For years, U.S. employers have counted on a steady flow of labor from

Question

For years, U.S. employers have counted on a steady flow of labor from Mexico willing to accept low-skilled, low paying jobs. These workers, many of whom leave economically depressed villages in the Mexican interior, are often more than willing to work for wages well below both the U.S. minimum wage and the poverty line. However, thanks to a dramatic demographic shift currently taking place in Mexico, the seemingly inexhaustible supply of workers migrating from Mexico to the United States might one day greatly diminish if not cease. Predictions of such a drastic decrease in the number of Mexican immigrants, both legal and illegal, are driven by Mexico’s rapidly diminishing population growth.

As a result of a decades-long family planning campaign, most Mexicans are having far fewer children than was the norm a generation ago. The campaign, organized around the slogan that “the small family lives better,” saw the Mexican government establish family-planning clinics and offer free contraception. For nearly three decades, the government’s message concerning population hasn’t wavered. In fact, the Mexican Senate recently voted to extend public school sex education programs to kindergarten. The result of Mexico’s efforts to stem population growth is nothing short of stunning. In 1968, the average Mexican woman had just fewer than seven children; today, the figure is slightly more than two.

For two primary reasons, Mexico’s new demographics could greatly impact the number of Mexicans seeking work in the U.S. First, smaller families by their nature limit the pool of potential migrants. Second, the slowing of Mexico’s population growth has fostered hope that Mexico will develop a healthy middle class of people content to make their livelihoods in their home country. Though the former of these factors is all but assured, the growth of a healthy middle class is far from a foregone conclusion. The critical challenge for Mexico is what it does with the next 20 years. Mexico must invest in education, job training, and infrastructure, as well as a social-security system to protect its aging population. If Mexico is willing to step forward and meet this challenge, America may one day wake up to find that, like cheap gasoline, cheap Mexican labor has become a thing of the past.   1 
 1. With which of the following statements would the author of the passage MOST likely agree?

(A) The United States will soon have to replace lost Mexican labor with labor provided by other immigrant groups.
(B) It is difficult for a country with a large population to develop a healthy middle class.
(C) Many Mexican immigrants who work in the United States believe that they are taken advantage of by American employers.
(D) Most rapidly growing countries should institute a family planning campaign to limit population growth.
(E) Mexico does not currently have the infrastructure to develop a healthy middle class.

2 
 2. The author includes the third paragraph of the passage in order to

A. illustrate why the number of Mexican immigrants seeking work in the United States is certain to decline
B. detail the successes of Mexico’s family planning campaign
C. explain why the number of Mexicans seeking work in the United States may not dramatically decrease
D. specify the types of infrastructure in which Mexico must invest
E. notify American employers that they must soon find alternative sources of labor

3 
 3. The passage indicates all of the following concerning Mexico’s current demographics EXCEPT:

A. Due to the government’s family-planning campaign, Mexico’s population is currently diminishing.
B. On average, Mexican women of a generation ago gave birth to more than twice as many children as do Mexican women today.
C. Many Mexicans still migrate to the United States in search of work.
D. As a result of declining birth rates, Mexico’s population is aging.
E. A healthy middle class in Mexico has not yet fully developed.

4 
 4. Which of the following is most strongly suggested about U.S. employers of Mexican immigrants?

A. Most of these employers pay illegal Mexican immigrants less money than they pay legal Mexican immigrants.
B. Some of these employers either violate or are exempt from wage laws.
C. Without Mexican immigrants, some of these employers would be forced to close their businesses.
D. Most of these companies employ Mexican immigrants in order to lower their costs and, therefore, increase their profits.
E. The majority of these employers prefer to hire immigrants for low-paying jobs rather than U.S. citizens.

5 
 5. The passage provides evidence to address

(A) how many children, on average, Mexican women have today
(B) how a smaller average family size in Mexico would likely impact the number of people who migrate to another country in search of work
(C) why the flow of Mexican immigrants to the United States began to diminish
(D) the future impact of Mexico’s family planning campaign on the Mexican middle class
(E) the extent of the disparity that exists between the wealthy elite and those who live in poverty

6 
 6. Which of the following can be inferred about Mexico’s family-planning campaign?

