As the proportion of Australian workers who are self-employed has boom

Question

As the proportion of Australian workers who are self-employed has boomed in the past decade, the topic of wealth creation for freelancers has become much more prevalent in business magazines. A standard maxim among such publications is that a sole proprietor is best off treating her business as a much larger enterprise with a set of core departments, including but not limited to executive, production, human resources, marketing, and finance functions. In effect, the freelancer would devote time and attention to each “department” in order to optimize her chances of success, and would, unaided, create content, advertising campaigns, contracts, and quarterly budgets.

Most freelancers, however, presently operate in the creative realm, encompassing not only traditional arts such as photography and writing but also more technical services such as computer programming and software engineering. Such creative forms of labor demand highly specialized skills. For the creative freelancer, then, whose most valued asset is labor, conceptualizing one’s business in such a fashion risks the dilution of the company’s most important resource: the freelancer’s skills. Distributing one’s labor across platforms is a zero-sum game that may yield positive results in some scenarios but not necessarily all. A  photographer  who spends his time developing a marketing plan may consequently jeopardize his public image by failing to devote sufficient effort to expanding his portfolio via new and high-value artwork. Moreover, because “word of mouth” is typically considered the most powerful means of marketing in a creative industry, the potential benefits of such a trade-off are far from certain.    1 
 1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) describe a current debate taking place among authors of a certain type of literature
(B) attack a particular theory as fundamentally untenable
(C) explain the prevalent theory of a particular business area 
(D) discuss how one principle of business may not be optimal in all cases
(E) contrast two views with respect to a particular business area

2 
 2. According to the passage, which of the following statements about the present-day freelancer population in Australia is true?

(A) It is increasingly preoccupied with the question of how to create more wealth.
(B) The majority of the freelancer population is composed of creative professionals.
(C) Most freelancers are artists. 
(D) Many freelancers see themselves as structurally identical to larger corporations. 
(E) It has redefined the priorities of the publishing industry.

3 
 3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes word of-mouth marketing

(A) is more prevalent in photography than in other industries 
(B) is a form of marketing that requires no work on the freelancer’s part
(C) calls into question the utility of a particular business model 
(D) lends credence to a photographer’s choice to develop a marketing plan
(E) underscores the importance of rejecting a widely held view

4 
 4. The author of the passage mentions the photographer ( Highlighted ) primarily in order to

(A) provide an example of an instance in which the principle being discussed could be problematic 
(B) suggest that, for this category of worker, the principle being discussed is rarely useful 
(C) promote the idea that photography should be viewed as an exception to a general rule 
(D) illustrate that marketing decisions are unique in that they should be considered based upon context 
(E) remind readers that artistic integrity is more important than marketing for a true artist

Sajjad1994 · Accepted Answer

Official Explanation

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

Difficulty Level:   Medium

Explanation

(A)  The first paragraph does say that business magazines recommend that people run themselves like a business. But the contrasting paragraph doesn’t say anything about the magazines. It sounds like the author’s opinion, not a debate among magazine writers.  Eliminate.

(B)  Too strong. The author says only that the theory might not apply to a certain type of freelancer.  Eliminate.

(C)  Prevalent means dominant or the most widespread. Maybe the  “act like a business”  theory is dominant, but this choice entirely misses the contrasting point of view.  Eliminate.

(D)   Yes, this is it . There is this theory, or principle, but it could turn out to be bad for certain people. I think this is it, but I’m going to check the last one to make sure.

(E)  Oh, this one’s tricky. My first thought was that this one is right, too, but now that I’m rereading it…it doesn’t say quite the right thing. It’s not about a particular business area. That would mean, hey, we’re only talking about photographers. Rather, the first group has a theory it thinks applies to everyone, and the author is pointing out that it might not apply to people working in creative fields (emphasis on the plural—many fields!). Eliminate.

The correct answer is (D).

2. According to the passage, which of the following statements about the present-day freelancer population in Australia is true?

Difficulty Level:   Hard

Step 1: Identify the question.

The language according to the passage indicates that this is a Specific Detail question.

Step 2: Find the support.

The passage mentions Australian freelancers in the very first sentence:

“As the proportion of Australian workers who are self-employed has boomed in the past decade, the topic of wealth creation for freelancers has become much more prevalent in business magazines.”

The passage adds additional information about this population at the beginning of the  second paragraph:

“Most freelancers, however, presently operate in the creative realm, encompassing not only traditional arts such as photography and writing but also more technical services such as computer programming and software engineering.”

