The INES scale was created in 1990 as a way of indicating

The INES scale was created in 1990 as a way of indicating the relative seriousness of incidents in which radioactivity is released at nuclear plants. Before that, various countries relied upon their own classification systems, making it difficult to compare a nuclear mishap that occurred in the U.S. with one in, say, Europe or Japan.

Which of the following statements is best supported by the above passage?

A.After 1990, the implementation of the INES scale is expected to have led to a reduction in the amount of damage caused by nuclear mishaps. Out of Scope
B. To compare the relative seriousness of incidents across nations, incidents in which radio-activity is released, a common scale of measurement is likely better than different scales of measurements. (good choice)
C. The ability to compare the relative seriousness of incidents in which radioactivity is released at nuclear plants in different parts of the US is expected to have increased after the creation of INES in 1990. out of scope
D.It is very likely that most countries currently use the INES scale to communicate the relative seriousness of incidents in which radioactivity is released at nuclear plants. out of scope
E. In the absence of the INES scale, it would have been currently very difficult to compare nuclear mishaps in the US with those in Europe or Japan. again good choice

Now we have to look for an answer between B and E.

E says 'in the absence of the INES scale, it would have been currently very difficult to compare nuclear mishaps'. It is possible that in INES scale was not introduced, then by today some other scale or method might have been introduced. We cannot say this with full confidence that 'it would have been currently very difficult to compare nuclear mishaps'.

Hence, IMO B should be the answer.

Option E can easily be spotted for error in Contrapositive conditioning conversion. This goes something like this:
* With INES invented-> Radiation leakage can be cross referenced between countries.
It's contrapositive would be: radiation leakage cant be cross references betw countries - > INES is definitely not invented. E states this other wise, and hence is wrong.

Hope that helps your reasoning further.
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Its between B and E
E - some other method might have been introduced .better than INES ..we can't infer the situation without INES scale.
B is correct here ....

A and C are certainly wrong.
E is an important pattern in many questions, particularly inference questions. Again, we do not know what happens if the INES scale is absent. E cannot be an inference.
D is a trap. Nowhere in the passage mentions the information that "most countries use the INES scale"

B actually talks about a common scale of measurement while INES seems to be a classification system. I agree, B is still the best answer, but does the GMAT play such tricks and wordplay?

The INES scale was created in 1990 as a way of indicating the relative seriousness of incidents in which radioactivity is released at nuclear plants. Before that, various countries relied upon their own classification systems, making it difficult to compare a nuclear mishap that occurred in the U.S. with one in, say, Europe or Japan.

Which of the following statements is best supported by the above passage?
A.After 1990, the implementation of the INES scale is expected to have led to a reduction in the amount of damage caused by nuclear mishaps.
B. To compare the relative seriousness of incidents across nations, incidents in which radio-activity is released, a common scale of measurement is likely better than different scales of measurements.
C. The ability to compare the relative seriousness of incidents in which radioactivity is released at nuclear plants in different parts of the US is expected to have increased after the creation of INES in 1990.
D.It is very likely that most countries currently use the INES scale to communicate the relative seriousness of incidents in which radioactivity is released at nuclear plants.
E. In the absence of the INES scale, it would have been currently very difficult to compare nuclear mishaps in the US with those in Europe or Japan.

Explanation:

A-Out of scope

B-logically correct choice.... as it lucidly states that making a common scale is expectly helpful in comparing relative seriousness of incidents across nations.

C,D- timeline till 1900 only is given in passage

E- may be equally true & false...what if after some new, better measurement scale was introduced.

Hence B is the correct answer.

Reward kudos if you like the explanation.?

Regards,
Atul Pandey

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Which of the following statements is best supported by the above passage?
A.After 1990, the implementation of the INES scale is expected to have led to a reduction in the amount of damage caused by nuclear mishaps.
i don't understand how a standerdisation of measurements to stop calamities from happening

B. To compare the relative seriousness of incidents across nations, incidents in which radio-activity is released, a common scale of measurement is likely better than different scales of measurements.
This looks good and the use of words are not aggressive therefore let us hang on to it

C. The ability to compare the relative seriousness of incidents in which radioactivity is released at nuclear plants in different parts of the US is expected to have increased after the creation of INES in 1990.
If there has been no mis haps i guesss there is no nedd in increase in vigil

D.It is very likely that most countries currently use the INES scale to communicate the relative seriousness of incidents in which radioactivity is released at nuclear plants.
We havev no clue whether all the countries or continuing with their same old system

E. In the absence of the INES scale, it would have been currently very difficult to compare nuclear mishaps in the US with those in Europe or Japan.
This is debatable was it very difficult or just slightly difficult we cannot deterministically decide

Therefore IMO B

E talks about a very specific case of US, Europe, and Japan. While the question stem says making it difficult to compare a nuclear mishap that occurred in the U.S. with one in, say, Europe or Japan. The SAY part tells us that this is an example of how the new system would work.

B is a generalized statement and hence is a better choice than E