Mycorrhizal fungi infect more plants than do any other fungi and are

Question

Mycorrhizal fungi infect more plants than do any other fungi and are necessary for many plants to thrive, but they have escaped widespread investigation until recently for two reasons. First, the symbiotic association is so well-balanced that the roots of host plants show no damage even when densely infected. Second, the fungi cannot as yet be cultivated in the absence of a living root. Despite these difficulties, there has been important new work that suggests that this symbiotic association can be harnessed to achieve more economical use of costly superphosphate fertilizer and to permit better exploitation of cheaper, less soluble rock phosphate. Mycorrhizal benefits are not limited to improved phosphate uptake in host plants. In legumes, mycorrhizal inoculation has increased nitrogen fixation beyond levels achieved by adding phosphate fertilizer alone. Certain symbiotic associations also increase the host plant's resistance to harmful root fungi. Whether this resistance results from exclusion of harmful fungi through competition for sites, from metabolic change involving antibiotic production, or from increased vigor is undetermined.   1 
 1. Which of the following most accurately describes the passage?

(A) A description of a replicable experiment 
(B) A summary report of new findings 
(C) A recommendation for abandoning a difficult area of research 
(D) A refutation of an earlier hypothesis 
(E) A confirmation of earlier research

2 
 2. The level of information in the passage above is suited to the needs of all of the following people EXCEPT

(A) a researcher whose job is to identify potentially profitable areas for research and product development 
(B) a state official whose position requires her to alert farmers about possible innovations in farming 
(C) an official of a research foundation who identifies research projects for potential funding 
(D) a biologist attempting to keep up with scientific developments in an area outside of his immediate area of specialization 
(E) a botanist conducting experiments to determine the relationship between degree of mycorrhizal infection and expected uptake of phosphate

3 
 3. It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following has been a factor influencing the extent to which research on mycorrhizal fungi has progressed?

(A) Lack of funding for such research 
(B) Lack of immediate application of such research 
(C) Lack of a method for identifying mycorrhizal fungi 
(D) Difficulties surrounding laboratory production of specimens for study 
(E) Difficulties ensuing from the high cost and scarcity of superphosphate fertilizers

4 
 4. The passage suggests which of the following about the increased resistance to harmful root fungi that some plants infected with mycorrhizal fungi seem to exhibit?

(A) There are at least three hypotheses that might account for the increase. 
(B) An explanation lies in the fact that mycorrhizal fungi increase more rapidly in number than harmful root fungi do. 
(C) The plants that show increased resistance also exhibit improved nitrogen fixation.
(D) Such increases may be independent of mycorrhizal infection. 
(E) It is unlikely that a satisfactory explanation can be found to account for the increase.

deepshikha12 · Answer

Passage Summary:
1. Mycorrhizal fungi (MF) - is needed for plant but researchers have not been able to do much study on it (untill now)
2. why researchers were not doing much - two reasons are given
3. but now a new study has been able to make some progress.
4. findings of the study are discussed
5. however, due to some inconclusive research, there is scope of further study.

1. Which of the following most accurately describes the passage?

(A) A description of a replicable experiment - replicable word is problematic as it constrained the entire para
(B) A summary report of new findings - yep
(C) A recommendation for abandoning a difficult area of research - no reco has been given
(D) A refutation of an earlier hypothesis - refutation - nope
(E) A confirmation of earlier research - confirmation - nope

2. The level of information in the passage above is suited to the needs of all of the following people EXCEPT

(A) a researcher whose job is to identify potentially profitable areas for research and product development - yes, since the study still has some inconclusive areas.
(B) a state official whose position requires her to alert farmers about possible innovations in farming - yes, 
refer line"there has been important new work that suggests that this symbiotic association can be harnessed to achieve more economical use of costly superphosphate fertilizer and to permit better exploitation of cheaper, less soluble rock phosphate. "

(C) an official of a research foundation who identifies research projects for potential funding - yes, since the study still has some inconclusive areas.

(D) a biologist attempting to keep up with scientific developments in an area outside of his immediate area of specialization - yes, because, while inconclusive, there is a new study done for partial correctness.

(E) a botanist conducting experiments to determine the relationship between degree of mycorrhizal infection and expected uptake of phosphate - only mentioned line is "Mycorrhizal benefits are not limited to improved phosphate uptake in host plants". it doesnt show the relationship degree. so correct.

3. It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following has been a factor influencing the extent to which research on mycorrhizal fungi has progressed?

(A) Lack of funding for such research 
(B) Lack of immediate application of such research 
(C) Lack of a method for identifying mycorrhizal fungi 
(D) Difficulties surrounding laboratory production of specimens for study - refer the reasons why researchers have not been able to do much untill now, reason number 2. the fungi cannot as yet be cultivated in the absence of a living root. 
(E) Difficulties ensuing from the high cost and scarcity of superphosphate fertilizers

4. The passage suggests which of the following about the increased resistance to harmful root fungi that some plants infected with mycorrhizal fungi seem to exhibit?

last line "this resistance results from a. exclusion of harmful fungi through competition for sites, b. from metabolic change involving antibiotic production, or c. from increased vigor is undetermined.

(A) There are at least three hypotheses that might account for the increase. yes, atleast 3.
(B) An explanation lies in the fact that mycorrhizal fungi increase more rapidly in number than harmful root fungi do. - partially true.
(C) The plants that show increased resistance also exhibit improved nitrogen fixation.- nope.
(D) Such increases may be independent of mycorrhizal infection. - may be, - partially true.
(E) It is unlikely that a satisfactory explanation can be found to account for the increase. - not true. as it is still inconclusive.