Step 3: Predict an answer.

In Australia, a higher proportion of self-employed workers are freelancers today than 10 years ago, and most of them work in creative fields.

Step 4: Eliminate and find a match.

(A)  The passage says that business magazines are talking about this more, not that freelancers are becoming preoccupied with the topic.

(B) CORRECT.   The first sentence of the second paragraph indicates this.

(C)  This is a tricky answer! Operating in the creative realm does not necessarily mean that someone is an artist. The title of artist is more narrow than the idea of working in the creative realm in general.

(D)  The passage does not indicate that this is the case.

(E)  While the passage does say that business magazines are writing more about wealth creation for freelancers, no information is provided to say that the priorities of the publishing industry have been redefined.

Answer: B

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes word of-mouth marketing

Difficulty Level:   Hard

Step 1: Identify the question.

The word inferred indicates that this is an Inference question.

Step 2: Find the support.

Word-of-mouth marketing is mentioned at the end of the passage in lines:

“A photographer who spends his time developing a marketing plan may consequently jeopardize his public image by failing to devote sufficient effort to expanding his portfolio via new and high-value artwork. Moreover, because “word of mouth” is typically considered the most powerful means of marketing in a creative industry, the potential benefits of such a trade-off are far from certain.”

Step 3: Predict an answer.

As a photographer contributes to his portfolio, he may gain much wider reach via word-of-mouth marketing. Taking time away from the portfolio to write up a marketing plan might actually hurt this photographer’s business. So the author believes that word-of-mouth marketing could be valuable enough, in some cases, to negate the idea that a freelancer should run himself as a complete business.

Step 4: Eliminate and find a match.

(A)  The photographer is just one example; the author doesn’t compare photography to other industries.

(B)  No, expanding the portfolio is work!

(C) CORRECT.   The author uses this as an example of why the  “run as a business”  theory might not be useful for all freelancers.

(D)  If anything, the opposite! If he’s developing a marketing plan, he might have to take time away from building his portfolio, which would have potentially helped expand his word of mouth.

(E)  This choice goes too far. The author doesn’t completely reject the theory; rather, the author points out that it would not necessarily be the right path for everyone.

Answer: C

4. The author of the passage mentions the photographer (Highlighted) primarily in order to

Difficulty Level:   Medium

Step 1: Identify the question.

The language primarily in order to indicates that this is a Specific Purpose, or Why, question.

Step 2: Find the support .

The photographer is first mentioned later in the second paragraph. Start a sentence or two before, as the answer to a Why question often hinges on the information just prior:

“For the creative freelancer, then, whose most valued asset is labor, conceptualizing one’s business in such a fashion risks the dilution of the company’s most important resource: the
freelancer’s skills. Distributing one’s labor across platforms is a zero-sum game that may yield positive results in some scenarios but not necessarily all. A photographer who spends his time developing a marketing plan may consequently jeopardize his public image by failing to devote sufficient effort to expanding his portfolio via new and high-value artwork.”

Step 3: Predict an answer.

The photographer is an example to illustrate how someone could risk the dilution of   skills and to establish that the  “run as a business”  plan might not work in all scenarios.

Step 4: Eliminate and find a match.

(A) CORRECT.   This is exactly why the example of the photographer is introduced.

(B)  The passage specifically states that the principle may yield positive results in some scenarios but not necessarily all. This language does not match the usage rarely useful.

(C)  The author does not use photography as an exception to the rule. Rather, the author uses this example to illustrate her main point.

(D)  This choice is confusingly worded. Luckily, you can use just the first half to answer: marketing decisions are unique. The passage does not indicate this.

(E)  Some people may believe this, but the passage does not indicate this.

Answer: A

Vie3nrose · Answer

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) describe a current debate taking place among authors of a certain type of literature   --  Incorrect : Passage only describes the "standard maxim" of business magazine publications (that sole proprietors are better off treating business as a larger enterprise). No opposing POV's from other authors are referenced.  
(B) attack a particular theory as fundamentally untenable   --  Incorrect : The author isn't trying to disprove the theory, but merely offering a consideration that exists in the case of creative freelancers  
(C) explain the prevalent theory of a particular business area   --  Incorrect : Paragraph 1 does explain the prevalent theory (in business magazines) for self-employed business owners, but paragraph 2 goes on to explain why this theory isn't optimal for creative freelancers  
(D) discuss how one principle of business may not be optimal in all cases   --  Correct : the author introduces the prevalent business theory for self-employed business owners, but explains why this theory isn't optimal for a particular subset (creative freelancers)  
(E) contrast two views with respect to a particular business area   --  Incorrect : Author isn't contrasting 2 different views, merely calling out an exception within a particular business theory

Question 2

2. According to the passage, which of the following statements about the present-day freelancer population in Australia is true?

