The Economist Reading Challenge Week 4: Article 1

Question

https://gmatclub.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/economist-logo2.png Reading Challenge: Week 4 | Article 1 Full Collection of The Economist Reading Challenges STEP 1: Read The Economist Article: The creation of part-human, part-monkey embryos will discomfit many Physics is famous for mind-bending ideas. Subatomic particles can be in many places at once. The flow of time depends on how fast you are moving. But because such ideas are confined to the realm of the invisibly tiny or the inhumanly vast, most people regard them as little more than diverting curiosities........ read the full article on Economist.com - registration is required for limited Free Access . You can also get Full Access to The Economist Magazine as a part of the The Economist GMAT Tutor Course Article Length: 600 words Time multiplier: 1.5x 5:30 mins to read the passage and 1 min for each question STEP 2: Attempt the questions Attempt the questions and post your responses by Friday 8am Pacific Time . We will be keeping this thread in competition mode so no one can see others users’ responses. Good Luck! 1 1. Which of the following would most likely be classified as a chimera? A. A genetic mix of two members of the same species B. An animal born to one species but raised by another C. The experimental subjects discussed in the passage D. A dog that has a wolf ancestor E. A creature that would not survive in the real world 2 2. The reasoning the author uses to support the use of human chimeras is most similar to the reasoning used to support the A. cutting of a part of an infected limb to save the whole body. B. invention of new weapons to deter aggressors. C. investment in a new business that may or may not succeed. D. conduction of research on animals that may bite you if not handled carefully. E. building of a low-cost housing project on the grounds of an old cemetery. Note: The above questions were created by GMAT Club STEP 3: Check Main Economist Reading Challenge Topic for weekly winners and to Find More Questions and Articles to Read Step 4: Ace the RC section on the GMAT!

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Ranasaymon · Answer

1. Which of the following would most likely be classified as a chimera? 
 
-> One example is “chimeras”, organisms which, a bit like the mythological beast, are formed from cells of two distinct species.

A. A genetic mix of two members of the same species
-> No, to form a chimera, we need two cells of two distinct species.

B. An animal born to one species but raised by another
-> It's not about raising by different species. A chimera was formed/born from cells of two distinct species.

C. The experimental subjects discussed in the passage   Correct   
-> Yes. Chimeras are the experimental subjects discussed in the passage.

D. A dog that has a wolf ancestor
-> As they are from the same species, we can not say them Chimeras.

E. A creature that would not survive in the real world
-> 'Scientists have already produced goat-sheep and mouse-rats' This creature survives in the real world.

The reasoning the author uses to support the use of human chimeras is most similar to the reasoning used to support the 
 
'Despite those concerns, the potential benefits outweigh the risks'
'This particular bit of research was inspired by a desire to grow human organs in the bodies of animals, from where they could eventually be used for transplants. Easing the long-standing worldwide shortage of transplantable organs could save many lives'

Author's conclusion: the potential benefits outweigh the risks
Reasoning: 
 - Grow human organs in the bodies of animals
 - Use these organs for transplants
 - Availability of organs will ease the shortage of transplantable organs, and this action could save many lives. 
Prethink: 
The most similar reasoning will have risks and benefits, but the benefits exceed the risks. We will support the reasoning by showing that new things will grown on something. It will be unethical. And it will help to reduce something for a good purpose.

A. cutting of a part of an infected limb to save the whole body.
-> Yes, there are benefits and risks. But there is no new thing that helps to reduce something. It is related with cutting the existing part.

B. invention of new weapons to deter aggressors.
-> We need something that have to be grown on other things. There is no such things in case of inventing new weapons.

C. investment in a new business that may or may not succeed.
-> the potentiality of success does not go with the logic

D. conduction of research on animals that may bite you if not handled carefully.
-> This option deals with careful monitoring of research, no relation with the reasoning.

E. building of a low-cost housing project on the grounds of an old cemetery.   Correct   
-> building of a low-cost housing project on the grounds of an old cemetery( Growing human organs in the bodies of animals)
->Just as Chimeric experiments are not ethical, so building of a low-cost housing project on the grounds of an old cemetery is not ethical. 
-> Both have potential benefits to ease the shortage.

sumitkrocks · Answer

1. Which of the following would most likely be classified as a chimera?

Excerpt from the passage:  Chimeras are described as organisms which, a bit like the mythological beast, are formed from cells of two distinct species.
goat-sheep, mouse-rats and human-monkey

A. A genetic mix of two members of the same species 
 Chimeras belong to mix of two different species  - Eliminate

B. An animal born to one species but raised by another 
 Chimeras belong to mix of two different species - Eliminate

C. The experimental subjects discussed in the passage 
 Experimental subjects include human chimeras, a mix of monkey and human  –  correct

D. A dog that has a wolf ancestor 
 Chimeras are mix of two species not only some genetic similarities or evolutionary trails   - Eliminate

E. A creature that would not survive in the real world 
 Though it is mentioned in the passage that chimeras were not intended to grow to maturity, it can not be inferred that a creature that would not survive in the real-world would-be chimera - Eliminate

C is the answer IMO

2.The reasoning the author uses to support the use of human chimeras is most similar to the reasoning used to support the

Despite those concerns, the potential benefits outweigh the risks. Such research should always be done cautiously, and be properly monitored. But it should also be encouraged, because the rewards it brings could turn out to be significant. Chimeric embryos may offer a way around ethical problems that make experiments on human embryos difficult. That could lead to new treatments for congenital diseases. This particular bit of research was inspired by a desire to grow human organs in the bodies of animals, from where they could eventually be used for transplants. Easing the long-standing worldwide shortage of transplantable organs could save many lives. In America alone, more than 100,000 people are on transplant waiting-lists.
Ethically prohibited work of research on genes and replacement of deficient organs of humans with that of chimeras are two reasonings that author progresses to justify the work on the project
Let us see how the options relate to it   
 
