The Department of Energy (DOE) was created by the Carter administratio

Question

The Department of Energy (DOE) was created by the Carter administration in 1977 in an attempt to break the American economy’s dependence on imported oil.While this agency and its reason for existence made sense at the time, there are now thoughts of dismantling the DOE entirely.

There are strong arguments both for and against its inclusion in groups of cabinet-level agencies marked for dissolution. It is true that most of the regulatory concerns that led to the development of the DOE responsibilities are no longer among the most pressing.Since its inception, it has taken on other duties, including energy and environmental research, oil stockpiling, data gathering, and civilian nuclear waste management. Though the DOE’s expertise and efficiency have been challenged, there are many who support its continued existence, including those who point out that $10.5 billion dollars of its annual budget goes to clean up waste created over the last fifty years by the production of nuclear weapons, as well as maintain the nuclear weapons themselves.

Those who would like to see the agency disappear contend that the DOE’s labs and power plants could be sold to profit-making ventures which would have the incentive to run them more efficiently. Nuclear waste management concerns could also be privatized, forcing managers to justify costs to thrifty share-holders.   1 
 D 
 1. The passage is primarily concerned with

A. presenting an argument and the response to that argument
B. initiating a discussion concerning the proposed dissolution of a government agency 
C. proposing two different solutions to the same problem
D. describing two divergent viewpoints on a single topic 
E. arguing against the dissolution of the DOE

2 
 B 
 2. With which of the following would the author most likely agree?

A. America no longer depends on imported oil.
B. Many of the problems that led to the creation of the DOE have been addressed. 
C. The maintenance of nuclear weapons is the exclusive prerogative of the DOE.
D. Environmental research is the most significant contribution of the modern DOE. 
E. During the last decade, the DOE has become less and less important.

3 
 B 
 3. According to the passage, detractors of the DOE's handling of labs, power plants, and nuclear waste disposal believe that privatization.

A. is a necessary byproduct of an inefficient governmental system
B. is more efficient than government oversight of similar duties 
C. provides much needed capital to the government
D. has been largely ignored and should be examined on a larger scale
E. creates more jobs in the industry than would otherwise be available

4 
 4. The author cites the amount of money spent by the DOE on nuclear waste clean-up in order to

A. point to a productive function the DOE currently serves
B. provide an example of wasteful government expenditure
C argue for the dissolution of the DOE over a period of fifty years
D. indicate certain tasks that could be better handled by the private sector
E. describe one major reason the DOE sees itself as critical to the functioning of the economy

5 
 5. Which of the following, if true, would most support the argument of those who favor the dismantling of the DOE?

A. A nuclear power plant has a catastrophic accident in which radioactive gas is released across the wheat fields of Kansas.
B. OPEC organizes an oil embargo which causes gasoline and heating-fuel prices to rise dramatically, leading to oil rationing.
C. A survey taken by a major newspaper reveals that over seventy percent of the American people believe government waste should be eliminated.
D. Privatization of nuclear waste management contracts is both efficient and safe.
E. Other cabinet departments falling under similar scrutiny are dismantled due to lack of funding.

6 
 6. Which of the following is an assumption underlying the argument made by the supporters of the DOE?

A. All governmental agencies have a certain degree of inefficiency due to their structure.
B. The DOE will continue to adapt to the energy-related concerns of the day.
C. $10.5 billion dollars is a reasonable sum to spend on nuclear waste clean-up.
D. The management of the DOE is more efficient than private-sector management.
E. Oil stockpiling is not only useful, but also critical ta America’s independence from foreign oil.

RC Butler 2021  -  Practice Two RC Questions Everyday.   
Passage # 256 Date: 29-Jun-2021
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2021 .  Click here for Details

AdityaHongunti · Answer

Q2 is very poor ..an exploitation of "BEST answer"

The passage says no longer among the most pressing. The issues may still exist but they may not be more crucial/dire than other issues. 
All other choices are obviously wrong but choice B is unwarranted.

dabaobao · Answer

Got 3/3 correct in 5:39 min including 3:20 min to read the passage!

Passage Map: 
1) Background about DOE & Talks about Dismantling
2) Arguments against dismantling DOE
3) Arguments for dismantling DOE

Skyline393 · Answer

Could you explain the answer for Q2?
" It is true that most of the regulatory concerns that led to the development of the DOE responsibilities are no longer among the most pressing."=> It means DOE is now less important=> So The answer E is more accurate. Could you please explain why B is correct?
Thank you

dabaobao · Answer

Choice E is out of scope. We have no info about the "last decade".

