single room then it is against the hypothesis
C. it doesn't mention whether storage rooms are for residential or not
D: same as C
E. FOR :exclusively for personal food storage : means residential support
For: Red-and-white striped pottery was used in Chi-Xua almost exclusively for personal food storage.
white-and-red striped pottery fragments were found means it was used for residential purpose
Against: Nearly all Chi-Xua residential buildings had multiple rooms.
but in the passage, it is said that the building has only one room that means it was not used for residential purpose
let us look at other options
Local sandstone was rarely used for building in ancient Chi-Xua sites. ( irrelevant to us)
Some Chi-Xua buildings included multiple storage rooms measuring approximately 30 square meters. (first of all, I am always careful when the passage use words like some, nearly all, etc it would be a good counter for against but we have already chosen the best option and I do not know why was the storage room was used whether for residential or some other reason)
white-and-red striped pottery fragments were found means it was used for residential purpose
Against: Nearly all Chi-Xua residential buildings had multiple rooms.
but in the passage, it is said that the building has only one room that means it was not used for residential purpose
let us look at other options
Local sandstone was rarely used for building in ancient Chi-Xua sites. ( irrelevant to us)
Some Chi-Xua buildings included multiple storage rooms measuring approximately 30 square meters. (first of all, I am always careful when the passage use words like some, nearly all, etc it would be a good counter for against but we have already chosen the best option and I do not know why was the storage room was used whether for residential or some other reason)
statement 4 should be:
The cloth fragments did not contain the pigments commonly used in Chi-Xua ceremonial robes.
The cloth fragments did not contain the pigments commonly used in Chi-Xua ceremonial robes.
Attachments
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Posts: 16,400
nisen20
The above question was posted from a reliable source and there is no issue with the existing statement.
Thank you!
Sajjad1994
The OE has already suggested what the 4th statement is.
APram
Joined: 23 Jun 2024
Last visit: 12 Sep 2026
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Location: India
Schools: ISB '26 HEC INSEAD Jan '26
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Nearly all chi xua residential buildings had multiple rooms. How is this against the hypothesis? Perhaps this building did have multiple rooms attached to it back in the day but they all got destroyed except for this one room. After all it's an excavation site 
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Posts: 14
APram
You are thinking way too far, involving a lot of assumptions. If you start thinking this way, then you will find problem in each and every verbal problem.
One argument which can be made against this point just based on wording might be that since its written " Nearly all " which is different from "all", there is a possibility that this specific room was not in the nearly all category but rather in the one which is outside of nearly all. However, from given options, it is still the best one
I've found A to be somewhat debatable for against since it says that buildings were rarely made of local sandstone but then I realised that this statement will weaken the fact that the room was a building, and not the statement which we want to weaken "room was used for residential function"
Let me know if this helps
"Some Chi-Xua buildings included multiple storage rooms measuring approximately 30 square meters." Why is this option wrong to weaken the argument? Please explain sir.
Sajjad1994
Weakness 1: "Some" is too weak
Weakness 2: Size match is not sufficient
- The statement only says "some buildings" were used as storage.
- That doesn't tell us how common that was. If only 2 out of 500 buildings were like that, the relevance is minimal.
- The word "some" is very vague on the GMAT — it doesn't strongly establish a typical pattern.
Weakness 2: Size match is not sufficient
- While the size is similar, it doesn't tell us if those 30 m2 storage rooms were standalone buildings or parts of larger complexes.
- The building in the passage was one-room with an entrance porch — implying some architectural design.
- A storage room within a bigger complex is not comparable to a one-room standalone building.
Quote:
- This provides a clear contradiction: if most residences had multiple rooms, and this one does not, it likely was not a residence.
- It attacks the assumption that room layout = residential directly and definitively.
Veenu221
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