There is much talk of a hydrogen economy and one version of that

Question

There is much talk of a hydrogen economy and one version of that future is described as based on dissociating water into hydrogen and oxygen with sunlight in photo-catalyst cells or films. If the rooftops of every house in the United States were covered in these cells, then every household would have at its disposal the hydrogen equivalent of over 10 liters of gasoline a day. The cells used would have to achieve the US Department of Energy’s standard of 10 percent water-splitting efficiency before the investment would be worthwhile and the output would approach the 10 liter level. But this kind of efficiency has only been achieved under careful laboratory conditions using ultra-violet light. Sunlight comprises only 4 percent ultra-violet light and so the search is still on for a photo-catalyst that reaches the same level of efficiency using the whole sunlight spectrum.

Another technological approach to the dissociation of water relies on microorganisms. Biologists have long known of the existence of single-celled plants that can break water molecules apart and release hydrogen and oxygen gas and the hope is that a micro-organism can be found capable of generating hydrogen gas in sufficient quantities. So far, the search has been disappointing and the levels of gas produced have fallen a long way short of the amount necessary to satisfy the US Department of Energy’s standard of efficiency.    1 
 1. Which of the following sentences best expresses the general theme made in the passage?

A. The passage optimistically predicts that the hydrogen economy is just around the corner.
B. The passage is pessimistic regarding the likelihood of a hydrogen economy based on the dissociation of water.
C. The passage identifies a number of technological challenges that remain before a hydrogen economy is feasible.
D. The passage describes a number of challenges that must still be solved on the path to a hydrogen economy based on the dissociation of water.
E. The passage is downbeat regarding the prospects of finding an organic solution to the challenge of efficient dissociation of water.

2 
 2. Which of the following subjects is not raised in the passage?

A. solar panels that split water for hydrogen
B. the dissociation of water with sunlight
C. hydrogen production using ultra-violet light
D. photo-catalysts that generate hydrogen from water
E. bugs or organisms capable of generating hydrogen gas

3 
 3. Which of the following is the best description of the main conclusion of the passage?

A. deductive
B. inductive
C. presumptuous
D. hypothetical
E. theoretical

Source: How to Pass the GMAT

100mitra · Accepted Answer

RC# 3 Short passage - {8 mins - 2/3 correct}
  Paraphrasing   
Topic: Hydrogen Economy – from Hydrogen by dissociation of water
  Para 1:     Technology 1:   With approval of US energy’s standard, dislocating hydrogen from water with help of photo-catalyst cells, but it has limitation with photo-catalyst reaching same level of efficiency as sunlight 
  Para 2:     Technology 2  : Micro-organisms which separate hydrogen from water, results are disappointing for not reaching to expected level necessary to satisfy the US Department of Energy’s standard of efficiency.

1. Which of the following sentences best expresses the general theme made in the passage?  
  Explanation   As per passage, general theme should be based on challenges to generate hydrogen from dissociation of water to be solved.

A. The passage optimistically predicts that the hydrogen economy is just around the corner
  Wrong:   No, with the two future experiments described in passage, both have not resulted to reach satisfaction level of US energy’s department in terms of efficiency, photo-catalyst are not able to generate 4% of sunlight UV rays and Micro-organism are not meeting the requirement expected level, so with this, hydrogen might be future, but optimistically not near to the future corner, unless the challenges are resolved. 
B. The passage is pessimistic regarding the likelihood of a hydrogen economy based on the dissociation of water.
  Wrong:   The passage is surely giving positivity about the likelihood of hydrogen economy based on dissociation of water, by attempt of two experiment as mentioned in passage, one with photo-catalyst and another with micro-organism, to develop hydrogen economy, despite of challenges or limitations, still experiments are not declared failure to generate hydrogen
C. The passage identifies a number of technological challenges that remain before a hydrogen economy is feasible.
  Wrong:   Challenges are not feasible because both the experiment has not achieved the expected satisfaction to reach the required level, as they have not meet with US energy’s standard efficiency.
D. The passage describes a number of challenges that must still be solved on the path to a hydrogen economy based on the dissociation of water.
  Correct: Hydrogen is been developed by dissociation of water, but not satisfaction level, the number of challenges is to meet the expectation, this properly express the general theme made in the passage.  
E. The passage is downbeat regarding the prospects of finding an organic solution to the challenge of efficient dissociation of water
  Wrong:   Easy elimination, its not limited only to organic solution, but other challenges like photo-catalyst is also mentioned

2. Which of the following subjects is not raised in the passage?  
  Para 1: “dissociating water into hydrogen and oxygen with sunlight in photo-catalyst cells or films”
Para 2: “dissociation of water relies on microorganisms  
A.   solar panels   that split water for hydrogen   – Not mentioned  
B. the dissociation of water with sunlight   – Mentioned Para 1  
C. hydrogen production using ultra-violet light   – Mentioned Para 1  
D. photo-catalysts that generate hydrogen from water   – Mentioned Para 1  
E. bugs or organisms capable of generating hydrogen gas   – Mentioned Para 2

3. Which of the following is the best description of the main conclusion of the passage?  
  Para 1 and Para 2, both are experiments are conducted to generate hydrogen from dissociation of water to develop energy or hydrogen economy, based on it interpretates it as inductive experiments.  
  Deductive vs Inductive  
A. Deductive  – meaning -  based on the a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning of particular instances from a general law / accepted facts / testing an existing theory   - wrong  
  B. Inductive    – meaning -  characterized by the on the a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning of general laws from particular instances / aims at developing a theory by observation or monitoring -   Correct  
C. Presumptuous  – meaning -  failing to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate   - wrong   
D. Hypothetical  – meaning -  a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation   - wrong  
E. Theoretical  – meaning -  concerned with or involving the theory of a subject or area of study rather than its practical application   - wrong

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

3. Which of the following is the best description of the main conclusion of the passage?

Difficulty Level:   700+

Explanation:

Inductive means to become acquainted with or conversant in or proceeding from particular facts to a general or wider conclusion. Deductive means a logical inference from particular facts or premises, which contain no more information than that which is contained in those premises. The passage, including its main conclusion, is informative rather than deductive.

Answer: B

pk72 · Answer

Hello Sajjad,

Regarding your explanation on the Q3 where, you have explained the difference between Inductive and deductive.
Can you please explain the 2 terms with the help of an example so that it becomes a bit more easier for me to understand, if possible.

Thanks

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Inductive: Inducting something new which is not discussed earlier. (Something not proven already: Humans will fly in the future)
Deductive: Deducting something from existing theory/literature. (Something proven already: Humans cannot live without oxygen)

I am not sure whether I would be able to get you to understand but here is one more example.

As a research students, when we construct our research model based on already available variables we call it Deductive research, but when we introduce new variables that are not been discussed earlier or knowledge about whom is not available already, we call it inductive research because we are inducting something new in the literature.

Hope you get it.

surajexp · Answer

I have not understood Q1 as I have chosen option C because there were some technological limitation mentioned in the passage. Someone please explain.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

1. Which of the following sentences best expresses the general theme made in the passage?

Explanation

The passage discusses two technological approaches to achieving a hydrogen economy based on the dissociation of water: using photo-catalyst cells or films and relying on microorganisms. However, it presents several challenges and limitations associated with each approach.

For the photo-catalyst cell approach, the passage mentions that the cells must achieve a water-splitting efficiency of 10 percent to make the investment worthwhile and approach the desired hydrogen output level. However, the current efficiency achieved in laboratory conditions is only possible with ultra-violet light, which makes up a small portion of sunlight. Therefore, the challenge is to find a photo-catalyst that can reach the same level of efficiency using the entire sunlight spectrum.

For the microorganism approach, the passage indicates that researchers hope to find a microorganism capable of generating sufficient hydrogen gas from water molecules. However, so far, the search has been disappointing, and the gas produced falls short of the required level of efficiency.

These challenges and limitations presented in the passage indicate that there are still obstacles to overcome and technological advancements required on the path to achieving a hydrogen economy based on the dissociation of water. Therefore, the general theme of the passage is that there are challenges that must be solved before the hydrogen economy becomes feasible, making  option D, "The passage describes a number of challenges that must still be solved on the path to a hydrogen economy based on the dissociation of water,"  the most appropriate choice.

Answer: D

Nancykgp · Answer

Not all challenges are Technological e.g. 10 % efficiency mandate by U.S. govt

There is much talk of a hydrogen economy and one version of that

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

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

GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

There is much talk of a hydrogen economy and one version of that

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