ShankSouljaBoi · Answer

In Q4 option A we cannot confirm to at least. The passage only talks of three and there is no indication that there can be more explanations to the phenomenon.

daagh  Please guide.

lehieu30794 · Answer

Can someone explain question 2? (I have read deepshikha12's explanation, but still unclear)
Why E and not D? I chose D because it looks like an irrelevant answer choice. The reason is because the passage does not mention anything about the potential of the research topic for other researchers in other fields
For E, it's totally relevant to the passage. The passage was about mycorrhizal infection and the uptake of phosphate, so botanist can further develop it by researching about  the degree  of relationship
Thank you

MBAB123 · Answer

Hey man. When I saw the choices, E seemed like a classic GMAT trap to me. In fact, it is the only answer choice that directly mentioned relevant words from the passage. First instinct would be to rule E out immediately (I have been trying to fight this instinct lately). D is such a general choice - even if you do not whether our passage falls under biology, you know that the biologist is looking for something outside his specialization (could be literally anything). On close inspection of E, you will see that E the details of E are definitely not given in the passage even though the words maybe some. I am not going to lie though, I couldn't figure out E properly either, but I knew E is the answer because of the trap I mentioned above and also because I could make sense of the other options. Hope this helps!

bidskamikaze · Answer

I too got this question wrong in the first pass.

I think the reason E is the correct answer is that a botanist who is conducting experiments to determine the relationship between degree of mycorrhizal infection and expected uptake of phosphate would already know all the things the passage is telling; his or her research and understanding would already be way advanced than what is being discussed in the passage. Hence, the information in the passage would not be adding any value to his or her research.

bidskamikaze · Answer

atleast 3 = (3, 4, 5, 6, ...... till all possible explanations)
The passage doesn't say there could or couldn't be more than three reasons. But the passage clearly states the three possible explanations.
Hence we KNOW for a fact that:
There  ARE  3 possible explanations, maybe more, but MINIMUM 3 explanations
Minimum 3 = atleast 3.

Hope it's clear.

MeherAbhijeet · Answer

For Q2, why is A ruled out ?
Since no information about Profitability or Product development is mentioned - I chose this as the answer.
Can anyone guide me with this.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

The passage discusses the potential benefits and applications of mycorrhizal fungi in the field of plant growth and agriculture, particularly in improving phosphate uptake, nitrogen fixation, and resistance to harmful root fungi. These benefits could indeed be of interest to a researcher looking for profitable areas of research and product development in the agriculture or biotechnology sectors. The passage provides information that suggests the potential economic impact of harnessing mycorrhizal associations for agricultural purposes. Therefore, the passage is suited to the needs of a researcher seeking new avenues for research and development that could lead to profitable outcomes.  (A)  is incorrect.

egmat · Answer

Here's a walkthrough of the passage and all  four  questions.

Passage Overview:  The passage introduces  mycorrhizal fungi , explains why they haven't been widely studied (no visible damage to hosts, can't be grown without a living root), and then summarizes exciting new findings about their benefits: improved phosphate uptake, increased nitrogen fixation in legumes, and resistance to harmful root fungi.

Question 1:  Which of the following most accurately describes the passage?
 Type:  Main Idea / Primary Purpose
 Correct Answer: B  — A summary report of new findings.
The passage is structured as a brief overview: it introduces mycorrhizal fungi, notes why research has been limited, and then reports on recent discoveries (phosphate uptake, nitrogen fixation, resistance to harmful fungi). It doesn't describe one specific experiment (A), recommend abandoning research (C), refute anything (D), or confirm older work (E). The  key phrase  is "there has been important new work that suggests..." — this signals a summary of new findings.

Question 2:  The level of information is suited to all EXCEPT...
 Type:  Specific Detail / Application
 Correct Answer: E  — A botanist conducting experiments on mycorrhizal infection and phosphate uptake.
The passage is a high-level overview — perfect for someone scanning for trends (A), alerting farmers (B), evaluating funding opportunities (C), or staying broadly informed (D). However, a botanist running actual experiments on the precise relationship between infection degree and phosphate uptake would need detailed experimental data, methodologies, and quantitative results — far more than this general summary provides.  This is a common trap — don't confuse a topic being mentioned with the passage providing enough depth on that topic.

Question 3:  What factor has influenced the extent of research progress?
 Type:  Inference
 Correct Answer: D  — Difficulties surrounding laboratory production of specimens for study.
The passage states directly: "the fungi cannot as yet be cultivated in the absence of a living root." This is a laboratory production problem — you can't grow them independently to study them. This maps cleanly to choice D. The passage never mentions funding (A), lack of application (B), identification problems (C), or fertilizer costs (E) as barriers to research.

Question 4:  What does the passage suggest about increased resistance to harmful root fungi?
 Type:  Inference
 Correct Answer: A  — There are at least  three  hypotheses that might account for the increase.
The passage explicitly lists  three  possible explanations: "Whether this resistance results from ( 1 ) exclusion of harmful fungi through competition for sites, ( 2 ) from metabolic change involving antibiotic production, or ( 3 ) from increased vigor is undetermined." That's  three  distinct hypotheses, directly supporting A. Choice B invents a detail about reproduction rates. Choices C, D, and E have no support in the passage.   Key Insight:  The word "undetermined" at the end confirms these are unresolved hypotheses, not settled explanations.

Mycorrhizal fungi infect more plants than do any other fungi and are

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Mycorrhizal fungi infect more plants than do any other fungi and are

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