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Yup D it is as Brajesh explained.

Vineet - even though as B states - the prosperity from IT will lead to increase in net global wealth it cannot be concluded that the increase would percolate to the poorer southern countries which may still continue to be poor on account of lack of resources while the Northern countries grow from rich to richer.
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Yup D it is as Brajesh explained.

Vineet - even though as B states - the prosperity from IT will lead to increase in net global wealth it cannot be concluded that the increase would percolate to the poorer southern countries which may still continue to be poor on account of lack of resources while the Northern countries grow from rich to richer.


Thanks dwivedys...I wanted to know why B is wrong.

The OA is D indeed.
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Oscar: Emerging information technologies will soon make speed of information processing the single most important factor in the creation of individual, corporate, and national wealth. Consequently, the division of the world into northern countries—in general rich—and southern countries—in general poor—will soon be obsolete. Instead, there simply will be fast countries and slow countries, and thus a country’s economic well-being will not be a function of its geographical position but just a matter of its relative success in incorporating those new technologies.

Sylvia: But the poor countries of the south lack the economic resources to acquire those technologies and will therefore remain poor. The technologies will thus only widen the existing economic gap between north and south.

Sylvia’s reasoning depends on the assumption that
(A) the prosperity of the rich countries of the north depends, at least in part, on the natural resources of the poor countries of the south
(B) the emergence of new information technologies will not result in a significant net increase in the total amount of global wealth
(C) there are technologies other than information technologies whose development could help narrow the existing economic gap between north and south
(D) at least some of the rich countries of the north will be effective in incorporating new information technologies into their economies
(E) the speed at which information processing take place will continue to increase indefinitely

B/W B and D...which is correct and why??


There is a second question to it as well which is as follows:

The reasoning that Oscar uses in supporting his prediction is vulnerable to criticism on the ground that it

(A) overlooks the possibility that the ability of countries to acquire new technologies at some time in the future will depend on factors other than those countries’ present economic status
(B) fails to establish that the division of the world into rich countries and poor countries is the single most important problem that will confront the world economy in the future
(C) ignores the possibility that, in determining a country’s future wealth, the country’s incorporation of information-processing technologies might be outweighed by a combination of other factors
(D) provides no reason to believe that faster information processing will have only beneficial effects on countries that successfully incorporate new information technologies into their economies
(E) makes no distinction between those of the world’s rich countries that are the wealthiest and those that are less wealthy

Between B & C, can somebody explain why is it C?
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Answer is D

Oscar :-Technology will erase notion of rich or poor. New world will have only slow and fast nations.
Sylvia:- Nations are poor and cannot buy technology. SO :->CURRENT GAP WILL WIDEN
Assuumption:- North will buy these technology. (If north does and south does not buy. No change in status quo. Both will stay similar. But if north buys than only north moves ahead )

Option D:- At least some of the rich countries of the north will be effective in incorporating new information technologies into their economies


Oscar: Emerging information technologies will soon make speed of information processing the single most important factor in the creation of individual, corporate, and national wealth. Consequently, the division of the world into northern countries—in general rich—and southern countries—in general poor—will soon be obsolete. Instead, there simply will be fast countries and slow countries, and thus a country’s economic well-being will not be a function of its geographical position but just a matter of its relative success in incorporating those new technologies.

Sylvia: But the poor countries of the south lack the economic resources to acquire those technologies and will therefore remain poor. The technologies will thus only widen the existing economic gap between north and south.

Sylvia’s reasoning depends on the assumption that
(A) the prosperity of the rich countries of the north depends, at least in part, on the natural resources of the poor countries of the south
(B) the emergence of new information technologies will not result in a significant net increase in the total amount of global wealth
(C) there are technologies other than information technologies whose development could help narrow the existing economic gap between north and south
(D) at least some of the rich countries of the north will be effective in incorporating new information technologies into their economies
(E) the speed at which information processing take place will continue to increase indefinitely
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Sylvia: But the poor countries of the south lack the economic resources to acquire those technologies and will therefore remain poor. The technologies will thus only widen the existing economic gap between north and south.

Option D is the only option
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Oscar: Emerging information technologies will soon make speed of information processing the single most important factor in the creation of individual, corporate, and national wealth. Consequently, the division of the world into northern countries—in general rich—and southern countries—in general poor—will soon be obsolete. Instead, there simply will be fast countries and slow countries, and thus a country’s economic well-being will not be a function of its geographical position but just a matter of its relative success in incorporating those new technologies.

Sylvia: But the poor countries of the south lack the economic resources to acquire those technologies and will therefore remain poor. The technologies will thus only widen the existing economic gap between north and south.

Sylvia’s reasoning depends on the assumption that
(A) the prosperity of the rich countries of the north depends, at least in part, on the natural resources of the poor countries of the south
(B) the emergence of new information technologies will not result in a significant net increase in the total amount of global wealth
(C) there are technologies other than information technologies whose development could help narrow the existing economic gap between north and south
(D) at least some of the rich countries of the north will be effective in incorporating new information technologies into their economies
(E) the speed at which information processing take place will continue to increase indefinitely
----

Simply do not see what we can choose except D.
D is obvious, but neccessary.
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A is totally irrelevant, it has nothing to do with Sylvia’s argument. C is outside the scope of the argument and also has nothing to do with the argument that Sylvia made. The same can be said for E. Split between B and D, the answer can be fund through negation. If B is negated the argument still stands. Even if global wealth increases that does not mean that it will spread to the southern countries. If D is negated and none of the northern countries can effectively integrate new information technologies into their economies, then Sylvia’s argument would not work.
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