(A) It is increasingly preoccupied with the question of how to create more wealth.   --  Incorrect : Incomplete as the paragraph cites wealth creation specifically for freelancers  
(B) The majority of the freelancer population is composed of creative professionals.   --  Correct : First sentence of Paragraph 2 "Most freelancers, however, presently operate in the creative realm". Since the passage starts off with "Australian workers" as the scope, fair to assume this is also true in Australia  
(C) Most freelancers are artists.   --  Incorrect : Paragraph 2 specifically mentions Computer Programming and Software Engineering  
(D) Many freelancers see themselves as structurally identical to larger corporations.   --  Incorrect : Paragraph 1 recommends that freelancers is "best off" treating her business as a larger corporation, but nowhere does it say that many freelancers are actualizing this behaviour  
(E) It has redefined the priorities of the publishing industry.   --  Incorrect : Too extreme, Paragraph 1 mentions it has become a more popular topic in business magazines, but not necessarily that it has redefined industry priorities

Question 3

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes word of-mouth marketing

(A) is more prevalent in photography than in other industries   --  Incorrect : Last sentence states WOM is prevalent in the entire creative industry (not just photography)  
(B) is a form of marketing that requires no work on the freelancer’s part   --  Incorrect : Paragraph 2 gives the example that the photographer should devote effort to high-value art work (which we might infer will result in better WOM, but nonetheless can't assume that WOM requires no work)  
(C) calls into question the utility of a particular business model   --  Correct : if WOM is the most effective marketing for creative freelancers, then any time invested in other marketing efforts (vs maximizing the quality of work with current clients) would actually reduce the freelancer's effectiveness at attracting new clients  
(D) lends credence to a photographer’s choice to develop a marketing plan   --  Incorrect : The author is saying the opposite - that the importance of WOM marketing for freelancers is even less reason for the freelancer to invest time in developing a marketing plan  
(E) underscores the importance of rejecting a widely held view   --  Incorrect : Extreme option; the author isn't necessarily rejecting the entire business theory, just suggesting it may not be optimal for a particular subset of freelancers

Question 4

4. The author of the passage mentions the photographer (Highlighted) primarily in order to

(A) provide an example of an instance in which the principle being discussed could be problematic   --  Correct : the photographer is raised as an example within the creative freelancer industry to illustrate why the business theory outlined in the first paragraph may not be optimal  
(B) suggest that, for this category of worker, the principle being discussed is rarely useful   --  Incorrect : The author isn't necessarily saying that marketing plans are usually useless to photographers. Instead, it's suggested that even if marketing plans might be useful, creative freelancers can attract clients even more effectively in other ways (i.e. high value artwork)  
(C) promote the idea that photography should be viewed as an exception to a general rule   --  Incorrect : Photographers are discussed as an example of creative freelancers (which as a whole should be viewed as an exception to the prevalent business theory)  
(D) illustrate that marketing decisions are unique in that they should be considered based upon context   --  Incorrect : Marketing was used as a specific example to illustrate the larger argument that by distributing one’s labor across platforms, the freelancer is diluting their most important asset (their core skill)  
(E) remind readers that artistic integrity is more important than marketing for a true artist   --  Incorrect : Passage is concerned with how freelancers can optimize their chance of business success (not artistic integrity)

Tahamohsin · Answer

Sajjad1994

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to 
 The main point is Distributing one’s labor across platforms is a zero-sum game that may yield positive results in some scenarios but not necessarily all.

(A) describe a current debate taking place among authors of a certain type of literature There is no debate going on among the authors 
(B) attack a particular theory as fundamentally untenable  Author never state that  distributing one's labor theory  as fundamentally untenable. Instead, the author states that distributing one’s labor across platforms may yield positive results in some scenarios but not necessarily all.  
(C) explain the  prevalent theory  of a particular business area .  This theory is not prevalent theory. 
(D) discuss how one principle of business may not be optimal in all cases.  Correct 
(E) contrast two views with respect to a particular business area  The author doesn't talk about two contrasting theories.

2. According to the passage, which of the following statements about the present-day freelancer population in Australia is true?  
 This Specific detail question is tough one.