 A. cutting of a part of an infected limb to save the whole body. 
 Not relevant 
 
 B. invention of new weapons to deter aggressors. 
 Not relevant

C. investment in a new business that may or may not succeed. 
 Yes, research Work is a hypothesis that may prove to be as intended or fail miserably 
In the same way Investment in a business may give success or not 
Looks good keep it

D. conduction of research on animals that may bite you if not handled carefully. 
 Not relevant

E. building of a low-cost housing project on the grounds of an old cemetery. 
 Not relevant

C is the answer IMO

mSKR · Answer

organisms which, a bit like the mythological beast, are formed from cells of two distinct species.

A. A genetic mix of two members of the same species
Reject : 2 different species not same

B. An animal born to one species but raised by another
Mix of 2 species ; raised by another is not mentioned

C. The experimental subjects discussed in the passage 
Correct: Chimera is discussed at several places.

Scientists have already produced goat-sheep and mouse-rats. 
Despite those concerns, the potential benefits outweigh the risks.
Such research should always be done cautiously
The best way to ensure that such research can proceed is to talk about it with the public

D. A dog that has a wolf ancestor
Was the dog mixed – hybrid of dog and wolf? Not mentioned.

E. A creature that would not survive in the real world
No where is it mentioned that it WOULD or WOULD not survive in the real world. I reject it because of the statement " what should be done if, or when, someone decides to try.  "
 The human-monkey embryos were not intended to grow to maturity. But it is right to wonder what might have happened if they had—and what should be done if, or when, someone decides to try. What is the moral and legal status of an organism with one human genome and one non-human one? What effect, if any, might the human cells have on the animal’s brain?

CORRECT ANSWER: C

Despite those concerns, the potential benefits outweigh the risks.  
 That could lead to new treatments for congenital diseases. This particular bit of research was inspired by a desire to grow human organs in the bodies of animals, from where they could eventually be used for transplants.

In summary, author says that chimera brings benefit. It can be carried out under monitoring . But to avoid public backlash it should be open for public opinion as well. But the point of public opinion was not the reason for author to support use of human chimeras. 
Author supports “ Despite those concerns, the potential benefits outweigh the risks” . So we need to find any reasoning that has benefits outweighing risks.

A. cutting of a part of an infected limb to save the whole body 
Cutting has benefits than risk , so it is better to cut to save the whole body
Matches our claim .

B. invention of new weapons to deter aggressors.
Benefits is better than risk?
We don’t know risks . I don’t see risk in invention of new weapons.
Assume aggressors may damage the harmony. But still we don’t know whether invention of new weapons would help.

C. investment in a new business that may or may not succeed.
So why to take a risk when benefits are not sure.

D. conduction of research on animals that may bite you if not handled carefully.
Not handled carefully and conduction of research are related with if condition. Benefits of research are not clear. And risk would happen based on if condition. Not matches

E. building of a low-cost housing project on the grounds of an old cemetery.
Is it a risk to build on ground of old cemetery? Maybe public opinion would against it? But that’s not our key point to find the similarity.

CORRECT ANSWER: A

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hello everyone here

We are closing the competition mode on this post, all the replies being taken for the evaluation and the winner will be announced on Monday at around 8am Pacific Time. Thank you for your participation.

Good Luck!

tjbath74 · Answer

Good job everyone!

The first question was answered correctly by everyone but that there was some debate about the second.

As you correctly noted, the author’s core reasoning is summarized by  “the potential benefits outweigh the risks.”  No current benefits were described in the article, so this quote refers only to potential future benefits, for example, the organ transplants mentioned. The risks mentioned are moral/legal/religious in nature—what is the standing of these chimeras and can we just mix humans with other species.

(A)  Cutting an infected part off is not what chimeras are meant to do (not even in analogy): nothing is being removed, but rather something new is being created. Moreover, no legal or moral risks are implied.

(B)  No deterrence was mentioned in the article: no-one will be  “scared off”  by the chimeras and therefore stop being an aggressor/attacker.

(C)  This fits in terms of the benefits. The point of the research is to allow future solutions to problems but there is no guarantee that it will work. There is no relation to the morality/legality of the risks; let’s keep  (C)  for now.

(D)  The risk here is practical, immediate, and relates to the subject (the animals). In the article, the risk is philosophical/legal/moral and relates to the ramifications of using chimeras in general, not to what the chimeras, themselves, might do.

(E)  The potential benefit is that people might be able to have cheap housing in the future. The risk is, as in the article, more moral/religious/legal than practical. This is a better fit than  (C)  and is the best available option.

Answer is E.

mSKR · Answer

Hi Sir, I understand why you choose C. Can you comment on my reasoning for A. here As the question asks about similarities and we both have agreed to the key point: Despite those concerns, the potential benefits outweigh the risks I choose A because cutting some part is risk to save the whole body as benefit but I reject C because we are not sure business would bring benefits over risks. If the question had asked what is more suitable for chimera in the context then probably C would heave been best choice because other choices don't use similar content. But because the question is to find out similarity ( without concerning the content relation in the answer choices- I mean answer choices could be of any topic as far as similarity is maintained ), Could you please clarify this doubt on choosing C over A. Thanks!

The Economist Reading Challenge Week 4: Article 1

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The Economist Reading Challenge Week 4: Article 1

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

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