Resin is a plant secretion that hardens when exposed to air; fossilize

Question

Resin is a plant secretion that hardens when exposed to air; fossilized resin is called amber. Although Pliny in the first century recognized that amber was produced from “marrow discharged by trees,” amber has been widely misunderstood to be a semiprecious gem and has even been described in mineralogy textbooks. Confusion also persists surrounding the term “resin,” which was defined before rigorous chemical analyses were available. Resin is often confused with gum, a substance produced in plants in response to bacterial infections, and with sap, an aqueous solution transported through certain plant tissues. Resin differs from both gum and sap in that scientists have not determined a physiological function for resin.

In the 1950s, entomologists posited that resin may function to repel or attract insects. Fraenkel conjectured that plants initially produced resin in nonspecific chemical responses to insect attack and that, over time, plants evolved that produced resin with specific repellent effects. But some insect species, he noted, might overcome the repellent effects, actually becoming attracted to the resin. This might induce the insects to feed on those plants or aid them in securing a breeding site. Later researchers suggested that resin mediates the complex interdependence, or “coevolution,” of plants and insects over time. Such ideas led to the development of the specialized discipline of chemical ecology, which is concerned with the role of plant chemicals in interactions with other organisms and with the evolution and ecology of plant antiherbivore chemistry (plants' chemical defenses against attack by herbivores such as insects).   1 
(Book Question: 467)

1. According to the passage, which of the following is true of plant antiherbivore chemistry?

(A) Changes in a plant's antiherbivore chemistry may affect insect feeding behavior.

(B) A plant's repellent effects often involve interactions between gum and resin.

(C) A plant's antiherbivore responses assist in combating bacterial infections.

(D) Plant antiherbivore chemistry plays only a minor role in the coevolution of plants and insects.

(E) Researchers first studied repellent effects in plants beginning in the 1950s.

2 
(Book Question: 468)

2. Of the following topics, which would be most likely to be studied within the discipline of chemical ecology as it is described in the passage?

(A) Seeds that become attached to certain insects, which in turn carry away the seeds and aid in the reproductive cycle of the plant species in question

(B) An insect species that feeds on weeds detrimental to crop health and yield, and how these insects might aid in agricultural production

(C) The effects of deforestation on the life cycles of subtropical carnivorous plants and the insect species on which the plants feed

(D) The growth patterns of a particular species of plant that has proved remarkably resistant to herbicides

(E) Insects that develop a tolerance for feeding on a plant that had previously been toxic to them, and the resultant changes within that plant species

3 
(Book Question: 469)

3. The author refers to “bacterial infections” (see line 11) most likely in order to

(A) describe the physiological function that gum performs in plants

(B) demonstrate that sap is not the only substance that is transported through a plant's tissues

(C) explain how modern chemical analysis has been used to clarify the function of resin

(D) show that gum cannot serve as an effective defense against herbivores

(E) give an example of how confusion has arisen with regard to the nature of resin

4 
(Book Question: 470)

4. The author of the passage refers to Pliny most probably in order to

(A) give an example of how the nature of amber has been misunderstood in the past

(B) show that confusion about amber has long been more pervasive than confusion about resin

(C) make note of the first known reference to amber as a semiprecious gem

(D) point out an exception to a generalization about the history of people's understanding of amber

(E) demonstrate that Pliny believed amber to be a mineral

JOURNAL ARTICLE 
Plant Resins
Jean H. Langenheim
 American Scientist 
Vol. 78, No. 1 (January-February 1990), pp. 16-24
Published by: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society
Stable URL:  https://www.jstor.org/stable/29773859 
Page Count: 9

gmatexam439 · Accepted Answer

1. According to the passage, which of the following is true of plant antiherbivore chemistry?
(A) Changes in a plant's antiherbivore chemistry may affect insect feeding behavior. -  CORRECT. " plants' chemical defenses against attack by herbivores such as insects " This clearly tells us that the chemicals will have an impact on the nature of interaction between insect and plant. 
(B) A plant's repellent effects often involve interactions between gum and resin. - Irrelevant 
(C) A plant's antiherbivore responses assist in combating bacterial infections. - Responses, if any, occur POST the infection 
(D) Plant antiherbivore chemistry plays only a minor role in the coevolution of plants and insects. - Theory is concerned with plant & insect interaction 
(E) Researchers first studied repellent effects in plants beginning in the 1950s. - Irrelevant

2. Of the following topics, which would be most likely to be studied within the discipline of chemical ecology as it is described in the passage?
 Chemical ecology talks about the interaction between chemical and insect. 
(A) Seeds that become attached to certain insects, which in turn carry away the seeds and aid in the reproductive cycle of the plant species in question - Seeds are not chemicals. Incorrect. 
(B) An insect species that feeds on weeds detrimental to crop health and yield, and how these insects might aid in agricultural production - Insect aid in agriculture? Irrelevant 
(C) The effects of deforestation on the life cycles of subtropical carnivorous plants and the insect species on which the plants feed - Effect of deforestation? Irrelevant 
(D) The growth patterns of a particular species of plant that has proved remarkably resistant to herbicides - Growth pattern? Irrelevant 
(E) Insects that develop a tolerance for feeding on a plant that had previously been toxic to them, and the resultant changes within that plant species - CORRECT. Correctly develops a relationship between the toxic chemical and insect.

3. The author refers to “bacterial infections” (see line 11) most likely in order to
(A) describe the physiological function that gum performs in plants - CORRECT. " Resin differs from both gum and sap in that scientists have not determined a physiological function for resin " -This line is followed by the line that defines the function of gum. Thus we can infer that "bacterial infections" is referring to the physiological function of gum 
(B) demonstrate that sap is not the only substance that is transported through a plant's tissues - Out of scope 
(C) explain how modern chemical analysis has been used to clarify the function of resin - Incorrect 
(D) show that gum cannot serve as an effective defense against herbivores - Out of scope 
(E) give an example of how confusion has arisen with regard to the nature of resin - The passage does explain the term gum to define the confusion between the two, but "bacterial infections" doesn't describe the confusion. It merely explains the function of gum

4. The author of the passage refers to Pliny most probably in order to
  " Although Pliny in the first century recognized that amber was produced from “marrow discharged by trees,” amber has been widely misunderstood to be a semiprecious gem and has even been described in mineralogy textbooks"  
(A) give an example of how the nature of amber has been misunderstood in the past - It's the opposite of the statement made by the author 
(B) show that confusion about amber has long been more pervasive than confusion about resin - The passage doesn't say so 
(C) make note of the first known reference to amber as a semiprecious gem - First known reference is nowhere depicted in the passage. 
(D) point out an exception to a generalization about the history of people's understanding of amber - CORRECT. The passage states that Pliny thought of the amber as a product of marrow discharged by the trees. 
(E) demonstrate that Pliny believed amber to be a mineral - It is the opposite of what passage states

GMATNinja · Answer

Thanks  praneet87  and  gmatexam439 !

Indeed, Pliny  correctly  recognized that amber was produced from “marrow discharged by trees,” so, in the example with Pliny, amber is NOT misunderstood. In general, amber has been widely misunderstood, so the Pliny example is an exception.

GMATNinja · Answer

Passage breakdown 
In the first paragraph (P1), the author:

Explains how resin amber have been misunderstood in the past. 
 States that scientists have not yet found a function for resin.

In the second paragraph, the author:

Introduces and discusses two potential explanations for the function of resin -- the question raised in P1. 
 Explains how studying resin led to the development of chemical ecology.

For more on this process, check out  this article  and  our live RC videos .

Explanations for individual questions 
 
  Question 1  
  Question 3  
 Question 4
 
  Part 1  
  Part 2  
  Part 3

BillyZ · Answer

The passage states generally that amber has been widely misunderstood but cites Pliny as noting correctly, in the first century, that  amber resulted from a substance discharged by trees .

GMATNinja  Could you help to explain why (A) is incorrect?

gmatexam439 · Answer

hazelnut , if you take the statement "A" to be correct, then statement "E" should also be correct; both the statements are referring to the same meaning.
Pay close attention to the word "Although". It just changes the meaning of the entire statement.

Hope it helps.

jokschmer · Answer

3. The author refers to “bacterial infections” (see line 11) most likely in order to
(A) describe the physiological function that gum performs in plants - CORRECT. " Resin differs from both gum and sap in that scientists have not determined a physiological function for resin " -This line is followed by the line that defines the function of gum. Thus we can infer that "bacterial infections" is referring to the physiological function of gum 
(B) demonstrate that sap is not the only substance that is transported through a plant's tissues - Out of scope 
(C) explain how modern chemical analysis has been used to clarify the function of resin - Incorrect 
(D) show that gum cannot serve as an effective defense against herbivores - Out of scope 
(E) give an example of how confusion has arisen with regard to the nature of resin - The passage does explain the term gum to define the confusion between the two, but "bacterial infections" doesn't describe the confusion. It merely explains the function of gum

for this question it is confusing that 
1. gum is a product or result of 'physiological function=bacterial infections' ....passage says "Resin is often confused with gum, a substance produced in plants in response to bacterial infections"

or

2. gum is a performer of 'physiological function=bacterial infections'....ans option says "bacterial infections describe the physiological function that gum performs."

can anyone shed some light on these two conflicting points.

dcummins · Answer

This was a tough paragraph to stomach.

I read it at a slow pace in its entirety, but I still found myself going back to the paragraph extensively to answer the questions.