A. At the beginning of the campaign, Mexico was one of the world’s fastest growing countries.
B. Family-planning clinics have been established in both urban and rural areas.
C. The information in the campaign is geared solely toward Mexican women.
D. Sex education has been offered to children in public schools.
E. The slogan “the small family lives better” was used primarily during the early stages of the campaign.

Manhattan CAT 6

parker · Accepted Answer

This passage is so sneaky-- it *seems* straightforward and I wouldn't be surprised if people finished it well under time with a lot of confidence...only to find that they missed most of the questions.

Everyone's reading process differs, but so you have a sense of where I'm coming from, here's a breakdown of my mental process while reading:

For years, U.S. employers have counted on a steady flow of labor from Mexico willing to accept low-skilled, low paying jobs. (OK, social science passage...it's about labor but what's the main point? Also, this is an issue that is very much in the popular consciousness-- be extremely wary of bringing in outside knowledge) These workers, many of whom leave economically depressed villages in the Mexican interior, are often more than willing to work for wages well below both the U.S. minimum wage and the poverty line. (Mexican workers work in US for <min wage) However, thanks to a dramatic demographic shift currently taking place in Mexico, the seemingly inexhaustible supply of workers migrating from Mexico to the United States might one day greatly diminish if not cease. (Author's point of view! Probable main point of passage...bc of Mex demo shift the current Mex->US flow of migrant workers may shift or stop).

Notes:

I. For years, US employers count on low skill/pay Mex workers
Mex workers <min wage/pov line
Current Mex demo shift MAY ->flow of migrant workers shift/stop

On to P.2:

Predictions of such a drastic decrease in the number of Mexican immigrants, both legal and illegal, are driven by Mexico’s rapidly diminishing population growth. (support for author's main point-- dec. pop growth) As a result of a decades-long family planning campaign, most Mexicans are having far fewer children than was the norm a generation ago. (decades-long campaign->fewer children for most) The campaign, organized around the slogan that “the small family lives better,” saw the Mexican government establish family-planning clinics and offer free contraception. (details of campaign...don't get bogged down in specifics...maybe just jot some key words) For nearly three decades, the government’s message concerning population hasn’t wavered. In fact, the Mexican Senate recently voted to extend public school sex education programs to kindergarten.

Notes:
II. REASON for predicted imm dec is dec in pop growth
decades of fam plan campaign-> fewer kids for most
(govt clinics, contracep, sex ed)

The result of Mexico’s efforts to stem population growth is nothing short of stunning. (results awesome!) In 1968, the average Mexican woman had just fewer than seven children; today, the figure is slightly more than two. (7->2 kids per woman) For two primary reasons, (structure marker, pay attention to upcoming list) Mexico’s new demographics could greatly impact the number of Mexicans seeking work in the U.S. First, smaller families by their nature limit the pool of potential migrants. (1--fewer people overall...duh...other one must be more interesting) Second, the slowing of Mexico’s population growth has fostered hope that Mexico will develop a healthy middle class of people content to make their livelihoods in their home country. (2--hope for domestic Mex middle class)

Notes:
III.Campaign results = wow
7->2 kids/woman
2 reasons: (1) fewer people and (2) hope for domestic Mex mid-class

Though the former of these factors is all but assured, the growth of a healthy middle class is far from a foregone conclusion. (yup, second one is more interesting, as predicted) The critical (red flag word--pay attention) challenge for Mexico is what it does with the next 20 years. Mexico must (red flag word!) invest in education, job training, and infrastructure, as well as a social-security system to protect its aging population. If (structure word...we're dealing w/a conditional) Mexico is willing to step forward and meet this challenge, America may one day wake up to find that, like cheap gasoline, cheap Mexican labor has become a thing of the past.