Support for B:
"While this agency and its reason for existence made sense at the time.."
"It is true that most of the regulatory concerns that led to the development of the DOE responsibilities are no longer among the most pressing."

We can infer B more strongly from those 2 sentences. "no longer among the most pressing" implies "have been addressed".

Hope that helps!

gmatconqueror2018 · Answer

3/3 3:25 Reading and answering the first question. 6:35 Total
Passage is right around a 600 level. Questions 1 and 2 have some tough trap answers. For question 2, I was stuck between B and E but only B was best supported by the passage. If anyone has questions about this passage, feel free to reach out!

aragonn · Answer

1. The passage is primarily concerned with

A. presenting an argument and the response to that argument
B. initiating a discussion concerning the proposed dissolution of a government agency
C. proposing two different solutions to the same problem
D. describing two divergent viewpoints on a single topic
E. arguing against the dissolution of the DOE

Question Explanation: 
This is a primary purpose question, as indicated by the phrase primarily concerned with. The task of the question is to determine why the author wrote the passage. The subject of the question is the passage as a whole. In order to answer the question, determine why the author wrote the passage, then evaluate the answer choices, eliminating any choice that does not match the author’s primary purpose. According to the passage, The Department of Energy (DOE) was created by the Carter administration in 1977 in an attempt to break the American economy’s dependence on imported oil. The author discusses strong arguments both for and against the DOE’s dissolution. Thus, the author wrote the passage in order to describe two different views of the DOE.

Choice A: No. The recycled language argument may make this answer choice seem appealing but this is a memory trap. The author describes strong arguments both for and against its inclusion in groups of cabinet-level agencies marked for dissolution. However, neither argument is in response to the other one.

Choice B: No. This choice is a reversal. The passage states that there are strong arguments both for and against its inclusion in groups of cabinet-level agencies marked for dissolution, which implies the discussion has already been initiated.

Choice C: No. This answer choice uses the extreme language proposing, solutions and problem. The passage is describing (rather than proposing) two different arguments (rather than solutions) both for and against the DOE’s dissolution (rather than problem).

Choice D: Correct. The author discusses strong arguments both for and against the DOE’s dissolution. On the one hand, it has taken on other duties, including energy and environmental research, oil stockpiling, data gathering, and civilian nuclear waste management. On the other hand, DOE’s labs and power plants could be sold to profit-making ventures which would have the incentive to run them more efficiently. Nuclear waste management concerns could also be privatized, forcing managers to justify costs to thrifty share-holders.

Choice E: No. The recycled language against and dissolution might make this choice appealing since the passage states that though the DOE’s expertise and efficiency have been challenged, there are many who support its continued existence, including those who point out that $10.5 billion dollars of its annual budget goes to clean up waste created over the last fifty years by the production of nuclear weapons, as well as maintain the nuclear weapons themselves. However, the passage also examines reasoning that supports the dissolution of the DOE, such as those who would like to see the agency disappear contend that the DOE’s labs and power plants could be sold to profit-making ventures…to run them more efficiently.

The correct answer is choice D. 
2. With which of the following would the author most likely agree?

A. America no longer depends on imported oil.
B. Many of the problems that led to the creation of the DOE have been addressed.
C. The maintenance of nuclear weapons is the exclusive prerogative of the DOE.
D. Environmental research is the most significant contribution of the modern DOE.
E. During the last decade, the DOE has become less and less important.

Question Explanation: 
This is an inference question, as evidenced by the words would most likely agree. The task of the question is indicated by the phrase with which of the following. The subject of this question is the importance of the DOE. In order to answer the question, determine what the passage states about the subject and evaluate the answer choices, eliminating any choice which cannot be supported by the text. According to the passage, The Department of Energy (DOE) was created by the Carter administration in 1977 in an attempt to break the American economy’s dependence on imported oil and it is true that most of the regulatory concerns that led to the development of the DOE responsibilities are no longer among the most pressing. Additionally, $10.5 billion dollars of its annual budget goes to clean up waste created over the last fifty years by the production of nuclear weapons, as well as maintain the nuclear weapons themselves.

Choice A: No. This choice may seem appealing as the DOE was created to break…dependence on imported oil, but the claim America no longer depends on imported oil is extreme language that is not supported by the passage. The passage states that the DOE’s reason for existence made sense at the time, but does not state that America is no longer dependent on foreign oil.

Choice B: Correct. The second sentence in the second paragraph states It is true that most of the regulatory concerns that led to the development of the DOE responsibilities are no longer among the most pressing. Since the concerns that led to the development…are no longer pressing, it supports that many of the problems have been addressed in some way.

