The author of a book tracing the relationship of work-related stress

This one is extremely difficult for me.

I eliminate A because the question never mention how much productivity is lost. C is also incorrect because the question never mention "critical thinking".

To me, E went too far. The rule of inference questions is that you only infer a little. It is correct that physical activity reduces stress, but you have to know HOW MUCH stress people have in physical demanding jobs to evaluate their relative stress. So I eliminate E.

I can't choose between B and D, all looks good.

Do you have OE for this?

Argument mentions: stress release powerful hormones.
Since most businesses are conducted in a relatively control environment most workers find few opportunities to vent the stress.

A Most productivity loss in small business is due to unprocessed stress hormones. [Too extreme – eliminate it]
B Increased physical activity would be helpful in processing stressful situations and increasing productivity. [Hold it]
C Hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine stimulate critical thinking as well as raising blood pressure. [“Critical Thinking” never mentioned / alluded in the argument – eliminate it]
D The restraint of business environments contributes to the stress experienced by workers. [Hold it]
E Workers in more physically demanding jobs have fewer problems with work-related stress. [“More physically demanding” is not mentioned in the argument – eliminate it]

Between B and D: D is too extreme as it concludes business environments contribute to the stress experienced by workers. However, as per the argument “since most business is conducted in a relatively restrained environment, workers find few opportunities to respond”.
The catch is “few”

Answer: B

This one was tough for me to decide between B and D. I went for D.

B is OA.

OE is here



Situation:A book argues that there is a strong connection between work-related stress and productivity loss because of the harmful physical effects of stress.

Reasoning:Which of the following can be most directly inferred from the passage?The first sentence introduces the idea that work-related stress can have harmful physical effects, and the second sentence discusses the functioning of stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine. The third sentence points to the fact that restraint in business environments may prevent workers from reacting physically to stressful situations, in which case the harmful physical effects of stress would lead to productivity loss.

1. The passage does not make this claim.
2. Since the author is concerned with productivity loss as a side-effect of harmful physical effects that result from lack of physical activity, the author would view increased physical activity as a solution.
3. The effect of these hormones on critical thinking is not discussed in the passage.
4. In the passage, restraint does not contribute directly to stress, but rather to a barrier in processing it.
5. The passage does not discuss workers in more physically demanding jobs.

The correct answer is B.

The author of a book tracing the relationship of work-related stress to productivity loss in small business argues that most workers underestimate the harmful physical effects of unprocessed anxiety. Powerful hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine, which are released in stressful situations, raise heartbeat and blood pressure, priming the body for physical activity. However, since most business is conducted in a relatively restrained environment, workers find few opportunities to respond to stressful situations as their hormones seem to demand.

If all of the above statements are true, it can be most directly inferred from the passage that


A Most productivity loss in small business is due to unprocessed stress hormones.
B Increased physical activity would be helpful in processing stressful situations and increasing productivity.
C Hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine stimulate critical thinking as well as raising blood pressure.
D The restraint of business environments contributes to the stress experienced by workers.
E Workers in more physically demanding jobs have fewer problems with work-related stress.

I was split between (A) and (B). The other answers were not considered. I think it can't be (A) because that's mentioned in the paragraph. (B) is the only one that you infer from what you are given?

Hi Animanga.

You are sort of correct. The issue with A is the word 'most' - nowhere in the passage is there any substantiation for this claim, sure we know that this is one cause of lack of productivity, but we don't have any idea how it compares to other causes of lost productivity.

B is the only one that can be inferred, correct. The passage says we do not get enough excersise to burn off the hormones, so more excersise would solve that.

Hope that helps.

James

In my opinion, D is more general. In fact B seems slightly out of scope.

1) D is harmlessly saying that the restraint of business environments contributes to stress - how can you refute that?

2) B in fact introduces an action outside of the argument in saying that introducing physical activity will reduce stress and claims that this will in turn increase productivity - the author does not make an explicit connection between increased stress and decrease in productivity.

For me D is more water tight. Would be interested in hearing opinions.

Appears to B. D seems like its a causal factor, which is not written in here. It's more of a possibility - so not definite. B is more certain as an inference.

The restraints in BE don't contribute to stress. According to the passage, they restrict the physical activities that are required to process the anxiety caused by stress. D is wrong.
Only B can be inferred from the given argument.

Posted from my mobile device

The restraints in BE don't contribute to stress. According to the passage, they restrict the physical activities that are required to process the anxiety caused by stress. D is wrong.
Only B can be inferred from the given argument.

Posted from my mobile device

The author of a book tracing the relationship of work-related stress to productivity loss in small business argues that most workers underestimate the harmful physical effects of unprocessed anxiety. Powerful hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine, which are released in stressful situations, raise heartbeat and blood pressure, priming the body for physical activity. However, since most business is conducted in a relatively restrained environment, workers find few opportunities to respond to stressful situations as their hormones seem to demand.

If all of the above statements are true, it can be most directly inferred from the passage that


A. Most productivity loss in small business is due to unprocessed stress hormones.
B. Increased physical activity would be helpful in processing stressful situations and increasing productivity.
C. Hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine stimulate critical thinking as well as raising blood pressure.
D. The restraint of business environments contributes to the stress experienced by workers.
E. Workers in more physically demanding jobs have fewer problems with work-related stress.

The passage talks about the relationship between work related stress and productivity. Workers find few oppurtunities to cope up with the stress because of the restrained environment. They are unable to perform physical activities.

a) The author does not speak about the magnitude of productivity loss. Hence this is out.
b) This is correct. The passage clearly mentions that physical activity helps.
c) The passage doesnt tell us anything about critical thinking due to the hormones.
d) This is good one. The passage does not explicitly talk about the factors contributing to the stress. It could be the type of work, intensity of work or the environment. We dont know for sure.
e) This is a good one too. But the passage doesnt mention this. Just because x is caused by y doesnt mean when y occurs it is caused by x.

Hope it helps

It's a good hard split between B and D and if you go ahead and see carefully what is written. it says that RESTRICTION IN BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT IS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR FOR EASING THE STRESS not that RESTRICTION IN BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT CONTRIBUTES TO THE STRESS.
May be too much capital letter going on but, I hope this helps somehow!

Thanks!

In option B, how can we infer that physical activity will increase productivity??

I dont think that option D could be ruled out so easily on the premise that stem doesn't mention that it contributes to the anxiety :

D. The restraint of business environments contributes to the stress experienced by workers.

The stem do implies that restrained environment aggravates the stress experienced :

since most business is conducted in a relatively restrained environment, workers find few opportunities to [b]respond to stressful situations[/b]

Not able to to respond doesn't contribute to the stress experienced ?