Archaeologist: Although thin-walled pottery is better able to resist

Question

Archaeologist: Although thin-walled pottery is better able to resist the damaging effects of thermal stress resulting from being placed over a fire, such pottery is more prone to breaking during transport. We can therefore make predictions about pottery use by a group of people on the basis of a certain lifestyle characteristic of the group.

The archaeologist suggests that a certain type of prediction about a group can be made on the basis of the group having a certain type of characteristic. Indicate in the table, the possible characteristic and prediction that most strongly conform to the archaeologist's suggestion. Make only two selections, one in each column.

ChiranjeevSingh · Accepted Answer

The advantage of thin-walled pots, as given in the passage is that thin-walled pottery is better able to resist the damaging effects of thermal stress resulting   from being placed over a fire  .

If someone uses fire for warmth and protection, can we say that he/she is placing pottery over fire?

I don't think so.

If this option had been "The group uses pottery to heat food over fire", it would have been correct. Of course, then we'll not have the first option since we cannot have two answers.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

The question asks for a possible characteristic of a group and a prediction about the group such that knowledge that the group has the characteristic would support the prediction. The question suggests that the answers for the two response opportunities may be dependent, such that the correctness of the answer for one response opportunity depends on the correctness of the answer for the other.

The evidence from the archeologist might support a prediction that the group uses thin-walled pots, on the basis of the group’s being sedentary rather than nomadic. The evidence might also support the prediction that the group is nomadic rather than sedentary, on the basis of its using thin-walled pots. However, the archaeologist states that a prediction can be made about pottery use. The archaeologist thus most strongly suggests that usage of thin-walled pots by a group can be predicted on the basis of the group’s being sedentary rather than nomadic.

The correct answer are The group is sedentary rather than nomadic and The group uses thin-walled pots.

Apt0810 · Answer

Characteristic: The group is sedentary rather than nomadic, otherwise it would be easily broken

Prediction: The group uses thin-walled pots

Posted from my mobile device

Gemmie · Answer

Let's identify the correct characteristic and prediction:

1. Characteristic:  This should describe the lifestyle of the group.
 2. Prediction:  This should describe the type of pottery they are likely to use based on their lifestyle.

==> Given this information:

1. Characteristic:   The group is sedentary rather than nomadic. 
A sedentary group is less likely to transport pottery frequently, so they are more likely to use thin-walled pottery, which is better at resisting thermal stress but prone to breaking during transport.

2. Prediction:   The group uses thin-walled pots. 
If a group is sedentary, they are more likely to use thin-walled pots due to the reduced risk of breaking during transport and the benefit of better resistance to thermal stress.

---
 Why not the reverse:

Logical Flow:  The original statement logically flows from lifestyle to pottery use. It's easier and more straightforward to predict the type of pottery based on known lifestyle characteristics than to infer lifestyle solely from pottery type. A sedentary lifestyle (cause) leading to the use of thin-walled pots (effect) is a direct application of the archaeologist's reasoning.

Additional Factors:  The use of thin-walled pots alone might not conclusively indicate a sedentary lifestyle since there could be other reasons for using thin-walled pots (e.g., cultural preferences, availability of materials). Predicting the pottery type based on lifestyle is more direct and accounts for the primary reason stated in the argument (resistance to thermal stress vs. transportability).

keshubhturakhia · Answer

There are two defining characteristics given in the option- 1) they are sedentary not nomadic and 2) they use heat for warmth and protection. Since the question says based on the characteristic we can predict the pot type and not the other way around the answer should be thin walled pots and they use heat for warmth and protection. Why?

Because the sentence 1) tells us that that they dont move, so that means they can use any of the pots. The passage only says that movement=better to not use thin walled, but it says nothing about what to do when there is no movement so how can we assume that thin walled is 'better' when we are not moving. If anything it is a neutral choice just like thick walled.

Sentence 2) tells us the presence of warmth is there in the household and so doesnt it subtly say that thin walled would be better as if the thick walled was perhaps even in the vicinity of the heat it could be damaged.

Please help here experts as if anything no answer is definitive and there are holes in both arguments.

Archaeologist: Although thin-walled pottery is better able to resist

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Prediction	Characteristic	Statements
		The group is sedentary rather than nomadic.
		The group has not discovered pottery.
		The group uses thin-walled pots.
		The group uses fire for warmth and protection
		The group uses thick-walled pots.

GMAT Two-part Analysis (TPA) Questions

Archaeologist: Although thin-walled pottery is better able to resist

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