Last visit was: 02 Sep 2026, 09:34 It is currently 02 Sep 2026, 09:34
Home
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
User avatar
phoenix2194
User avatar
Joined: 01 Mar 2022
Last visit: 10 Jun 2024
Posts: 53
Own Kudos:
419
 [8]
Given Kudos: 25
Location: India
Concentration: Marketing, Operations
Schools: ISB '24
GMAT 1: 750 Q51 V40
Schools: ISB '24
GMAT 1: 750 Q51 V40
Posts: 53
Kudos: 419
 [8]
A certain type of prehistoric basket has been found 14 Jul 2022, 06:46
Kudos
Add Kudos
8
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
00:00
Start Timer
Pause Timer
Resume Timer
Show Answer
Hide
Show
History
A
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

Difficulty:

65% (hard)

Question Stats:

64% (02:16) correct 36% (02:14) wrong based on 528 sessions

History

Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
A certain type of prehistoric basket has been found in only two locations, one on private property and the other on a protected archaeological site. An electron microscope was used to examine one such basket. Unless an artifact has been thoroughly cleaned, an electron microscope will detect on the artifact minerals characteristic of the soil of the site where the artifact was excavated. Yet no minerals characteristic of the soil of the protected site were detected on the basket, although the basket was still encrusted with soil from the site from which it had been excavated.

The information in the passage, if correct, most strongly supports which one of the following?

(A) The basket was excavated on private property.

(B) The basket was excavated on the protected site.

(C) The basket was too encrusted with soil to be examined accurately.

(D) No minerals characteristic of the soil of the private site were detected on the basket.

(E) Some minerals characteristic of the soil of the protected site are also contained in the soil of the private site.
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
A
User avatar
ddtDDT
User avatar
Joined: 06 Dec 2020
Last visit: 18 Feb 2025
Posts: 23
Own Kudos:
18
 [3]
Given Kudos: 51
Posts: 23
Kudos: 18
 [3]
A certain type of prehistoric basket has been found 17 Jul 2022, 04:54
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
2
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
A certain type of prehistoric basket
has been found
_____in only two locations,
__________one on private property
__________and the other on a protected archaeological site.
An electron microscope
was used
_____to examine one such basket.
Unless an artifact has been thoroughly cleaned,
an electron microscope will detect on the artifact minerals characteristic
_____of the soil
__________of the site
_______________where the artifact was excavated.
Yet no minerals characteristic
_____of the soil
__________of the protected site were detected on the basket,
although the basket
was still encrusted with soil from the site
_____from which it had been excavated.

Step1: Argument or Fact set? --> Fact set
Step2: Check Conditional/ Causal Statements --> Found the Condition Statement (Indicator: Unless)
Necessary Condition: C == Unless an artifact has been thoroughly cleaned,
Sufficient Condition: D == an electron microscope will detect on the artifact minerals characteristic of the soil of the site where the artifact was excavated.
D --> C && C --> D
Step3: Question Stem: Must be True
--> expect 2 types of correct answers: 1) Paraphrase 2) Combination of Premises
--> expect 5 types of incorrect answers: 1) Could be True 2) Exaggerated Answer 3) New Information 4) Shell Game 5) Opposite 6) Reverse
Step4: 5 Answer Choices:
A. Noted that "Yet no minerals characteristic of the soil of the protected site were detected on the basket" --> only 2 possibilities:
1) The artifact has been thoroughly cleaned --> This one is rejected by the information: "the basket was still encrusted with soil from the site from which it had been excavated"
2) The basket was NOT excavated on the protected property; Plus, since we have "A certain type of prehistoric basket
has been found in only two locations" --> we can infer that The basket was excavated on private property.
--> A is the correct Answer
B. This is the Opposite Answer --> Wrong
C. New information: "too encrusted with soil to be examined accurately" --> Wrong
D. New information: "No minerals characteristic of the soil of the private site were detected on the basket."
E. New information: "Some minerals characteristic of the soil of the protected site are also contained in the soil of the private site."
User avatar
Alok756
User avatar
Joined: 04 Apr 2022
Last visit: 04 Oct 2023
Posts: 5
Own Kudos:
2
Given Kudos: 37
Posts: 5
Kudos: 2
A certain type of prehistoric basket has been found 18 Jul 2022, 06:10
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
dungdt2010
A certain type of prehistoric basket
has been found
_____in only two locations,
__________one on private property
__________and the other on a protected archaeological site.
An electron microscope
was used
_____to examine one such basket.
Unless an artifact has been thoroughly cleaned,
an electron microscope will detect on the artifact minerals characteristic
_____of the soil
__________of the site
_______________where the artifact was excavated.
Yet no minerals characteristic
_____of the soil
__________of the protected site were detected on the basket,
although the basket
was still encrusted with soil from the site
_____from which it had been excavated.