Anyone know to to better tackle this?

Ended up with 1 wrong (last question) - didn't understand the answer choice.

GMATNinja · Answer

dcummins , you also might want to check out the  Ultimate RC Guide for Beginners  for more tips on how to efficiently tackle a passage. Good luck, and let us know if you have any specific questions!

dcummins · Answer

Thanks Charles. I found that a lot of the tips mentioned were actually covered in one of your more detailed videos I viewed on youtube, so cheers.

I've concluded that no one RC reading method works for everyone. I've tried both the Economist's method, Empower's and the methods mentioned in the RC sticky thread. I'm a perfectionist, which is a detriment in this test, so If I read the whole passage it'll kill my time and this has been made evident in my last 3 practice CATs (V38 scores, but consistently having to rush through 1 passage and somehow always getting 5 RC wrong). I'll continue to flex my style and take in the tips. At the end of the day RC is something I practice the least, so I think I need to hold myself accountable in that regard.

GMATNinja · Answer

Thank you for the kind words! Glad to hear that the videos are helping. (And sorry for my ludicrously slow response. I sorta switched continents during the holidays, and life is just starting to return to normal...) And you’re 100% correct: no single reading method – or note-taking method – will ever work for everybody. Whenever a test-prep company tries to sell you some magical, rigid note-taking system that will turn you into a 99th-percentile verbal scorer, please run in the other direction, and double-check to make sure that you still have your wallet. The reality is that improving your reading skills is HARD, and everybody’s minds work in different ways. Sure, there are general principles that apply to everybody on RC, but those principles are incredibly broad: basically, read for purpose and structure, work hard to avoid misreading, and don’t fall in love with an answer choice before you’ve found reasons to eliminate four other options. Beyond that, success comes from lots of practice, lots of self-reflection, and plenty of time spent learning what works best for YOU. So I like the way you’re thinking about this! More practice is good, but perfectionism probably isn’t a good thing. Ideally, when you read an RC passage, you’re trying to understand only as much as you really need to understand. If you absorb TOO many details, you’ll waste time – and you might even miss the broader ideas in the passage. So maybe you need to learn to let go a bit, and figure out how much to dial back the intensity of your reading? Just a thought. I hope this helps, and enjoy the journey of self-discovery that is the GMAT verbal section…

GMATNinja · Answer

We are told that the repellent effects of  resin  were first considered in the 1950s. However, that does not necessarily mean that researchers were not studying OTHER (non-resin) repellent effects in plants prior to the 1950s.

I hope that helps!

thangvietnam · Answer

this is case "easy passage, close answers ". when passage is easy, close answers give you difficulty.

still elimination helps. read each answer choice and see whether it is fit with the two or 3 sentences in the passage. do this 5 times for 5 choices. 
it is more easy to see error or unfit relation than to see the correct answer. the correct answer is the answer we have no reason to eliminate. when there is only one choice we can not eliminate, reread this choice to confirm. we can not realize the correct answer the first time we read it because hard question dose not give you easy answer, which is realize first time. we can only confirm the remaining answer without errors by rereading the relevant two or three sentences once again.

this is the process to deal with hard question. prethinking an answer choice before reading the answer choices and then looking for a match dose not help. prethinking , I can say, is not helpful for rreading section because the answer is never so easy that we can find a match.

newyork2012 · Answer

4. The author of the passage refers to Pliny most probably in order to
"AlthoughPliny in the first century recognized that amber was produced from “marrow discharged by trees,” amber has been widely misunderstood to be a semiprecious gem and has even been described in mineralogy textbooks"
(A) give an example of how the nature of amber has been misunderstood in the past
(D) point out an exception to a generalization about the history of people's understanding of amber

I don’t understand why it could D

D is the fact behind the story ,but it’s not what the author wanna say ... the author wanna use this example ( fact ) to show “ how the nature of amber has been misunderstood in the past”

Posted from my mobile device

Business was slow this morning ..we only had one customer

When we mention the “one customer “ , we don’t intend to say that it’s an exception.. we intend to use the example to show how slow the business was ...

GMATNinja · Answer

Taking your example, a 1:1 comparison would actually need to be worded like this:

"Business was slow this morning,  although  we only had one customer.

As you can see, that key word "although" (which is used to introduce Pliny's role in the sentence) basically reverses the logic of your example.

That's because the author isn't bringing in an example (Pliny's correct recognition of where amber comes from) to explain or illustrate a trend (amber has been widely misunderstood).

Rather, the author is bringing in an example to  contrast  one case vis-a-vis the trend. The author mentions Pliny's correct understanding of amber in order to point out an exception to the broader, mistaken generalizations about amber. Choice (D) captures this best.

I hope this helps!

