MGMAT CAT 2 - RC: Javan rhino (Help!!)

[jlucero]

Human benevolence may prove little better for these rhinos than past human maltreatment.
In this line i understood that human benevolence can prove better for animals than their maltreatment, am i right?-version 1

My doubt is regarding little/a little:
There's little wine left in the bottle. (hardly any wine left)
I've put a little sugar into your coffee (little sugar in coffee)

Little convey a negative meaning.
A little and a few convey a positive meaning.
(http://esl.about.com/od/grammarintermed ... tlefew.htm)

Now in the statement"prove little better " means that it can hardly prove better than human maltreatment- version 2

which one is correct? version 1 or version 2??


another doubt:
I've put a very little sugar into your coffee --1.
I've put very little sugar into your coffee --2.
I've put a little sugar into your coffee --3.
I've put little sugar into your coffee --4.

I think by adding very , very has emphasized on quantity
in 1-- this sugar is very less now
in 2-- this is hardly hadly any sugar (means without very if it was 0.5% now with very , it has reduced further to <0.5%)
so can i say,
2<4<1<3?

First off, little vs a little does emphasize a positive or negative view of the situation, but it doesn't clarify the amount of the difference. When you say 3 vs 4, you could be saying the same amount of sugar was added, but in 4 it sounds as if the reader will need to add more sugar in the coffee.

Very emphasizes amount- "little sugar" vs "very little sugar" implies that the first is great than the second. But your first statement is actually incorrect b/c you would be using very as an adjective rather than an adverb. You could say "I've added a very small AMOUNT of sugar" b/c now very is modifying small (adj), rather than the noun "little" as you did in your example.

Regardless, the issue in this question is not about how much better or worse human benevolence will be for the rhinos. Only that the author holds a negative view of how much better it will be.

[rte.sushil]

Very emphasizes amount- "little sugar" vs "very little sugar" implies that the first is great than the second. But your first statement is actually incorrect b/c you would be using very as an adjective rather than an adverb. You could say "I've added a very small AMOUNT of sugar" b/c now very is modifying small (adj), rather than the noun "little" as you did in your example.

Sorry i got confused when you said 1 is wrong because you would be using very as an adjective rather than an adverb
I've put very little sugar into your coffee --2.
i thought little is adjective modfying noun sugar
and very is modifying little because if very is adjective then "I've put very sugar into your coffee"(removed little) doesn't make sense.
Isn't very small AMOUNT of sugar is same as very little sugar.


Another question: I've put very little sugar into your coffee --2.
so Is 2 is wrong?
very is positive and little (without a) is negative, so wrong sentence, is it?

Thanks!

[tim]

it looks like you've asked three questions here. please correct me if i've overlooked any. for the question without a question mark, i would say the meanings are close enough that it will never make a difference on the GMAT. for your two questions with question marks, they are sufficiently ungrammatical and vague that i cannot determine what exactly you are asking. please try again, and this time make what you are asking clear and grammatically correct. understand that if we are answering questions about grammar that are themselves posed with incorrect grammar, sometimes it's tough to figure out what is actually being asked..

[pnf619]

What would be the difficulty level of this passage? above 650?

[tim]

I've found that the answers to this type of question are almost never useful in preparing someone for the GMAT, so I'll decline to provide a guess as to difficulty level unless you can tell us how you will use that information to better prepare yourself for the GMAT. :)

[rte.sushil]

it looks like you've asked three questions here. please correct me if i've overlooked any. for the question without a question mark, i would say the meanings are close enough that it will never make a difference on the GMAT. for your two questions with question marks, they are sufficiently ungrammatical and vague that i cannot determine what exactly you are asking. please try again, and this time make what you are asking clear and grammatically correct. understand that if we are answering questions about grammar that are themselves posed with incorrect grammar, sometimes it's tough to figure out what is actually being asked..

1st point:
I've put a very little sugar into your coffee --1.

But your first statement is actually incorrect b/c you would be using very as an adjective rather than an adverb. You could say "I've added a very small AMOUNT of sugar" b/c now very is modifying small (adj), rather than the noun "little" as you did in your example.

My reply:
In the sentence, "very" is modifying "little".
Little is adjective and sugar is noun.
Question 1: So why the sentence is incorrect as per in the quote above.
Please explain a little more.

2nd Point:
I have put little sugar in coffee.

Here little emphasize negative view.
Question 2: if i write "I have put very little sugar in coffee" then is this sentence correct? I am not able to understand its clear meaning because "little" emphasize negative meaning and adding very to little (saying "very little") makes it more negative? this means that sugar is not at all enough.