Notes:
IV. Reason (1)=YES but reason (2)= MAYBE
For (2), in next 20 yrs, Mex MUST invest in ed, training, infra, SS for aging pop
If Mex does-> predicted shift happens

I like social science passages, and there wasn't any of the highly technical language that can sometimes trip me up, so it took me 2:39 to read and take notes on this passage, which means I should spend about 1 min per question to average out to a total of 6 min for both reading and 3 questions (2 min per question). The actual reading process might be faster/slower for you--adjust the time on and approach to your questions accordingly. Also, there are some symbols I used to cut down on writing time (arrows, etc) that I can't convey easily here-- use whatever system and symbols are most efficient for you.

Now onto the questions!

Q1. a NOT question...I'm going to have to examine all of them. What a pain!
(A) I remembered something about pop diminishing in P2, but looking at my notes saw that I had "pop growth" underlined. Typical sneaky Gmat tactic! This might be our answer, but let's keep looking just in case.
(B) 2 is about a third of 7? Pretty close. Cross off.
(C) This is pretty much what P1 says...there may be a shift "one day," but for now the workers are still coming. Cross off.
(D) Where did we see that word "aging"? In my notes for P4! Yup, the pop is aging-- the passage says so....is this the result of declining birth rates? If people are having fewer kids, then the population as a whole must be skewing more toward people who are already alive (older people), so yes this is true but involves some inference. Leave for now.
(E) P.4 notes again-- middle class is a MAYBE. Cross off.

Between (A) and (D), (D) requires a few more steps to reason through, but (A) has a concrete, identifiable error. The answer is (A). If we had gone too quickly and missed that sneaky word "growth" in (A), we might have gotten rid of all the answers. When that happens (and it will!) don't despair--cycle through them again and try to zero in on those little words you may have missed the first time--- getting rid of everything is often a result of rushing through the first time.

Q2. This is an inference question, so keep an eye out for any keywords that will tell us what part(s) of the passage we should focus on. Where did it talk about US employers? According to our notes--the first paragraph.

(A) This choice is a comparison-- make sure both parts are mentioned (and again, be very wary of bringing in outside knowledge--if "most" people know something, GMAC will try to use that info trip you up, so that info is highly suspect in an answer). The passage talks about the Mexican workers' pay, but never explicitly says anything about Americans' pay. What if most of these employers don't hire Americans at all? Eliminate.
(B) "Some" is a vague term that could mean as many as 100% and as few as 1. Do we know that at least one employer violates wage laws? Yes, the US counts on the labor of Mexican immigrants who are "often more than willing" to work for a wage "below the U.S. minimum wage." You could argue, however, that there is a little outside knowledge required here, too-- the fact that the minimum wage is a "wage law." Let's hold onto it for now but keep that flaw in mind.
(C) The passage doesn't specify what industry the workers are employed in. Eliminate.
(D) An argument about employers closing their businesses is never made. Eliminate.
(E) The words "no concern" are quite strong, and therefore you must have strong evidence to support it. The author states that the workers are often paid less-than-minimum wage, but does this mean there is absolutely zero concern on the part of the employers? Not necessarily. Eliminate.

We had a reservation about (B), but it's the only one left after all the others are eliminated, and requires the smallest "jump."

Q3. The phrase "one function" is very open-ended-- we only need ONE function, which may or may not be the primary function, of the final paragraph. Reread our notes for that paragraph.
(A) "certain" is a red-flag word. Is this certain? No, the paragraph lists conditions that must be fulfilled for the number of immigrants to decline. Eliminate.
(B) This info is in the passage, but not in the paragraph we care about (common GMAT trap). Eliminate.
(C) Does this happen in the final paragraph? Sort of...the author says that the decline is a "maybe" not a "definite," and proceeds to state the conditions that must be fulfilled (the implication being that if those conditions are NOT fulfilled, the prediction will not come true). The paragraph is primarily concerned with those conditions, but we're only looking for "one" function. Hold onto it for now.
(D) The passage DOES list infrastructure in which Mexico must invest...IF the prediction is to come true. This answer choice, however, simply says "Mexico must invest"--a very strong statement containing the red-flag word "must." Mexico doesn't *have to* invest in those items-- if it doesn't, then the predicted shift may not happen. Eliminate.
(E) The predicted decrease is contingent on many things happening, and not a certainty. Eliminate.

Really really sneaky passage, but a great exercise in staying sharp about those little words that can make or break an answer choice.

samark · Answer

Q1.  The best way to answer a question that asks for information NOT indicated in the passage is to quickly skim through the passage and eliminate any answer choice that IS indicated in the passage.

A is correct here because the passage states several times that Mexico’s population growth is diminishing due to the country’s declining birth rate. However, the passage never suggests that Mexico’s population itself is diminishing.

Population may be increasing but at a lower rate than before!

Q2.  The passage states that U.S. employers of Mexican immigrants often provide low-skilled, low-paying jobs to individuals who "are often more than willing to work for wages well below both the U.S. minimum wage and the poverty line."

Choice A is wrong because No information is provided concerning the amount of money paid to American citizens. It is possible that there are many Americans who also work for wages well below both the U.S. minimum wage and the poverty line.

As for B, If some of these immigrant workers are accepting wages “well below the U.S. minimum wage,” their American employers must be violating wage laws (i.e. paying wages below what the U.S. minimum wage requires).

Q3.  
The final paragraph primarily explains why the development of a healthy middle class, an important factor in limiting the desire of many Mexicans to migrate to the United States, is not a foregone conclusion.

In paragraph, it is stated that Mexico must take specific actions to foster the development of a healthy middle class. Without a healthy middle class, the author believes that large numbers of Mexicans will continue to seek work in the United States.

Hope, it helps!

gmat1011 · Answer

I hate these 'hide the ball' questions - I got this passage too on one of the MGMAT CATs... different set of questions though; but even that one was pretty tough and I think I got most of them wrong...

Q. 1. Point taken about A. A is not expressly suggested by the passage. But where in the passage is D expressly suggested: "As a result of declining birth rates, Mexico’s population is aging"? Birth rate could be declining and the death rate may have also increased?

Q. 2. OK. The passage states: "These workers, many of whom leave economically depressed villages in the Mexican interior, are often more than willing to work for wages well below both the U.S. minimum wage and the poverty line." --- they are more than "willing" - fine - but it is not suggested that they are in fact paid below min wage by the employers; how can you impute that to the employers? Just because they are willing doesnt mean the employers will necessarily violate the law to pay them less. I picked A. The last sentence of the passage: "If Mexico is willing to step forward and meet this challenge, America may one day wake up to find that, like cheap gasoline, cheap Mexican labor has become a thing of the past" CHEAP labor --- ok it doesn't say cheaper than U.S. employees, but I thought that would be a more reasonable jump to make than to assume the employers are violating the min wage law.

Q. 3. Again I picked the wrong answer choice! Picked E. Now looking back use of "will" in E is too extreme --- C has "may" --- so ok I agree with C. If the middle class is not developed due to lack of investment in infrastructure then at least one factor affecting labor movement "may" be affected and maybe there won't be a drastic decrease --- so ok C can work because of the "may" while the other choices have words which express certainty - will, must, certain; choice B is clearly out (looks irrelevant).

But don't agree with the answers to Q. 1 and Q. 2.

mailnavin1 · Answer

Thanks Parker, but I am not still convinced with 1(I had this q appearing on one of my MGMAT test on which I just managed a 36)
The later part of the passage reinforces the thought that the there is a current change in the demo. The later part of the passage talks about statistics and shows that the decline in population has already begun?

Your inputs appreciated

parker · Answer

For mailnavin:

You're right, the latter part of the passage definitely indicates a shift in  demographics , but note the very specific wording used  "the slowing of Mexico’s population growth"  -- slower population growth does  not  equal a declining population.

Say, for example, you have a city (with attractive tax incentives) in which new technology firms are launching at a rate of  100  new firms per year. The city then decides to scale back those incentives, so that rate slows to  50  new firms per year. The number of firms is  still growing  (assuming no significant change in the number of firms that go out of business, or "die"), but at  a slower rate.

Does that help?

Archit143 · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

3. The passage indicates all of the following concerning Mexico’s current demographics EXCEPT:

A. Due to the government’s family-planning campaign, Mexico’s population is currently diminishing.
B. On average, Mexican women of a generation ago gave birth to more than twice as many children as do Mexican women today.
C. Many Mexicans still migrate to the United States in search of work.
D. As a result of declining birth rates, Mexico’s population is aging.
E. A healthy middle class in Mexico has not yet fully developed.

“Except” questions are negatively-worded questions. Typically, four of the answers will fall into a certain category or be “true” in some way, while the fifth choice will be the “odd one out.” The correct answer on EXCEPT questions will be the odd one out. Keep track of your eliminations on your scrap paper. Because it is often easier to find the four “true” answer choices, focus on eliminating wrong answers rather than trying to find the one right answer.

(A) CORRECT . False. The passage states several times that  Mexico’s population growth is diminishing due to the country’s declining birth rate . However, the passage never suggests that Mexico’s  population  itself is diminishing. According to the passage, the growth rate is 1% in 2005; at that time, the population is still growing.  It’s simply growing more slowly than it used to grow .

(B) True. The second paragraph states that “on average, Mexican women today are giving birth to fewer than half as many children as did their mothers.” A mother and child represent two generations, so “a generation ago” refers to the mothers of the women who are currently giving birth.

(C) True. The first paragraph states that U.S. employers are still counting on a steady flow of labor from Mexico. To reinforce this contention, the final sentence of the first paragraph says this flow might “one day” diminish, indicating that at present it is continuing.

(D) True. The sixth sentence of the third paragraph states that Mexico’s population is aging. The overall aging of the population naturally results from the declining number of babies born in Mexico. As fewer babies are born, the average age of the population gradually increases.

(E) True. The third paragraph indicates that a healthy middle class in Mexico is a hope and a goal but that it is far from a foregone conclusion.

souvik101990 · Answer

Hey!
The answer to the question is A
Good, tricky question this is so thanks for a 2 min exercise!
All options here, apparently seem to be indicated in the passage.
I will post the option in RED and the indication in the passage in green

E.  A healthy middle class in Mexico has not yet fully developed. 
 Though the former of these factors is all but assured, the growth of a healthy middle class is far from a foregone conclusion.

D.  As a result of declining birth rates, Mexico’s population is aging. 
 Developing a stable middle class will require investments in education, job training, and infrastructure, as well as a social-security system to protect its aging population.

C.  Many Mexicans still migrate to the United States in search of work. 
  the stream of workers migrating from Mexico to the United States might one day greatly diminish if not cease.

B.  On average, Mexican women of a generation ago gave birth to more than twice as many children as do Mexican women today. 
 On average, Mexican women today are giving birth to fewer than half as many children as did their mothers.

A.  Due to the government’s family-planning campaign, Mexico’s population is currently diminishing. 
 WE GOT NOTHING

This is a very commonly tested trap set by the GMAT for difficult RC and CR questions, in which it confuses with with percentage and absolute figures. The text here says the population growth is diminishing. However, nothing is mentioned about population as an absolute entity. Population may only decrease when more people die than those who are born. The passage, however, suggests that if previously population changed from 100 to 200, now it changed from 200 to 205. The absolute population is increasing, but its growth is diminishing.

Hope this helps
Souvik

Adambhau · Answer

Official Explanations:

1. With which of the following statements would the author of the passage MOST likely agree?

(A) The United States will soon have to replace lost Mexican labor with labor provided by other immigrant groups.
(B) It is difficult for a country with a large population to develop a healthy middle class.
(C) Many Mexican immigrants who work in the United States believe that they are taken advantage of by American employers.
(D) Most rapidly growing countries should institute a family planning campaign to limit population growth.
(E) Mexico does not currently have the infrastructure to develop a healthy middle class.

A keen understanding of the main idea of the passage, in combination with a well developed sketch of the passage to help you quickly access the pertinent
information, will help you to accurately eliminate incorrect answer choices.

(A) In both the first and fourth paragraphs the author indicates that the supply of Mexican labor to the United States might diminish over time if certain conditions in Mexico continue to change. The author does not believe this to be a foregone conclusion. Moreover, the author never hints that this hypothetical labor vacuum will have to be filled by other immigrant groups.

(B) The author speaks only of Mexico and its challenges. It is beyond the scope of the passage to assume what the author might believe, in general, about countries with large populations. Additionally, the passage never quantifies the definition of a “large population.”

(C) In the first paragraph, the author says Mexican immigrants are “more than willing to work for wages well below both the U.S. minimum wage and the poverty line.” Thus, the workers themselves seem not to feel taken advantage of.

(D) Similar to answer choice B, this answer choice asks about the author’s attitude toward countries other than Mexico. The passage, however, discusses only Mexico and its policies and challenges.

(E) CORRECT. In the final paragraph, the author indicates that "the growth of a healthy middle class is far from a foregone conclusion. The critical challenge for Mexico is what it does with the next 20 years.” Then, the author indicates the steps that Mexico must take. Thus, the author obviously believes that Mexico does not currently have the infrastructure to develop a healthy middle class. The key, for the author, is whether Mexico is willing and able to build this infrastructure.

4. Which of the following is most strongly suggested about U.S. employers of Mexican immigrants?

A. Most of these employers pay illegal Mexican immigrants less money than they pay legal Mexican immigrants.
B. Some of these employers either violate or are exempt from wage laws.
C. Without Mexican immigrants, some of these employers would be forced to close their businesses.
D. Most of these companies employ Mexican immigrants in order to lower their costs and, therefore, increase their profits.
E. The majority of these employers prefer to hire immigrants for low-paying jobs rather than U.S. citizens.

Correct answers to “inference” questions will not be stated explicitly in the passage; nevertheless, the information must be true according to information given somewhere in the passage. Wrong answers will often go “too far,” asserting something that might be plausible in the real world but is not directly supported by any specific information given in the passage. The first paragraph mentions United States employers, so the answer should be supported by some information in this paragraph.

(A) No information is provided concerning the wages paid to legal versus illegal Mexican immigrants. The passage discusses Mexican immigrants in general; it never breaks the overall immigrant pool down into legal versus illegal groups.

(B) CORRECT. If some of these immigrant workers are working for wages “well below the U.S. minimum wage,” their American employers must either be exempt from or be violating wage laws (i.e. paying wages below what the U.S. minimum wage requires).

(C) The passage does not suggest that without labor from Mexico these employers will be forced to close. This answer is both too predictive and outside the scope of the argument.

(D) It is likely true in the real world that a company is interested in lowering it costs and increasing its profits. This passage, however, does not provide information about the motivation of the U.S. employers when hiring Mexican immigrants.

(E) The passage suggests nothing about whom employers prefer to hire for low-wage jobs. It merely indicates that some employers do hire immigrants for low-paying jobs.

Adambhau · Answer

2. The author includes the third paragraph of the passage in order to

A. illustrate why the number of Mexican immigrants seeking work in the United States is certain to decline
B. detail the successes of Mexico’s family planning campaign
C. explain why the number of Mexicans seeking work in the United States may not dramatically decrease
D. specify the types of infrastructure in which Mexico must invest
E. notify American employers that they must soon find alternative sources of labor

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

The opening sentence of the third paragraph states that there are two primary reasons why Mexico’s changing demographics might reduce immigration to the United States. The author then questions whether the second factor (“the growth of a healthy middle class”) will be achieved. The rest of the paragraph then explains why Mexico may not be able to develop a healthy middle class.

(A) This choice contradicts the message in the third paragraph. The paragraph actually explains why the number of Mexican immigrants to the United States may not decline.

(B) Mexico’s family planning campaign was not mentioned in the third paragraph. This might be an appropriate answer if the question had asked about paragraph two.

(C) CORRECT. The third paragraph says that a “healthy middle class” would help to reduce the number of Mexicans seeking work in the U.S., a theme first introduced in paragraph one The paragraph then raises a question as to whether Mexico will be able to develop a healthy middle class . The purpose of the third paragraph, then, is to indicate uncertainty as to whether Mexican immigration to the U.S. will actually decrease.

(D) Though paragraph three does mention that Mexico would need to invest in infrastructure in order to create a healthy middle class, the author does not include paragraph three in order to discuss specific types of infrastructure. Rather, the infrastructure serves as an example of the kind of thing Mexico would need to do in order to develop a stable middle class – which is the main purpose of the paragraph.

(E) The third paragraph, if anything, calls into question the idea that Mexican immigration to the U.S. will decline dramatically. Further, the paragraph makes no mention of the U.S. or what U.S. businesses might need to do if immigration does eventually decline.

rohan2029 · Answer

Hey, thank you for the reply Sajjad.
But I am still confused as to why the answer explanation assumes that there are some workers who work for wages below the minimum wage. The passage does not explicitly state that anywhere. 
 GMATNinja   Sajjad1994

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hi rohan2029

First of all, for an inference question, there is no need for something inferable to be explicitly mentioned in the passage, it may or may not be explicitly mentioned in the passage.

No coming to you question, it is clearly mentioned in  paragraph 1  that:

many of whom leave economically depressed villages in the Mexican interior,  are often more than willing to work for wages well below both the U.S.

Here is the complete  paragraph 1:

For years, U.S. employers have counted on a steady flow of labor from Mexico willing to accept low-skilled, low paying jobs.   These workers, many of whom leave economically depressed villages in the Mexican interior, are often more than willing to work for wages well below both the U.S. minimum wage and the poverty line.   However, thanks to a dramatic demographic shift currently taking place in Mexico, the seemingly inexhaustible supply of workers migrating from Mexico to the United States might one day greatly diminish if not cease. Predictions of such a drastic decrease in the number of Mexican immigrants, both legal and illegal, are driven by Mexico’s rapidly diminishing population growth.

See the bold underlined text above.

rohan2029 · Answer

Hey Sajjad,
Thank you so much for the detailed reply.

Yeah, the passage states that the Mexican workers are more than 'willing' to work but it does not state that there actually are some workers who are working for less than the minimum wage. Option B says that some US employers are either exempt from wage laws or violate them. For this inference to be true, we need to assume that there actually are some Mexican workers who get paid less than the minimum wage. But the passage does not give us enough information to make this assumption. There could be a situation where though the workers are willing to work for less than the minimum wage, the employers insist on paying them the minimum wage.

Am I missing something with my reasoning?

VeritasKarishma   GMATNinja   Sajjad1994   souvik101990   Skywalker18

KarishmaB · Answer

4. Which of the following is most strongly suggested about U.S. employers of Mexican immigrants?

A. Most of these employers pay illegal Mexican immigrants less money than they pay legal Mexican immigrants.
B. Some of these employers either violate or are exempt from wage laws.
C. Without Mexican immigrants, some of these employers would be forced to close their businesses.
D. Most of these companies employ Mexican immigrants in order to lower their costs and, therefore, increase their profits.
E. The majority of these employers prefer to hire immigrants for low-paying jobs rather than U.S. citizens.

From the passage:
 For years, U.S. employers have counted on a steady flow of labor from Mexico willing to accept low-skilled, low paying jobs. These workers, many of whom leave economically depressed villages in the Mexican interior, are often more than willing to work for wages well below both the U.S. minimum wage and the poverty line.

US employers have counted on these people who are willing to work for wages below US minimum wage. So US employers have employed them at the low wages. This implies that some of these employers either violate or are exempt from wage laws.

Besides, note that that question asks for "which of the following is most strongly suggested ..." 
It is something that is strongly suggested, not proved without doubt. Hence the small element of doubt is taken care of.

Answer (B)

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

6. Which of the following can be inferred about Mexico’s family-planning campaign?

Explanation

The second paragraph of the text discusses Mexico’s family planning campaign. The campaign established “family-planning clinics” and introduced “free contraception,” and the “Senate recently voted to expand public school sex education programs to kindergarten.” Ultimately, population growth declined significantly.