WeWillGetIn · Answer

Everyone,

Don't you think that the correct answer: 'point out an exception to a generalization about the history of people’s understanding of amber' is actually having a wrong meaning? As we discussed above, the exception we have here is 'to the misunderstanding', but the answer is: 'to a generalization about the history of people's understanding', so it's actually not what we are talking about. Because 'a generalization about history' is something like 'people did not understand amber until 1900s', and 'an exception to a generalization' is like 'people actually knew amber in 1850s'. Pliny did not make any generalization about history, he made an understanding about amber. So I am confused. Please help me with this. I know I am wrong but I don't know why I am wrong. I got the correct answer but I really can not convince myself when I read the answer. So do I understand 'an exception to' incorrectly? Thank you!

GMATNinja · Answer

As a reminder, here's what the author wrote:

This one sentence tells us two things:

Amber has been  widely misunderstood  to be a semiprecious gem. 
   Although  amber has been widely misunderstood in this way, Pliny recognized that amber was produced from "marrow discharged by trees."

It doesn't seem like you've had any trouble with the reading here — but to be clear, Pliny is the EXCEPTION, while the GENERALIZATION is that amber has been widely misunderstood.

Now, when looking at the answer choice, it seems like you're getting hung up over the difference between "understanding" and "misunderstanding." However, these two words are not necessarily logical opposites, and they can be used in multiple ways. If I'm right about this, then it might help to better understand the usage.

If I say, "People  understood  the plague to be a punishment from God," what I mean is that people  thought  the plague was a punishment from God. If I believe that God punishes people with plagues, then I might consider their understanding to be correct. If I don't believe in God at all, then I might consider their understanding to be mistaken. This sentence doesn't tell you what I believe about the plague; it only tells you how these people thought of the plague. 
  If I say "People  misunderstood  the plague to be a punishment from God"... well, I still mean that people  thought  the plague was a punishment from God. In addition, I'm explicitly saying, as the author, that their understanding was mistaken.

Now let's consider "understanding" and "misunderstanding" as nouns:

If I say, "The chief's understanding of this crisis is deeply flawed," what I mean is that  the way the Chief thinks  about this crisis is deeply flawed. 
  Now, it would be inappropriate me to say, "The chief's misunderstanding of the crisis is deeply flawed," because that's a double negative. More proper usage would be, "The chief deeply misunderstands this crisis," or "The chief has a deep misunderstanding of the crisis."

Choice (D) says, "The author of the passage refers to Pliny most probably in order to point out an exception to a generalization about the history of people's understanding of amber."

In other words, the author most probably refers to Pliny because Pliny's understanding of amber (i.e., his thinking about amber) is an exception to a generalization about the history of people's understanding about amber (i.e. their thinking about amber). Pliny knew that amber was produced from something inside of trees in the first century, although the general understanding of people's thoughts regarding amber is that they thought it was a gem.

(Unrelated: in my personal opinion, Amber is definitely a gem. If you know me personally, you'll get the joke.)

I hope this helps!

warrior1991 · Answer

AndrewN   GMATNinja   VeritasPrepHailey   AjiteshArun   generis   CrackVerbalGMAT   chetan2u   VeritasKarishma

Can you explain as to how is option A correct in the Q-3 mentioned below

AndrewN · Answer

Hello,  warrior1991 . I understand the confusion. Many times in these  author-refers-to  questions, we look for overarching reasons, a context surrounding the detail in question. In this case, however, the appositive phrase restricts the information that follows and more or less defines the term  gum . Have a look at the passage again, toward the end of paragraph one:

Choice (E) would look better if the question were asking about  gum  instead of  bacterial infections . In fact, we could then skip over the appositive phrase and be left with the following:

Resin is often confused with gum... and with sap...

Keep in mind, though, that it is not  bacterial infections  that are leading to any confusion. Nobody is questioning the nature of  gum . Again, that information is given as fact, no different from the second appositive phrase that defines the term  sap . Hence, we cannot say that the mention of bacterial infections exemplifies  how confusion has arisen with regard to the nature of resin . Instead, we understand that the appositive phrase mentioning bacterial infections tells us what gum does in a plant, nothing more. Choice (A) is the harder of the two answers to argue against, so that is the one we need to pick.

I hope that makes sense. Thank you for bringing the question to my attention.

- Andrew

warrior1991 · Answer

AndrewN

Thank you for responding. I have no doubt in option E. It is incorrect because of the reasons you mentioned above.

My question is regarding option A. Gum is produced in plants in response to bacterial infections.

I am still not able to infer:-
"how bacterial infections" relation in the passage is linked to option A( describe the physiological function that gum performs in plants )

Resin is a plant secretion that hardens when exposed to air; fossilize

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Resin is a plant secretion that hardens when exposed to air; fossilize

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