[tim]

I've put a very little sugar into your coffee --1.
In the sentence, "very" is modifying "little".
Little is adjective and sugar is noun.
Question 1: So why the sentence is incorrect as per in the quote above.
Please explain a little more.

I still don't understand what you're asking. The reason this sentence is incorrect is because you've included "a" in front of "very". Get rid of the "a" and all the adjectives and adverbs are fine. I never indicated that there was a problem with your use of "very" in this example. If you're referring to a different example, you'll have to make it clear what you're referring to.

2nd Point:
I have put little sugar in coffee.

Here little emphasize negative view.
Question 2: if i write "I have put very little sugar in coffee" then is this sentence correct? I am not able to understand its clear meaning because "little" emphasize negative meaning and adding very to little (saying "very little") makes it more negative? this means that sugar is not at all enough.

Again, you have given an example that is grammatically incorrect for reasons other than the point you're asking about. "Little" and "very little" are each okay in this context; the sentence just doesn't make sense without an adjective (such as "my" or "the") in front of coffee.

[rte.sushil]

I have put little sugar in the coffee.
Little is used to indicate that "hardly any" for negative meaning.

Another example:
He has few friends.
means hardly any friend.

My question is :
I have put little sugar in the coffee.
it means there is hardly any sugar in coffee or i am saying that there is some sugar in it.

[jlucero]

I have put little sugar in the coffee.
Little is used to indicate that "hardly any" for negative meaning.

Another example:
He has few friends.
means hardly any friend.

My question is :
I have put little sugar in the coffee.
it means there is hardly any sugar in coffee or i am saying that there is some sugar in it.

Since these mean almost identical things, and the question here (or any other question I've seen) doesn't revolve around this issue, there's no use in you spending 9 months trying to figure this out for the GMAT.

[MeghaV725]

Hi,
Can someone please explain the last 3 lines of the passage clearly to me.The word "little" seems to confuse me.

[MeghaV725]

6. The author states that which of the following was most responsible for the near extinction of the Javan rhino?

A. farmers shooting them on sight
B. the separation of Indonesia from the mainland
C. hunters slaughtering thousands
D. current human efforts to save them
E. the cumulative effect of many past human activities

What makes A the correct answer for this question? I believe E is the most apt answer. Please guide.

[Danna]

6. The author states that which of the following was most responsible for the near extinction of the Javan rhino?

A. farmers shooting them on sight
B. the separation of Indonesia from the mainland
C. hunters slaughtering thousands
D. current human efforts to save them
E. the cumulative effect of many past human activities

I also have the same problem...
is A right because farmers shot them for centuries, indicating a long period...?
why the seemingly biased choice A is a better answer than E is? I think E is thorougher...

[750plus]

The author states that which of the following was most responsible for the near extinction of the Javan rhino?

A. farmers shooting them on sight
B. the separation of Indonesia from the mainland
C. hunters slaughtering thousands
D. current human efforts to save them
E. the cumulative effect of many past human activities

Dear Ron,

Please explain why the correct answer is correct here. This question has given me a lot of hard time.

Thank You!

[BhavyaM918]

I found the last line confusing.

When I read the last time "Human benevolence may prove little better for these rhinos than past human maltreatment" I thought that the author is mentioning that humans interfere may prove better as there is hope for survival of the indonesian herd.

After reading the answers, I understood that the line presented a negative attitude towards survival rate.


I feel both meanings are correct. How can we solve this ambiguity?

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

I don't think the sentence is ambiguous, but I can see that it's hard to understand, probably because it's a bit old-fashioned or formal. The key word here is 'little': this can mean 'not much', with a negative emphasis. If you say 'I have little money.' it means that you don't have much money. There's a subtle difference with the phrase 'a little', as in the sentence 'I have a little money.' This also means that you don't have much money, but it has a positive emphasis. I admit that this is a really subtle distinction that's hard for a non-native speaker of English. Take a look here: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/gramma ... -few-a-few

In this passage, we know that humans have treated the rhino species badly in the past; if the new way of protecting them by leaving them on an uninhabited peninsula is 'little better', then the new way isn't much better than the old. Note, however, that the information about the lack of shrubs that the rhinos prefer weakens the idea that they will thrive on the peninsula. Even without understanding the difference between 'little' and 'a little', it may be possible to understand that the passage is pessimistic about the rhinos' future.