Few people consciously contemplate the drug that they ingest daily in

Question

Few people consciously contemplate the drug that they ingest daily in their morning coffee, afternoon tea, or daily soda. However, many people consume at least some caffeine everyday; in fact, it is the world's most pervasive drug. In the United States alone, consumers spend over 50 billion dollars on caffeinated sodas alone each year. Consumers ingest caffeine in both small and large amounts: from the 25 mg in an average chocolate bar, to the 200 mg in the average cup of brewed coffee.
 
The widespread use of caffeine is distressing to some scientists and medical researchers. Caffeine raises blood pressure, which can in turn lead to higher rates of heart disease. Caffeine is also a diuretic, and can lead to dehydration if consumed in large amounts. Further, some studies have linked caffeine use to increased rates of cancer and osteoporosis, a disorder where calcium is leached from bones.

However, other scientists point to the many benefits of caffeine. The drug can promote alertness and reduce short term fatigue. It also has the ability to fight headache pain and improve mood. These scientists also contend that most of the purported ill effects are minimal. They point out that caffeine does not dehydrate when consumed in small amounts. Further, they suggest that caffeine's effect on blood pressure is temporary, and that the amount of calcium lost from bones could be replaced by the addition of a few tablespoons of milk to one's diet per day.    1 
 1. The author's primary purpose is to

A. argue that caffeine use should be outlawed in the United States 
B. show that caffeine is not a dangerous drug
C. illustrate caffeine's many benefits
D. discuss positive and negative views of caffeine use
E. suggest that caffeine is safe in small doses

2 
 2. The author mentions all of the following as potential benefits of caffeine use EXCEPT

A. increased alertness
B. cancer-fighting properties
C. reduced fatigue
D. improved mood
E. reduced headache pain

3 
 3. With which of the following statements would the scientists mentioned in the third paragraph most likely agree?

A. People who drink an extra glass of milk each day and consume a normal amount of caffeine will not suffer from increased rates of osteoporosis.
B. Everyone who uses caffeine in moderate amounts is safe from heart disease.
C. Caffeine has no major ill effects.
D. A person who consumes a small amount of caffeine in the morning will immediately feel more alert and less tired than someone who foregoes caffeine.
E. Caffeine is a powerful cancer-fighting drug.

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Passage # 287 Date: 21-Jul-2021
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kantapong · Answer

P1: people ingest a lot of caffeine
P2: health risks
P3: Benefits
(The author presents both side, not proposing his thought)
Q1 D
Q2 B
Q3 C

Q3 Infer from P3
A. People who drink an extra glass of milk each day and consume a normal amount of caffeine will not suffer from increased rates of osteoporosis. (can replace lost calcium, not so far as not suffer from osteoporosis)
B. Everyone who uses caffeine in moderate amounts is safe from heart disease. (no mention whether they are actually safe from heart disease)
C. Caffeine has no major ill effects. (YES - most of the purported ills are minimal)
D. A person who consumes a small amount of caffeine in the morning will immediately feel more alert and less tired than someone who foregoes caffeine. ("immediately" is strong word, not just enhancing alertness -> DROP)
E. Caffeine is a powerful cancer-fighting drug. (not mentioned about fighting cancer -> DROP)

ritik1998 · Answer

Can the answer to 3rd question be C ??
As the paragraph clearly mentions - " most of the purported ill effects are minimal"

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

3. With which of the following statements would the scientists mentioned in the third paragraph most likely agree?

Difficulty Level:   700

Analyze the Question Stem:

The words  “most likely agree”  signal that this is an Inference question. Inference questions ask for the answer choice that must be true given what is stated in the passage.

Research the Relevant Text:

The question asks for what the scientists in the third paragraph would agree with, so look at the passage map to determine their point of view. They think that caffeine has benefits and that the supposed drawbacks cited by other scientists aren't that bad. Since this is an open-ended question, further research may be needed based on the choices.

Make a Prediction:

The right answer can't be specifically predicted, but keep these scientists' point of view in mind when evaluating the choices.

Evaluate the Answer Choices:

(A)  is the correct answer; the scientists in the third passage believe that drinking extra milk can offset the calcium loss caused by caffeine.

(B)  and  (C)  are both extreme statements. These scientists believe that most ill effects of caffeine are minimal, but that doesn't mean that all caffeine users are safe from heart disease or that there are no ill effects.

(D)  may be tempting, since, according to these scientists,caffeine can increase alertness and reduce fatigue. However, there's no support for the fact that this would happen "immediately" or that that a caffeine user would be more alert than anyone who hadn't had caffeine.

The scientists mentioned in the third paragraph do not address the cancer causing or fighting properties of caffeine, so  (E)  is unsupported.

Answer: A

TAKEAWAY:  Avoid extreme statements in Inference questions, unless there is extreme support in the passage.

aish7 · Answer

sajjad  but doesn't A also seem extreme "People who drink ... will not suffer from..." there could be few users who might drink coffee and milk and still suffer from osteoporosis?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Remember:  (A) said EXTRA glass of milk but NORMAL amount of caffeine. Hence  (A)  is correct.

AryaSwagat · Answer

I believe option (A) would have been irrefutably correct had it been phrased like this :

A. People who drink an extra glass of milk each day and consume a normal amount of caffeine will not suffer from increased rates of osteoporosis in comparison to those people who take normal amount of caffeine without the extra glass of milk.

and (C) by no means seem extreme to me.

Few people consciously contemplate the drug that they ingest daily in

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Few people consciously contemplate the drug that they ingest daily in

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

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From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards