1. The primary purpose of this passage is toA. argue for the development of more effective means of detecting long-term fluctuations in the price of semi-conductors
- Author does not argue in the passageB. contrast the problems in high tech industries with problems in low-tech industries
No low-tech industry mentioned in passage, just farming but we cant call it low-techC. show how a mechanism that leads to swings in the price of farm produce also leads to swings in the price of computer chips
EXACTLY!D. prove that wild swings in the prices of semiconductors and farm produce are inevitable
Very extreme. Inevitable? Author does not express his opinionE. show that primary and high-technology industries share many of the same problems
Only 1 problem is spoken of here, and which are primary industries?2. Which of the following best describes the structure of the passage?A. An situation is outlined and then a theory is posited to explain that event.
cannot call anything stated here a theoryB. An event in one industry is described and discussed in the context of problems in similar industries.
Farming and Semi conductor are no-way similar; Problem in the semi conductor industry is not discussed at length, he directly jumps to farming exampleC. A problem is outlined and a mechanism for controlling this problem is posited.
No solution is given to the problemD. An event in one industry is explained by discussing analogous events in a different industry.
By discussing a problem in Farming, he has explained the event in semi conductor industry, so CORRECT!E. Related problems in two different industries are compared and contrasted.
The 2 problems in 2 different industries are not related in any way3. It is most likely that the author states that “for every $100 worth of chips produced, only $90 worth of new orders were received” in order toA. explain what is meant by the term “book-tobill” ratio
EXACTLY!B. give a concrete example of the fall in chip prices
he is not doing thatC. illustrate that the vagaries of chip prices were not anticipated by the semi-conductor industry
How can we say it was not anticipated? And vagaries? Not correctD. provide an example that would illustrate the action of the “hog cycle”
Hog cycle is spoken about to explain the drop in book to bill ratio, not the other way aroundE. demonstrate that the anticipated rise in demand for chips did not occur
He has already proved that so this cannot be the reason.4. It can be inferred from the information in the passage that a sharp and unexpected increase in the demand for memory chips would result inA. a rapid increase in the number of such chips produced, and a subsequent glut in the supply of such chips
Its given in the passage that rapid ramp up of production is not possibleB. reduced construction of new semiconductor fabrication plants since higher prices result in higher profits without increased investment
demand has increased so production should increaseC. a scarcity of such chips and a subsequent rise in their sale price
EXACTLY!D. a substantial decrease in the book-to-bill ratio for the semi-conductor industry
Decrease in ratio means that sale will fall as compared to book(orders) but we know there will be shortage of chips so this is not trueE. a short term upward adjustment in the price of chips, followed by a slow decrease in price as new fabrication plants come on-line
decrease in price as new plants come in? We cannot say this