Step1: Argument or Fact set? --> Fact set
Step2: Check Conditional/ Causal Statements --> Found the Condition Statement (Indicator: Unless)
Necessary Condition: C == Unless an artifact has been thoroughly cleaned,
Sufficient Condition: D == an electron microscope will detect on the artifact minerals characteristic of the soil of the site where the artifact was excavated.
D --> C && C --> D
Step3: Question Stem: Must be True
--> expect 2 types of correct answers: 1) Paraphrase 2) Combination of Premises
--> expect 5 types of incorrect answers: 1) Could be True 2) Exaggerated Answer 3) New Information 4) Shell Game 5) Opposite 6) Reverse
Step4: 5 Answer Choices:
A. Noted that "Yet no minerals characteristic of the soil of the protected site were detected on the basket" --> only 2 possibilities:
1) The artifact has been thoroughly cleaned --> This one is rejected by the information: "the basket was still encrusted with soil from the site from which it had been excavated"
2) The basket was NOT excavated on the protected property; Plus, since we have "A certain type of prehistoric basket
has been found in only two locations" --> we can infer that The basket was excavated on private property.
--> A is the correct Answer
B. This is the Opposite Answer --> Wrong
C. New information: "too encrusted with soil to be examined accurately" --> Wrong
D. New information: "No minerals characteristic of the soil of the private site were detected on the basket."
E. New information: "Some minerals characteristic of the soil of the protected site are also contained in the soil of the private site."
Show more

i really like the reply, and i can see u have read the power score cr bible. i understood the conditionality here. but can you tell me what you mean by cutting the d (sufficient condition) which follows c(necessary condition)
User avatar
ddtDDT
User avatar
Joined: 06 Dec 2020
Last visit: 18 Feb 2025
Posts: 23
Own Kudos:
18
Given Kudos: 51
Posts: 23
Kudos: 18
A certain type of prehistoric basket has been found 20 Jul 2022, 09:05
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Alok756
dungdt2010
A certain type of prehistoric basket
has been found
_____in only two locations,
__________one on private property
__________and the other on a protected archaeological site.
An electron microscope
was used
_____to examine one such basket.
Unless an artifact has been thoroughly cleaned,
an electron microscope will detect on the artifact minerals characteristic
_____of the soil
__________of the site
_______________where the artifact was excavated.
Yet no minerals characteristic
_____of the soil
__________of the protected site were detected on the basket,
although the basket
was still encrusted with soil from the site
_____from which it had been excavated.

Step1: Argument or Fact set? --> Fact set
Step2: Check Conditional/ Causal Statements --> Found the Condition Statement (Indicator: Unless)
Necessary Condition: C == Unless an artifact has been thoroughly cleaned,
Sufficient Condition: D == an electron microscope will detect on the artifact minerals characteristic of the soil of the site where the artifact was excavated.
D --> C && C --> D
Step3: Question Stem: Must be True
--> expect 2 types of correct answers: 1) Paraphrase 2) Combination of Premises
--> expect 5 types of incorrect answers: 1) Could be True 2) Exaggerated Answer 3) New Information 4) Shell Game 5) Opposite 6) Reverse
Step4: 5 Answer Choices:
A. Noted that "Yet no minerals characteristic of the soil of the protected site were detected on the basket" --> only 2 possibilities:
1) The artifact has been thoroughly cleaned --> This one is rejected by the information: "the basket was still encrusted with soil from the site from which it had been excavated"
2) The basket was NOT excavated on the protected property; Plus, since we have "A certain type of prehistoric basket
has been found in only two locations" --> we can infer that The basket was excavated on private property.
--> A is the correct Answer
B. This is the Opposite Answer --> Wrong
C. New information: "too encrusted with soil to be examined accurately" --> Wrong
D. New information: "No minerals characteristic of the soil of the private site were detected on the basket."
E. New information: "Some minerals characteristic of the soil of the protected site are also contained in the soil of the private site."

i really like the reply, and i can see u have read the power score cr bible. i understood the conditionality here. but can you tell me what you mean by cutting the d (sufficient condition) which follows c(necessary condition)
Show more

Thanks for the kind words.

I should have articulated a bit more.

D == an electron microscope will detect on the artifact minerals characteristic of the soil of the site where the artifact was excavated.
D == an electron microscope will NOT detect on the artifact minerals characteristic of the soil of the site where the artifact was excavated.
User avatar
Rickooreo
User avatar
Joined: 24 Dec 2021
Last visit: 02 Sep 2026
Posts: 328
Own Kudos:
44
Given Kudos: 342
Location: India
Concentration: Finance, General Management
Schools: ISB '24 Moore '25
GMAT 1: 690 Q48 V35
GPA: 3.95
WE:Real Estate (Consulting)
Products:
Forum Quiz
Schools: ISB '24 Moore '25
GMAT 1: 690 Q48 V35
Posts: 328
Kudos: 44
A certain type of prehistoric basket has been found 04 Sep 2022, 13:58
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel Sajjad1994 can you please post the official explanation if avaiable with you
User avatar
Azeem123
User avatar
Joined: 21 Sep 2020
Last visit: 11 Mar 2026
Posts: 24
Own Kudos:
2
Given Kudos: 40
Products:
My Reviews
Posts: 24
Kudos: 2
A certain type of prehistoric basket has been found 25 Apr 2025, 11:42
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ddtDDT
Alok756
dungdt2010
A certain type of prehistoric basket
has been found
_____in only two locations,
__________one on private property
__________and the other on a protected archaeological site.
An electron microscope
was used
_____to examine one such basket.
Unless an artifact has been thoroughly cleaned,
an electron microscope will detect on the artifact minerals characteristic
_____of the soil
__________of the site
_______________where the artifact was excavated.
Yet no minerals characteristic
_____of the soil
__________of the protected site were detected on the basket,
although the basket
was still encrusted with soil from the site
_____from which it had been excavated.

Step1: Argument or Fact set? --> Fact set
Step2: Check Conditional/ Causal Statements --> Found the Condition Statement (Indicator: Unless)
Necessary Condition: C == Unless an artifact has been thoroughly cleaned,
Sufficient Condition: D == an electron microscope will detect on the artifact minerals characteristic of the soil of the site where the artifact was excavated.
D --> C && C --> D
Step3: Question Stem: Must be True
--> expect 2 types of correct answers: 1) Paraphrase 2) Combination of Premises
--> expect 5 types of incorrect answers: 1) Could be True 2) Exaggerated Answer 3) New Information 4) Shell Game 5) Opposite 6) Reverse
Step4: 5 Answer Choices:
A. Noted that "Yet no minerals characteristic of the soil of the protected site were detected on the basket" --> only 2 possibilities:
1) The artifact has been thoroughly cleaned --> This one is rejected by the information: "the basket was still encrusted with soil from the site from which it had been excavated"
2) The basket was NOT excavated on the protected property; Plus, since we have "A certain type of prehistoric basket
has been found in only two locations" --> we can infer that The basket was excavated on private property.
--> A is the correct Answer
B. This is the Opposite Answer --> Wrong
C. New information: "too encrusted with soil to be examined accurately" --> Wrong
D. New information: "No minerals characteristic of the soil of the private site were detected on the basket."
E. New information: "Some minerals characteristic of the soil of the protected site are also contained in the soil of the private site."

i really like the reply, and i can see u have read the power score cr bible. i understood the conditionality here. but can you tell me what you mean by cutting the d (sufficient condition) which follows c(necessary condition)

Thanks for the kind words.

I should have articulated a bit more.

D == an electron microscope will detect on the artifact minerals characteristic of the soil of the site where the artifact was excavated.
D == an electron microscope will NOT detect on the artifact minerals characteristic of the soil of the site where the artifact was excavated.
Show more
Can you negate the sufficient condition here
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7399 posts
AbhishekP220108
Verbal Forum Moderator
705 posts