(A) It is increasingly preoccupied with the question of how to create more wealth.  The author stated that the topic of how to create more wealth is prevalent in the business magazine, but the author never stated that this is popular with freelancers. 
(B) The majority of the freelancer population is composed of creative professionals.   In the first sentence of the second paragraph the author stated this. 
(C) Most freelancers are artists.  The passage never stated that most freelancers are artists.   
(D) Many freelancers see themselves as structurally identical to larger corporations.   The passage never stated this 
(E) It has redefined the priorities of the publishing industry.   redefined the priorities of the publishing industry  is out of scope.

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes word-of-mouth marketing 
 A photographer who spends his time developing a marketing plan may consequently jeopardize his public image by failing to devote sufficient effort to expanding his portfolio via new and high-value artwork. Moreover, because “word of mouth” is typically considered the most powerful means of marketing in a creative industry, the potential benefits of such a trade-off are far from certain.

(A) is more prevalent in photography than in other industries  The passage didn't state that  "word of mouth"  is more prevalent in photography than in other industries 
(B) is a form of marketing that requires no work on the freelancer’s part  wrong 
(C) calls into question the utility of a particular business model  The author uses this sentence-  “word of mouth” is typically considered the most powerful means of marketing in a creative industry, the potential benefits of such a trade-off are far from certain - to substantiate her main point that Distributing one’s labor across platforms is a zero-sum game  So the author must be believing that word-of-mouth marketing  calls into question the utility of a particular business model  
(D) lends credence to a photographer’s choice to develop a marketing plan Out of scope 
(E) underscores the importance of rejecting a widely held view  The passage never stated that this is  a Widely held view

4. The author of the passage mentions the photographer ( Highlighted ) primarily in order to 
 The author uses the example of "the photographer" to illustrate that Distributing one’s labor across platforms is a zero-sum game that may yield positive results in some scenarios but not necessarily all.  
(A) provide an example of an instance in which the principle being discussed could be problematic Correct  
(B) suggest that, for this category of worker, the principle being discussed is rarely useful  Out of scope 
(C) promote the idea that photography should be viewed as an exception to a general rule Out of scope 
(D) illustrate that marketing decisions are unique in that they should be considered based upon context  Out of scope 
(E) remind readers that artistic integrity is more important than marketing for a true artist Out of scope

callmeDP · Answer

As the proportion of Australian workers who are self-employed has boomed in the past decade, the topic of wealth creation for freelancers has become much more prevalent in business magazines. A standard maxim among such publications is that a sole proprietor is best off treating her business as a much larger enterprise with a set of core departments, including but not limited to executive, production, human resources, marketing, and finance functions. In effect, the freelancer would devote time and attention to each “department” in order to optimize her chances of success, and would, unaided, create content, advertising campaigns, contracts, and quarterly budgets.

Most freelancers, however, presently operate in the creative realm, encompassing not only traditional arts such as photography and writing but also more technical services such as computer programming and software engineering. Such creative forms of labor demand highly specialized skills. For the creative freelancer, then, whose most valued asset is labor, conceptualizing one’s business in such a fashion risks the dilution of the company’s most important resource: the freelancer’s skills. Distributing one’s labor across platforms is a zero-sum game that may yield positive results in some scenarios but not necessarily all. A  photographer  who spends his time developing a marketing plan may consequently jeopardize his public image by failing to devote sufficient effort to expanding his portfolio via new and high-value artwork. Moreover, because “word of mouth” is typically considered the most powerful means of marketing in a creative industry, the potential benefits of such a trade-off are far from certain.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(C) explain the prevalent theory of a particular business area -  Throughout the passage the author an explanation tone.

2. According to the passage, which of the following statements about the present-day freelancer population in Australia is true?

(B) The majority of the freelancer population is composed of creative professionals.

Most freelancers, however, presently operate in the creative realm

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes word of-mouth marketing

(A) is more prevalent in photography than in other industries 
 Moreover, because “word of mouth” is typically considered the most powerful means of marketing in a creative industry,

By creative industry author means photography.

4. The author of the passage mentions the photographer ( Highlighted ) primarily in order to

(E) remind readers that artistic integrity is more important than marketing for a true artist

risks the dilution of the company’s most important resource: the freelancer’s skills

Ekens · Answer

The first paragraph talks about a "standard Maxim" and it's effect on the freelancer. Then the 2nd paragraph talks about the limitations of this Maxim ie how it's not applicable to certain areas.
1) D. Option A is wrong because no debate currently taken place that is discussed in the passage.
B is wrong because the author does not say the Maxim cannot last long.
C is wrong because, while the prevalent theory (the Maxim) is explained in the first paragraph, it ignores the information in the 2nd paragraph.
E is wrong because the passage neither discusses nor contrast 2 views.

Question 2: We are told that most freelancers currently operate in the creative realm. Option B says the majority (most) of the freelancer population is composed of creative professionals. A is wrong because we are not told that it's the freelancer who must create wealth. C is wrong because we are told that some freelancers are into computer programming. D: we have no information about freelancers seeing themselves as identical to large organizations.
E:again no where in the passage can we find detail supporting this.

Question 3: the author mentions "word of mouth" preceded by "moreover" in a way that means an additional reason for the idea engendering positive as well as negative effects. So I think C is right. Options A, B, D & E do not have this idea.

Question 4: we're asked basically why the author mentions "photographer". Looking at the sentence before this, the author is discussing the idea of positive and negative effects of freelancers distributing their labor across various platforms. Also, we know this is a problem with the idea so option A correlates with that. B:the author already says that it has positive results in certain areas so it can't be rarely useful.
C:"photographer" is used as an example for the previous point, nothing is said about it being an anomaly.
D:this looks reasonable but the author's idea in the previous sentence isn't that marketing ideas are unique in certain contexts. 
E: no indication that artistic integrity is more relevant for the true artist. Also, not all freelancers are artist, some of them are computer programmers.

Posted from my mobile device

RashmikaAnegama · Answer

1 D discuss how one principle of business may not be optimal in all cases
It clearly explains this by giving the example of photographer(highlighted)

2 B the 2nd paragraph clearly mentions that majority of the freelancers are creative professionals.
 
3 C questioning "word of mouth" marketing as it has fewer potential benefits

4 A It states that when photographer spends his time to create a marketing plan, he is making lesser time for his own skill development.

IMO, D,B,C,A.

KART0506 · Answer

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) describe a current debate taking place among authors of a certain type of literature-Incorrect , there is no debate over any topic.
(B) attack a particular theory as fundamentally untenable-Incorrect
(C) explain the prevalent theory of a particular business area
(D) discuss how one principle of business may not be optimal in all cases- Correct  
(E) contrast two views with respect to a particular business area- Incorrect

2. According to the passage, which of the following statements about the present-day freelancer population in Australia is true?

(A) It is increasingly preoccupied with the question of how to create more wealth.
(B) The majority of the freelancer population is composed of creative professionals.Correct
(C) Most freelancers are artists.
(D) Many freelancers see themselves as structurally identical to larger corporations.
(E) It has redefined the priorities of the publishing industry.
3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes word of-mouth marketing

(A) is more prevalent in photography than in other industries
(B) is a form of marketing that requires no work on the freelancer’s part
(C) calls into question the utility of a particular business model
(D) lends credence to a photographer’s choice to develop a marketing plan- Correct , the author believes word of a mouth is a powerful tool in marketing , hence suggests to the author.
 (E) underscores the importance of rejecting a widely held view
4. The author of the passage mentions the photographer (Highlighted) primarily in order to

(A) provide an example of an instance in which the principle being discussed could be problematic-Correct
(B) suggest that, for this category of worker, the principle being discussed is rarely useful
(C) promote the idea that photography should be viewed as an exception to a general rule
(D) illustrate that marketing decisions are unique in that they should be considered based upon context
(E) remind readers that artistic integrity is more important than marketing for a true artist

Neha2404 · Answer

Imo-C

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) describe a current debate taking place among authors of a certain type of literature- in passage author has not mentioned any debate —incorrect 
(B) attack a particular theory as fundamentally untenable - author tone is neutral no attack and criticism—-incorrect 
(C) explain the prevalent theory of a particular business area —
Correct

As the proportion of Australian workers who are self-employed has boomed in the past decade, the topic of wealth creation for freelancers has become much more prevalent in business magazines
It is mentioned in above lines 
(D) discuss how one principle of business may not be optimal in all cases- not mentioned any principle of business 
Author described a business practice in a past decade 
(E) contrast two views with respect to a particular business area- no two view is present in passage -incorrect

Imo-B
2. According to the passage, which of the following statements about the present-day freelancer population in Australia is true?