Choice C: No. This choice may seem appealing due to the recycled language nuclear weapons, but the phrase exclusive prerogative is too extreme to be supported by the passage. The passage states that the DOE uses funds from its budget to maintain…nuclear weapons, but does not state that no other entity plays a role in that maintenance.

Choice D: No. This choice may seem appealing due to the recycled language environmental research, but the passage makes no such comparison between the significance of each contribution by the DOE. The significance of environmental research is not given as it compares to the other contributions of the DOE.

Choice E: No. This choice may seem appealing due to the statement in the passage that many of the issues the DOE was created to address are no longer among the most pressing, but the claim the DOE has become less and less important is too extreme to be supported by the text. The passage does not indicate whether the last decade has changed the role of the DOE.

The correct answer is choice B. 
3. According to the passage, detractors of the DOE's handling of labs, power plants, and nuclear waste disposal believe that privatization.

A. is a necessary byproduct of an inefficient governmental system
B. is more efficient than government oversight of similar duties
C. provides much needed capital to the government
D. has been largely ignored and should be examined on a larger scale
E. creates more jobs in the industry than would otherwise be available

Question Explanation: 
This is a retrieval question, as evidenced by the phrase according to the passage. The task of the question is indicated by the phrase according to the passage. The subject of the question is what detractors of the DOE's handling of labs, power plants, and nuclear waste disposal believe about privatization. In order to answer the question, determine what the passage states about the subject and evaluate the answer choices, eliminating any choice which cannot be supported by the text. According to the passage, those who would like to see the agency disappear contend that the DOE’s labs and power plants could be sold to profit-making ventures which would have the incentive to run them more efficiently. Nuclear waste management concerns could also be privatized, forcing managers to justify costs to thrifty share-holders.

Choice A: No. This choice may seem appealing, since the passage indicates that the DOE’s expertise and efficiency have been challenged. However, the word necessary is too extreme to be supported by the text. The passage states that profit-making ventures…would have the incentive to run DOE programs more efficiently, but that statement does not support that privatization is necessary.

Choice B: Correct. The passage states Those who would like to see the agency disappear contend that the DOE’s labs and power plants could be sold to profit-making ventures which would have the incentive to run them more efficiently.

Choice C: No. This choice may seem appealing since privatization of the DOE would theoretically free up the budget currently spent on the DOE. However, this choice is a memory trap. The passage does not indicate what would happen to the funds currently spent on the DOE, and they may not become available funds.

Choice D: No. The phrase larger scale makes this answer choice appealing. However, the phrase largely ignored is too extreme to be supported by the text, which states only that those who would like to see the agency disappear contend that the DOE’s labs and power plants could be sold to profit-making ventures.

Choice E: No. The phrase creates more jobs may make this choice appealing, as the passage references management and profit-making ventures. However, the passage states labs, power plants, and nuclear waste disposal…could be sold to profit-making ventures which would have the incentive to run them more efficiently. Since no new facilities are introduced, there is no support for the creation of additional jobs.

The correct answer is choice B.

PyjamaScientist · Answer

Got 5/6 correct in 8 minutes total.

I think Q1. has an ambiguity. Both options B and D look correct to me.

I have read argonn's OE but I am not convinced if B does not qualify as a right answer.

anubhav29 · Answer

Can anyone answer question 4/5/6 of the RC above with correct explanation. Thanks in advance for the help

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

4. The author cites the amount of money spent by the DOE on nuclear waste clean-up in order to

Difficulty Level:   650-700

Explanation

The author cites the amount of money spent by the DOE on nuclear waste clean-up as a way to highlight a productive function that the DOE currently serves. The passage states that $10.5 billion of the DOE's annual budget goes towards cleaning up waste created over the last fifty years by the production of nuclear weapons and maintaining the nuclear weapons themselves. By mentioning this, the author indicates that the DOE is actively involved in a critical and productive task related to nuclear waste management, which is one of the reasons why some people support its continued existence.

Option B  is incorrect because the passage does not present the nuclear waste clean-up as wasteful expenditure. Instead, it presents it as a necessary and productive function.

Option C  is incorrect because there is no indication that the DOE's nuclear waste clean-up efforts are meant to justify its dissolution over fifty years. The passage discusses both arguments for and against the DOE's inclusion in groups of cabinet-level agencies marked for dissolution, but the time period for dissolution is not specified.

Option D  is partially correct, but it does not encompass the full purpose of the mentioned example. The passage suggests that some people believe the DOE's labs and power plants could be sold to profit-making ventures to run them more efficiently. However, the primary focus of mentioning the money spent on nuclear waste clean-up is to emphasize a productive function rather than solely pointing out tasks that could be better handled by the private sector.

Option E  is incorrect because the passage does not provide any information about the DOE's self-perception or its criticality to the functioning of the economy. The passage mainly discusses the arguments for and against the DOE's existence based on its current functions and responsibilities.

In conclusion, the passage cites the money spent on nuclear waste clean-up to highlight a productive function served by the DOE and, therefore, the correct answer is  (A) .

Answer: A

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

5. Which of the following, if true, would most support the argument of those who favor the dismantling of the DOE?

Difficulty Level:   500

Explanation

The question asks for the option that would most support the argument of those who favor dismantling the DOE. The passage presents strong arguments both for and against the inclusion of the DOE in cabinet-level agencies marked for dissolution. Those who support dismantling the DOE suggest that its labs and power plants could be sold to profit-making ventures, which would have the incentive to run them more efficiently. Therefore, an option that supports the idea of efficient and safe privatization of a specific aspect of the DOE's responsibilities would strengthen the argument for its dismantling.

Let's analyze the other answer choices to understand why they are not the best support for the argument:

A. A nuclear power plant has a catastrophic accident in which radioactive gas is released across the wheat fields of Kansas. 
This option does not directly support the argument for dismantling the DOE. While it may highlight the potential risks associated with nuclear power, it does not address the issue of whether privatization would be a better solution.

B. OPEC organizes an oil embargo which causes gasoline and heating-fuel prices to rise dramatically, leading to oil rationing. 
This option presents a scenario related to oil prices and oil rationing, but it is not directly relevant to the DOE's potential dismantling. It does not address the specific concerns about the DOE's responsibilities and whether privatization would be a viable alternative.

C. A survey taken by a major newspaper reveals that over seventy percent of the American people believe government waste should be eliminated. 
While this option highlights public opinion on government waste, it does not specifically address the DOE's situation or whether privatization of its responsibilities would be a better approach.

D. Privatization of nuclear waste management contracts is both efficient and safe.  
This option directly supports the argument for dismantling the DOE. If privatization of nuclear waste management contracts is proven to be efficient and safe, it provides evidence that the DOE's responsibilities could be handled more effectively by private ventures, supporting the idea of dismantling the agency.

E. Other cabinet departments falling under similar scrutiny are dismantled due to lack of funding.
This option may indicate that other departments are being dismantled due to funding issues, but it does not provide direct support for the argument about the DOE. The decision to dismantle other departments may be based on different reasons, and their situations might not be directly comparable to the DOE's.

In conclusion,  option D  is the most appropriate choice to support the argument for the dismantling of the DOE, as it aligns with the notion that certain responsibilities of the DOE could be handled more effectively by private ventures.

Answer: D

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

6. Which of the following is an assumption underlying the argument made by the supporters of the DOE?

Difficulty Level:   650-700

Explanation

A. All governmental agencies have a certain degree of inefficiency due to their structure. 
This statement is a general claim about governmental agencies and does not directly relate to the argument made by the supporters of the DOE. The supporters' argument focuses on the potential efficiency and effectiveness of privatizing certain functions of the DOE, rather than making a broad statement about inefficiency in governmental agencies.

B. The DOE will continue to adapt to the energy-related concerns of the day. 
While this statement seems reasonable, it is not the underlying assumption made by the supporters of the DOE. The supporters' argument is about privatizing certain aspects of the DOE, not necessarily about the DOE's continued adaptation to energy-related concerns.

C. $10.5 billion dollars is a reasonable sum to spend on nuclear waste clean-up.  
The assumption underlying the argument made by the supporters of the DOE is that $10.5 billion dollars spent on nuclear waste clean-up is a reasonable sum. This assumption is crucial because the supporters argue for the DOE's continued existence, and one of their points in favor is that a significant portion of its budget is allocated to clean up nuclear waste from the past production of nuclear weapons and maintaining the weapons themselves. If this assumption is false, it weakens the argument for the continued existence of the DOE based on its allocation of resources.

D. The management of the DOE is more efficient than private-sector management. 
This statement is not necessarily the assumption underlying the supporters' argument. The supporters suggest that the labs and power plants could be sold to profit-making ventures that might run them more efficiently, but the assumption does not require a direct comparison between DOE management and private-sector management.

E. Oil stockpiling is not only useful but also critical to America’s independence from foreign oil. 
This statement is not the underlying assumption either. While the passage mentions the DOE's responsibilities, including oil stockpiling, the supporters' argument primarily focuses on other aspects of the agency's functions, not the importance of oil stockpiling.

Answer: C

The Department of Energy (DOE) was created by the Carter administratio

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

The Department of Energy (DOE) was created by the Carter administratio

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards