To determine the return on investment, it is critical to ascertain cos

Question

New Project RC Butler 2019  -  Practice 2 RC Passages Everyday   
Passage # 411, Date: 25-Oct-2019
 This post is a part of New Project RC Butler 2019 .  Click here for Details

To determine the return on investment, it is critical to ascertain costs associated with the basic research and development that gave rise to a particular technology. However, the path that research takes is determined by the results of series of experiments, and the best science can veer dramatically from the plan. Therefore, the factors that make scientifically curious minds appropriately alter research plans also make determining a starting point for assigning costs to a particular technology difficult.

An inventive technology is most likely one piece of a very large research project; and, it may be tangential to the main focus as well. For example, technical obstacles are common impediments in biomedical research; they frustrate, but they also inspire. Overcoming the obstacle may lead an investigator to develop an alternative technology, which may or may not be a distinct piece of research. Rather, it may be a necessary sidestep within the larger project, and the costs of development are, for the most part, very difficult to isolate.

In addition, biomedical laboratories generally conduct their research with multiple complementary goals. Within an overarching research mission, a laboratory is typically divided into separate units, each of which is responsible for conducting research on a particular piece of a broad hypothesis, and each of which receives a variable piece of the laboratory budget as progress warrants. Some projects are designed to develop fundamental data or techniques that are necessary for a particular line of investigation; these techniques can be, and often are, useful for a number of unrelated studies.

Attempting to determine the costs of biomedical discovery is also complicated by the fact that new research almost always builds upon the work of predecessor scientists. Determining what part of a preceding budget or what part of a multi-purpose technique contributes to an inventive technology is, at best, extremely difficult, if not impossible.   1 
 D 
 1. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as an obstacle to calculating the return on investment of a particular technology?

(A) it is difficult to project the possible revenue potential of a new technological development
(B) accounting of laboratory budgets is difficult due to the infrequency of the grant bestowment cycle
(C) new biomedical technologies offer many benefits to humanity that can not be quantified monetarily
(D) a technology may be developed as a means to an end, not as the result of a specific path of research
(E) variable costs may be imposed upon research and development that builds upon existing patentable technology

2 
 A 
 2. Why does the author mention "scientifically curious minds" in the last sentence of the first paragraph?

(A) to describe a desired component of research and development that also obstructs the calculation of return on investment
(B) because research and development projects are generally dominated by scientists
(C) to demonstrate one of the negative personality traits commonly found in biomedical researcher laboratories
(D) to introduce them as a result of several factors related to the costs of biomedical discovery
(E) as evidence of the success of previous efforts to assign costs to newly developed technologies

3 
 C 
 3. The author views the attempt to quantify the costs and benefits of a newly developed technology as

(A) a necessary compromise
(B) a repetitive task
(C) an arduous undertaking 
(D) an unqualified disaster
(E) a short-term phenomenon

QUESTION-1 Paragraph two explains that new technologies are often developed as solutions for specific obstacles along a larger research path. Technologies developed in this manner are not distinct pieces of research. Instead, they are a means of achieving the goals of a larger project. Choice D is thus the most appropriate choice.

QUESTION-2 The fact that "scientifically curious minds" appropriately alter research plans demonstrates that these minds are beneficial to research. However, alteration of the plans makes calculating the return on investment of that research difficult. Thus, a desired component of the research, scientifically curious minds, hinders the calculation of return on investment. Choice A is the best choice.

QUESTION-3 The last sentence of the last paragraph indicates that the author believes determining the return on investment of a specific technology is often a very difficult task. Choice C best summarizes this viewpoint.

JayPatadiya · Answer

Easy passage, took 7 mins to answer all the questions, Got 2 correct and 1 incorrect.

I didn't knew meaning of arduous in the option C of 3rd question hence marked A.

Otherwise 3rd could have been correct as well.

Ilishar · Answer

Why it can't be E for Question 1 ?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as an obstacle to calculating the return on investment of a particular technology?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

Paragraph two  explains that new technologies are often developed as solutions for specific obstacles along a larger research path. Technologies developed in this manner are not distinct pieces of research. Instead, they are a means of achieving the goals of a larger project.  Choice D  is thus the most appropriate choice.

Answer: D

Kinshook · Answer

Dictionary meaning of "arduous" is "involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring."

Sri07 · Answer

1. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as an obstacle to calculating the return on investment of a particular technology?

(A) it is difficult to project the possible revenue potential of a new technological development -
 This statement is not a cause

(B) accounting of laboratory budgets is difficult due to the infrequency of the grant bestowment cycle
 Not mentioned anything about accounting

(C) new biomedical technologies offer many benefits to humanity that can not be quantified monetarily
 Return on investment is calculated a finance term. Simply associated it cost and revenue. Qualitative benefits don't add up to ROI

(D) a technology may be developed as a means to an end, not as the result of a specific path of research
 Mentioned in 2nd paragraph "which may or may not be a distinct piece of research. Rather, it may be a necessary sidestep within the larger project, and the costs of development are, for the most part, very difficult to isolate."

(E) variable costs may be imposed upon research and development that builds upon existing patentable technology
 No. This is also not mentioned

2. Why does the author mention "scientifically curious minds" in the last sentence of the first paragraph?
 Question is asking us why has the author specifically mentioned a trait i.e "scientifically curious minds" rather than just mentioning scientists. So the correct answer choice should tell us the role of the trait "scientifically curious minds"

(A) to describe a desired component of research and development that also obstructs the calculation of return on investment:
 scientifically curious minds is a desired aspect of R&d work. But due to the nature of these minds plans research plans keep changing and often don't have a definite starting point. I.e they are ever evolving.
This is the correct answer as it tells us that "scientifically curious minds" is needed for research but it causes a problem in determining ROI

(B) because research and development projects are generally dominated by scientists
  Yes, research work is dominated by scientists and "scientifically curious minds" is talking about the scientists. The author could have simply used scientists but he used scientifically curious minds.. that means hes trying to say something about the trait   - This option is not correct

(C) to demonstrate one of the negative personality traits commonly found in biomedical researcher laboratories
 No scientifically curious minds is not a negative trait since its a required quality for research work

(D) to introduce them as a result of several factors related to the costs of biomedical discovery
 This one could be a close competitor. But I think it is ambiguous at best. Because it doesn't provide a reasoning on the usage of "scientifically curious minds"

3. The author views the attempt to quantify the costs and benefits of a newly developed technology as
The 3rd one is easy. It literally just requires us to understand the last line of the passage

(A) a necessary compromise :  Author doesn't present this view 
(B) a repetitive task :  Irrelevant
( C) an arduous undertaking :  Arduous means difficult. Re-read the last paragraph
( D) an unqualified disaster :  What? No completely out of scope 
(E) a short-term phenomenon :  Infact quite the opposite

Please give me Kudos. Thanks

VerbalBot · Answer

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To determine the return on investment, it is critical to ascertain cos

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To determine the return on investment, it is critical to ascertain cos

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