Most freelancers, however, presently operate in the creative realm, encompassing not only traditional arts such as photography and writing but also more technical services such as computer programming and software engineering. - 
Author mention that presently most of Freelancer operate in creative services

(A) It is increasingly preoccupied with the question of how to create more wealth.- not mentioned in passage 
(B) The majority of the freelancer population is composed of creative professionals.- correct it is stated in above mentioned line
(C) Most freelancers are artists. -No they are artists in traditional 
(D) Many freelancers see themselves as structurally identical to larger corporations. - irrelevant 
(E) It has redefined the priorities of the publishing industry.-not mentioned

Imo-D
3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes word of-mouth marketing

A photographer who spends his time developing a marketing plan may consequently jeopardize his public image by failing to devote sufficient effort to expanding his portfolio via new and high-value artwork. Moreover, because “word of mouth” is typically considered the most powerful means of marketing in a creative industry, the potential benefits of such a trade-off are far from certain.

Author said that author
Photographer involved in developing marketing plan——-fail to devote efforts———potential benefit may be not positive

In above passage line author says 
(A) is more prevalent in photography than in other industries ——we dont no about other industries-Extreme 
(B) is a form of marketing that requires no work on the freelancer’s part- irrelevant 
(C) calls into question the utility of a particular business model -irrelevant 
(D) lends credence to a photographer’s choice to develop a marketing plan -correct 
(E) underscores the importance of rejecting a widely held view - not any view is mentioned

Imo-A
4.The author of the passage mentions the photographer (Highlighted) primarily in order to

lA photographer who spends his time developing a marketing plan may consequently jeopardize his public image by failing to devote sufficient effort to expanding his portfolio via new and high-value artwork.

(A) provide an example of an instance in which the principle being discussed could be problematic -
Correct 
(B) suggest that, for this category of worker, the principle being discussed is rarely useful -no suggestions authors tone is neutral 
(C) promote the idea that photography should be viewed as an exception to a general rule -incorrect 
(D) illustrate that marketing decisions are unique in that they should be considered based upon context -incorrect 
(E) remind readers that artistic integrity is more important than marketing for a true artist- not mentioned about importance of artists intregrity

Posted from my mobile device

BIDJI23 · Answer

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) describe a current debate taking place among authors of a certain type of literature
 Out of the topic 
(B) attack a particular theory as fundamentally untenable
 There is no attack from the author 
(C) explain the prevalent theory of a particular business area
 Yes. But this is a small part of the text. By far this is not the primary purpose 
(D) discuss how one principle of business may not be optimal in all cases
 Yes. One principle is discussed. But the author explains that this is not always optimal for the freelancer 
(E) contrast two views with respect to a particular business area
 There is no battle of opinion here.

1-->D

2. According to the passage, which of the following statements about the present-day freelancer population in Australia is true?

(A) It is increasingly preoccupied with the question of how to create more wealth.
 I think this is a maybe preoccupation for some of them. But not an increasing one. This is not always true 
(B) The majority of the freelancer population is composed of creative professionals.
 That's what the text tells us:"Most freelancers, however, presently operate in the creative realm".  
(C) Most freelancers are artists.
 No. The scope is too small 
(D) Many freelancers see themselves as structurally identical to larger corporations.
 Do they see themselves like this? Not sure 
(E) It has redefined the priorities of the publishing industry.
 Out scope 
 
2-->B

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes word-of-mouth marketing

(A) is more prevalent in photography than in other industries
 I think this is not said in the text 
(B) is a form of marketing that requires no work on the freelancer’s part
 We can suppose that this is true. Why? Because the author compares the time needed to develop a marketing strategy and word-of-month, which is presented as a contrast versus the marketing strategy (especially in terms of time invested). 
(C) calls into question the utility of a particular business model
 This is not the business model that is called into questio n
(D) lends credence to a photographer’s choice to develop a marketing plan
 I do not think so. 
(E) underscores the importance of rejecting a widely held view
 Out of scope

3-->B
 
4. The author of the passage mentions the photographer (Highlighted) primarily in order to

(A) provide an example of an instance in which the principle being discussed could be problematic
 This is an example. Yes. To illustrate the principle being discussed and inferred that this could be a problem. I keep it. 
(B) suggest that, for this category of worker, the principle being discussed is rarely useful
 Rarely useful. Not it's far from certain. different meaning. 
(C) promote the idea that photography should be viewed as an exception to a general rule
 No at all 
(D) illustrate that marketing decisions are unique in that they should be considered based upon context
 Sounds good. But I do not think that the idea of context is introduced. So after hesitating, I do not choose this one. 
(E) remind readers that artistic integrity is more important than marketing for a true artist
 Not at all the idea that integrity is in jeopardy when marketing is at stake.

4-->A

Pankaj0901 · Answer

As the proportion of Australian workers who are self-employed has boomed in the past decade, the topic of wealth creation for freelancers has become much more prevalent in business magazines. A standard maxim among such publications is that a sole proprietor is best off treating her business as a much larger enterprise with a set of core departments, including but not limited to executive, production, human resources, marketing, and finance functions. In effect, the freelancer would devote time and attention to each “department” in order to optimize her chances of success, and would, unaided, create content, advertising campaigns, contracts, and quarterly budgets.

Most freelancers, however, presently operate in the creative realm, encompassing not only traditional arts such as photography and writing but also more technical services such as computer programming and software engineering. Such creative forms of labor demand highly specialized skills. For the creative freelancer, then, whose most valued asset is labor, conceptualizing one’s business in such a fashion risks the dilution of the company’s most important resource: the freelancer’s skills. Distributing one’s labor across platforms is a zero-sum game that may yield positive results in some scenarios but not necessarily all. A  photographer  who spends his time developing a marketing plan may consequently jeopardize his public image by failing to devote sufficient effort to expanding his portfolio via new and high-value artwork. Moreover, because “word of mouth” is typically considered the most powerful means of marketing in a creative industry, the potential benefits of such a trade-off are far from certain.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) describe a current debate taking place among authors of a certain type of literature
(B) attack a particular theory as fundamentally untenable
(C) explain the prevalent theory of a particular business area 
(D) discuss how one principle of business may not be optimal in all cases
(E) contrast two views with respect to a particular business area
 
Answer: D IMO
A- There is no debate taking place here
B- It is too strong a claim.
C- Owner does explain a theory on business by creative professionals. - Hold
D- This seems as the primary purpose of the passage. Better option than C.
E- There are no 2 contrasting views.

2. According to the passage, which of the following statements about the present-day freelancer population in Australia is true?

(A) It is increasingly preoccupied with the question of how to create more wealth.
(B) The majority of the freelancer population is composed of creative professionals.
(C) Most freelancers are artists. 
(D) Many freelancers see themselves as structurally identical to larger corporations. 
(E) It has redefined the priorities of the publishing industry.
 
Answer B IMO
Paragraph 2, first line states the same.

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes word of-mouth marketing

(A) is more prevalent in photography than in other industries 
(B) is a form of marketing that requires no work on the freelancer’s part
(C) calls into question the utility of a particular business model 
(D) lends credence to a photographer’s choice to develop a marketing plan
(E) underscores the importance of rejecting a widely held view
 
Answer E IMO
A- Author gives example of photography. Not sure if this can be inferred directly.
B- Wrong
C- "a particular business model"- no business model is mentioned in the passage.
D- irrelevant
E- Correct

4. The author of the passage mentions the photographer ( Highlighted ) primarily in order to

(A) provide an example of an instance in which the principle being discussed could be problematic 
(B) suggest that, for this category of worker, the principle being discussed is rarely useful 
(C) promote the idea that photography should be viewed as an exception to a general rule 
(D) illustrate that marketing decisions are unique in that they should be considered based upon context 
(E) remind readers that artistic integrity is more important than marketing for a true artist   
 
Answer A IMO
A- correct. A photograph would not be able to dedicate his time on creating quality photographs as he would be focussing on other aspects of managing business such as marketing etc.
All other options are irrelevant.

rocky620 · Answer

Para1:  Discuss the boom of self employment in Australia and its effects.
 Para2:  Discuss the limitations and risk associated with Freelancing.

IMO D, B, E, A

Deepakjhamb · Answer

Q1. The primary purpose of the passage is to SOLUTION 1: Answer is d) discuss how one principle of business may not be optimal in all cases Explanation : Lets eliminate other options : (A) describe a current debate taking place among authors of a certain type of literature There is no debate taking place among others just that they believe in a standard maxim (B)attack a particular theory as fundamentally untenable this is too strong a language and author is limited in his critique and tone is towards may yield positive in some cases but not necessary all (C) explain the prevalent theory of a particular business area author is not explaining the theory in particular business area rather he is discussing how it may not be applicable in all cases D)discuss how one principle of business may not be optimal in all cases So the principle that a sole proprietor is best off treating her business as a much larger enterprise with a set of core departments, including but not limited to executive, production, human resources, marketing, and finance functions -it being optimal is being discussed E)contrast two views with respect to a particular business area there are no two views on which debate is happening 2. According to the passage, which of the following statements about the present-day freelancer population in Australia is true? solution :answer is b) The majority of the freelancer population is composed of creative professionals. lets eliminate other options : A) It is increasingly preoccupied with the question of how to create more wealth this is not what present freelancers are preoccupied with - this is just a recycled language of magazines discussing more on wealth creation topic by freelancers b)The majority of the freelancer population is composed of creative professionals. Most freelancers, however, presently operate in the creative realm. so we can infer this from this quote in second paragraph (C) Most freelancers are artists. encompassing not only traditional arts such as photography and writing but also more technical services such as computer programming and software engineering. so this clearly does not in anyway state that freelancers are mostly artist (D) Many freelancers see themselves as structurally identical to larger corporations this is no where stated in passage so out of scope (E) It has redefined the priorities of the publishing industry passage is just saying that freelancer pop. in Australia boomed in the past decade so the topic of wealth creation for freelancers has become much more prevalent in business magazines. - this in no way means that present day freelance population has redefined the priorities of publishing industry. 3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes word of-mouth marketing solution answer

C) calls into question the utility of a particular business model lets eliminate other options : (A) is more prevalent in photography than in other industries author questions utility of the investing time in marketing plan by photographer when word of mouth is most powerful means in creative realm b) is a form of marketing that requires no work on the freelancer’s part this cannot be inferred that it requires no work on part of freelancer as this is extreme language again c)calls into question the utility of a particular business model definitely since its most powerful method in creative realm it questions why photographer spends time on developing marketing plan and hence questions the maxim may not be optimal in all cases. d) lends credence to a photographer’s choice to develop a marketing plan its Reversal opposite to facts in passage e) underscores the importance of rejecting a widely held view this is strong language again, author only questions that potential benefits are far from certain so nowhere it can be used to infer the language of rejection of the maxim under consideration 4. The author of the passage mentions the photographer (Highlighted) primarily in order to solution :answer is (A) provide an example of an instance in which the principle being discussed could be problematic lets eliminate answer choices: a) provide an example of an instance in which the principle being discussed could be problematic yes this looks suitable as whole motive here of author was to explain previous line-Distributing one’s labor across platforms is a zero-sum game that may yield positive results in some scenarios but not necessarily all. b)suggest that, for this category of worker, the principle being discussed is rarely useful actually category of worker is not the one which author wants to highlight but an instance where the principle/maxim could not being applied to c) promote the idea that photography should be viewed as an exception to a general rule this not to just rule out photography as an exception but one example of instance where maxim cannot be applied d)illustrate that marketing decisions are unique in that they should be considered based upon context marketing is not the topic which author wants to highlight exactly through this example e) remind readers that artistic integrity is more important than marketing for a true artist this is not the purpose, the actual purpose is to quote an example of instance where maxim could be problematic

hientranzx · Answer

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) describe a current debate taking place among authors of a certain type of literature
(B) attack a particular theory as fundamentally untenable
(C) explain the prevalent theory of a particular business area
 (D) discuss how one principle of business may not be optimal in all cases 
 1st paragraph: Introduce the topic: Freelancer in Australia
2nd: HOWEVER, it won't be successful all the time 
(E) contrast two views with respect to a particular business area

2. According to the passage, which of the following statements about the present-day freelancer population in Australia is true?

(A) It is increasingly preoccupied with the question of how to create more wealth.
 (B) The majority of the freelancer population is composed of creative professionals. 
 Most freelancers, however, presently operate in the creative realm 
(C) Most freelancers are artists.
(D) Many freelancers see themselves as structurally identical to larger corporations.
(E) It has redefined the priorities of the publishing industry.

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes word of-mouth marketing

(A) is more prevalent in photography than in other industries
(B) is a form of marketing that requires no work on the freelancer’s part
 (C) calls into question the utility of a particular business model 
 the potential benefits of such a trade-off are far from certain. 
(D) lends credence to a photographer’s choice to develop a marketing plan
(E) underscores the importance of rejecting a widely held view

4. The author of the passage mentions the photographer (Highlighted) primarily in order to

(A) provide an example of an instance in which the principle being discussed could be problematic 
(B) suggest that, for this category of worker, the principle being discussed is rarely useful
(C) promote the idea that photography should be viewed as an exception to a general rule
(D) illustrate that marketing decisions are unique in that they should be considered based upon context
(E) remind readers that artistic integrity is more important than marketing for a true artist

As the proportion of Australian workers who are self-employed has boom

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As the proportion of Australian workers who are self-employed has boom

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