In the past decade, rapid technological progress

[rahul.gmat]

In the past decade, rapid technological progress and a greater demand for high-quality digital imaging have led to dramatic advances in video display technology. The dominant technology currently used in most consumer product displays is the active matrix liquid crystal diode display(LCD).
LCDs apply thin-film transistors (TFTs) of amorphous or polycrystalline silicon sandwiched between two glass plates. The TFTs supply voltage to liquid-crystal-filled cells, or pixels, between the sheets of glass. When hit with an electric charge, the liquid crystals untwist to an exact degree to filter white light generated by a lamp. This filtered light shines directly on the viewing screen or, in the case of projection televisions, is projected through a small chip that acts as a lens. LCDs that are capable of producing color images, such as in televisions and computers, reproduce colors through a process of subtraction, blocking out particular color wavelengths from the spectrum of white light until only the desired color remains. It is the variation of the intensity of light permitted to pass through the matrix of liquid crystals that enables LCD displays to present images full of gradations of different colors.
The nature and functioning of LCD displays present many advantages relative to other display technologies. The amount of power required to untwist the crystals to display images, even dark ones, is much lower than that required for analogous processes using other technologies, such as plasma. The dense array of crystals displays images from computer or other video graphics sources extremely well, with full color detail, no flicker, and no screen burn-in. Moreover, the number of pixels per square inch on an LCD display is typically higher than that for other display technologies, so LCD monitors are particularly good at displaying large amounts of data with exceptional clarity and precision. As a result, LCD TVs are considered the best display platform for video games, high definition television, movie special effects, and other graphics-intensive uses.


The passage indicates that each of the following may be considered an advantage of LCD displays relative to other display technologies EXCEPT
A) they consume less power
B) they generally have more pixels per square inch of the display
C) they are able to display continuous video graphics images with no interruption
D) they reflect a widely adopted standard
E) they represent the latest, most advanced technology

This is a specific question that asks us which answer choice is not indicated in the passage as an advantage of LCD displays relative to other display technologies. In order to answer this question, one must examine each answer choice and determine if it is mentioned in the passage.

(A) The second sentence of the third paragraph reads, "The amount of power required to untwist the crystals to display images, even dark ones, is much lower than that required for analogous processes using other technologies, such as plasma." The passage indicates that LCD displays consume less power than other display technologies.

(B) The fourth sentence of the third paragraph reads, "Moreover, the number of pixels per square inch on an LCD display is typically higher than that for other display technologies, so LCD monitors are particularly good at displaying large amounts of data with exceptional clarity and precision." The passage indicates that LCD displays generally have more pixels per square inch.

(C) The third sentence of the third paragraph reads, "The dense array of crystals displays images from computer or other video graphics sources extremely well, with full color detail, no flicker, and no screen burn-in." The passage indicates that LCD displays can present video graphics images with no flicker or interruption.

(D) The second sentence of the first paragraph reads, "The dominant technology currently used in most consumer product displays is the active matrix liquid crystal diode display (LCD)." The passage indicates that the technology is a widely adopted standard, which would logically have certain advantages (e.g. the technology has been widely tested and is known to work).

(E) CORRECT. While the passage indicates that LCDs are the result of rapid technological progress in the past decade and the dominant technology currently used, the passage does not indicate that LCDs are the most advanced technology. There may be a more cutting edge technology (e.g. LEDs, or Light Emitting Diodes) available for certain applications. Also, the passage does not cite any specific functional advantage to being the latest and most advanced.

(A) (B) (C) are clearly out, but (D) and (E) are real close. Although dominant technology can be synonymous to widely adapted, it dosent imply a widely adopted standard which makes (E) equally could. I am unable to distinguish between why (E) is good and (D) isn;t. Please assist.

[StaceyKoprince]

It is sometimes the case (particularly as questions get harder) that a close wrong answer feels a little fuzzy, or as though you could argue with it - so don't feel badly about struggling with this one!

Essentially, a "widely adopted standard" means something that is in wide use or used in the majority of applicable cases. There is direct support for this in the sentence "The dominant technology currently used in most consumer product displays..."

"The latest, most advanced technology" means there is absolutely nothing newer or more advanced. LCD may be an advanced technology, but it is not necessarily the "latest" and "most advanced." It may be, but there is not direct support for this in the passage. We have to make an assumption that this is the case by assuming that there are no other technologies in development that are newer / more advanced than the one (LCD) in wide use today.

I call answer choice E "Real World Plausible" - it sounds plausible in the real world but there is no direct evidence in the passage that it is true. And the correct answers will be based only upon the information presented in the passage, not what we might know or assume outside of it.

[Seeker]

Hello Stacey,

Even I was stumped by this question. I was convinced that choice E is mentioned in the passage, because of the last sencence in the last paragraph, which is:

"As a result, LCD TVs are considered the best display platform for video games, high definition television, movie special effects, and other graphics-intensive uses."

I thought: Most advanced technology = the best disaply platform

similar to: Most dominant technology = widely adpoted standard

Am I wrong to consider this ?

[JonathanSchneider]

Be careful. There is a difference between "most advanced" and "most dominant." "Most dominant" describes its prevalence in the market. "Most advanced" is more about the science behind the screen. A great time to remember with RC: justify EVERY WORD of your answer choice!