(A)  The passage offers specific statistics concerning the average birth rate in Mexico but makes no comparisons to other countries.

(B)  Though it might be reasonable to think that family planning clinics were established throughout Mexico, nothing in the passage suggests where these clinics were placed.

(C)  The passage never indicates whether women, men, or both women and men were the focus of the family planning campaign. Additionally, the word “solely” is extreme; the passage provides no support for the idea that the campaign targeted only one group of people.

(D)  CORRECT.   The final sentence of the second paragraph indicates that  “the Mexican Senate recently voted to expand public school sex education programs to kindergarten.”  This statement indicates that public school sex education programs already exist; the programs cannot be expanded to include a specific grade level if they don’t exist in the first place.

(E)  The passage states that the campaign was organized around the slogan  “the small family lives better.”  However, there is no indication as to whether the slogan was used only for part of the campaign. From the information in the passage, it is just as reasonable to assume that the slogan is still in use.

Answer: D

ipsameos · Answer

Can someone please explain why Q5 is B, how do we eliminate A?

egmat · Answer

Why B is correct and A is wrong: 
The question asks what the passage  provides evidence to address -  not just what it mentions.

Choice A:  The passage simply  states  the number: "today, the figure is slightly more than  two ."
That's it. No evidence. No reasoning. Just a fact dropped in.

Choice B:  The passage actually  argues  this point with evidence.

Paragraph  3  says:
 "For  two  primary reasons, Mexico's new demographics could greatly impact the number of Mexicans seeking work in the U.S." 
Then it lists: 
 1.  Smaller families limit the pool of potential migrants 
 2.  Slower population growth may foster a middle class content to stay home

Key Distinction: 
 
  STATING  a fact ≠  PROVIDING EVIDENCE  for a claim 
 A is stated; B is argued with reasons

Common trap:  Seeing something mentioned in the passage and assuming that means the passage "provides evidence" for it.

Quick Test:  Does the passage give  REASONS  for this claim?
 
 A → No 
 B → Yes ( two  explicit reasons)  
 Answer: B

kartickdey · Answer

I really could not find where it is mentioned that the the growth rate is 1% in 2005

guddo · Answer

3. The passage indicates all of the following concerning Mexico’s current demographics EXCEPT:

The passage says Mexico’s birth rate has dropped sharply because of a long family-planning campaign. It also says many Mexicans still migrate to the United States, that Mexico’s population growth is slowing, and that a strong middle class is only a possibility for the future.  The key point  is that  slower population growth is not the same as a shrinking population . The passage says growth is diminishing, not that the population is already decreasing.

A. Due to the government’s family-planning campaign, Mexico’s population is currently diminishing.

This is the correct answer because the passage does not say that Mexico’s population is shrinking now. It says Mexico’s population growth is rapidly diminishing. That means the population is growing more slowly, not necessarily falling.

B. On average, Mexican women of a generation ago gave birth to more than twice as many children as do Mexican women today.

This is supported. A generation ago the average was just under seven children, and today it is a little over two. That is clearly more than twice as many.

C. Many Mexicans still migrate to the United States in search of work.

This is supported. The first paragraph says U.S. employers have long relied on Mexican labor and says predictions concern a future decrease, which shows that many still migrate now.

D. As a result of declining birth rates, Mexico’s population is aging.

This is supported indirectly. The passage says Mexico needs a social-security system to protect its aging population, in the context of the demographic shift caused by lower birth rates.

E. A healthy middle class in Mexico has not yet fully developed.

This is supported. The passage says the growth of a healthy middle class is far from a foregone conclusion, so it has not fully developed yet.

Answer: (A)

maioresodit · Answer

What is the tone of the passage? 
I am confused in negative vs a balanced tone as I can see opinion of the author with some kind of predictions and a strong suggestion about the Mexico.

For years, U.S. employers have counted on a steady flow of labor from

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For years, U.S. employers have counted on a steady flow of labor from

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