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anindame
Can someone please explain question 3?


May be i am a little late ,but i will try to explain.

However, Peavy is concerned mostly with exploring the effect of increasing the severity of penalties for any one instance of leaked information, and he devotes only one chapter to an existing structural check on such “information leaks”: as a company specializing in outsourcing assumes more clients, its legal liability will increase with each company that becomes a client,

From the above we can deduce that companies focused on one particular client can withstand the structural check.
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Official Explanation for Q2



The passage describes how two theories relate to outsourcing. His focus is not how these two theories are similar. Indeed, he says that they deal with different aspects of outsourcing. The author does, however, make a connection between these two seemingly disparate studies (“Yet, there is one area in which the recommendations of both theories overlap somewhat.”). In the last couple of sentences of the passage, the author describes this overlap. This points best to (D).

(A) The author does not describe a conflict between the two points of view. He says that they are different, but overlap slightly. Though the way in which they overlap slightly is not exactly similar. One focuses on how diversification can out the outsourcing company and the company work is outsourced to. This observation is not the same as saying the two theories are in conflict.

(B) Neither Morgan or Peavy’s insights can be described as a solution.

(C) This one is the best trap answer. If (C) were the answer, however, the passage would be focused on how the two theories have conclusions that clash. The passage, though, just says that the two theories don’t overlap, except for one small area: diversification. In order to adequately describe that one specific area, the author gives a background on the subject. The very last sentences discuss how Morgan and Peavy focus on different aspects of diversification: Morgan says it hurts the outsourcing company and Peavy that it hurts the company that does outsourced work. These, however, are not contradictory conclusions.

(D) See above.

(E) The author does not discredit either theory.
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Official Explanation for Q1



Relevant text, “Morgan’s aim is to educate corporations engaged in outsourcing so that they choose a firm that specializes in providing one service. This view, however, is somewhat shortsighted, since the long-term trajectory of a company is not always clear and a firm may end up diversifying.”

In other words, a company that presently specializes in one service may end up diversifying in the future. This matches best with (C).

(A) While this answer accurately describes Morgan’s work, it does not describe why he considers a view shortsighted.

(B) reverses the meaning. Morgan is focused on companies that may not be planning to diversify that end up diversifying, not, as this answer states, companies, who plan to diversify but then don’t end up doing so.

(C) See above.

(D) is wrong since no such distinction is mentioned in relation to short-sightedness.

(E) While Morgan does focus on specialized services, it is within the context of companies providing outsourced services becoming less specialized as they diversify.
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Official Explanation for Q3



Relevant text: “devotes only one chapter to an existing structural check on such “information leaks”: as a company specializing in outsourcing assumes more clients, its legal liability will increase with each company that becomes a client, an effect, he notes, that becomes more conspicuous the more a company diversifies.”

Simplified: a company that does outsourced work is more at risk for leaked information the more companies it provides services for.

Anticipating the answer:

The question asks us for the most immune from this outcome. Therefore, an answer choice that describes some company that does outsourcing that limits the number of companies it represents. Ideally, a company to which exactly one company outsources work to.

(A) is tempting. But remember, it is not the number of distinct services that is a factor here, but the number of clients a company doing outsourced work takes on.

(B) is the opposite of what we are looking for. Remember, the question said, “immune”.

(C) The “number of corporations” indicates that there would be a great structural check.

(D) A company’s long-term trajectory does not relate to the issue of structural checks and liability.

(E) Since a company is providing a service for exactly one company, it would be highly immune to the structural check.
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Official Explanation for Q4


Relevant text: “Outsourcing, or the allocation of specific aspects of a corporation to a business entity specializing in those areas, has become such an integral part of a company’s organizational structure that few question outsourcing’s long-term viability. Two recent studies on this topic are no exception”.

Key takeaway: This question is tricky, since the answer could come from anywhere in the passage. Presumably since we are dealing with overlap, we’d expect the relevant text to come at the end. This kind of “trick” is quite common on higher-level questions. So if you find yourself unable to justify an answer based on the text, you might have the wrong part of the passage.

(A) is incorrect since both Peavy and Morgan regard diversification as something that can exercise a negative impact.

(B) The long-term viability of a corporation is not discussed in the passage.

(C) The diversification in the passage is focused on the business entity work that does the outsourced work, not the corporation that outsources work. Notice that throughout the passage “corporation” is only used to refer to the latter.

(D) Both focus on the impact of diversification in business entities that do outsourced work.

(E) See relevant text.
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I did not get this explanation. It is clearly said in the passage C matches best then why is it wrong?
aragonn

Official Explanation for Q4


Relevant text: “Outsourcing, or the allocation of specific aspects of a corporation to a business entity specializing in those areas, has become such an integral part of a company’s organizational structure that few question outsourcing’s long-term viability. Two recent studies on this topic are no exception”.

Key takeaway: This question is tricky, since the answer could come from anywhere in the passage. Presumably since we are dealing with overlap, we’d expect the relevant text to come at the end. This kind of “trick” is quite common on higher-level questions. So if you find yourself unable to justify an answer based on the text, you might have the wrong part of the passage.

(A) is incorrect since both Peavy and Morgan regard diversification as something that can exercise a negative impact.

(B) The long-term viability of a corporation is not discussed in the passage.

(C) The diversification in the passage is focused on the business entity work that does the outsourced work, not the corporation that outsources work. Notice that throughout the passage “corporation” is only used to refer to the latter.

(D) Both focus on the impact of diversification in business entities that do outsourced work.

(E) See relevant text.
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4. According to the passage, which of the following is common to both Peavy’s and Morgan’s studies?

Explanation

  • Both studies focus on improving outsourcing, not questioning its long-term viability.
  • They discuss different aspects of outsourcing, but overlap in one area: both see problems with diversification (Peavy: diversification increases liability for the service provider; Morgan: diversification reduces quality/service for the client).

(A) False, both see problems with diversification, so they don’t “welcome” it.

(B) No, they focus on improving outsourcing, not on outsourcing’s effect on the corporation’s long-term viability.

(C) May be, both explore how diversification in the service provider affects outsourcing. Peavy: diversification increases liability for the provider; Morgan: diversification diminishes quality for the client. So yes, both discuss how diversification in the service-providing company affects outsourcing.

(D) No, both do focus on the impact of diversification on the business entities providing services (Peavy on liability, Morgan on quality).

(E) Yes, neither questions whether outsourcing is beneficial; they assume it is and focus on improving it. This is stated in the first paragraph: “few question outsourcing’s long-term viability” and “both focus on ways in which outsourcing can be improved.”

(C) vs (E):

(C) is about diversification’s effect on outsourcing, both mention diversification, but is that the common element? The passage says “there is one area in which the recommendations of both theories overlap somewhat”, that area is diversification.

(E) is about not questioning outsourcing’s benefit, that’s also common to both.

But the question asks: “According to the passage, which of the following is common to both Peavy’s and Morgan’s studies?”

The first paragraph says both focus on improving outsourcing, not questioning it, (E) fits perfectly.
The overlap section says both see problems with diversification, (C) also fits.

But (C) says “explore the way in which diversification and growth within a corporation can affect outsourcing”, Morgan looks at diversification of the service provider, Peavy also looks at diversification of the service provider. So both discuss diversification’s effect on outsourcing.

However, (E) is directly supported by the opening: “few question... both focus on ways in which outsourcing can be improved.” That’s a clear commonality.

Answer: E
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