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

[priyankur.saha]

Measuring more than five feet tall and ten feet long, the Javan rhinoceros is often called the rarest large mammal on earth. None exist in zoos. Like the Indian rhino, the Javan has only one horn; African and Sumatran rhinos have two. While the Javan rhino habitat once extended across southern Asia, now there are fewer than one hundred of the animals in Indonesia and under a dozen in Vietnam. Very little is known about Javan rhinos because they lead secretive and solitary lives in remote jungles. Until recently, scientists debated whether females even have horns, and most scientific work has had to rely on DNA garnered from dung.
The near extinction of the Javan rhino is the direct result of human actions. For centuries, farmers, who favored the same habitat, viewed them as crop eating pests and shot them on sight. During the colonial period, hunters slaughtered thousands. Now, human efforts to save them may well prove futile. The Vietnamese herd is probably doomed, as too few remain to maintain the necessary genetic variation. Rhinos from Java cannot supplement the Vietnamese numbers because in the millions of years since Indonesia separated from the mainland, the two groups have evolved into separate sub-species. In Indonesia, the rhinos are protected on the Ujung Kulon peninsula, which is unsettled by humans, and still have sufficient genetic diversity to have a chance at survival. Ironically, however, the lack of human disturbance allows mature forests to replace the shrubby vegetation the animals prefer. Thus, human benevolence may prove little better for these rhinos than past human maltreatment.

1. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A Javan rhinos are one of the most endangered animals on the planet.
B More is known about the genetics of the Javan rhino than is known about its mating patterns.
C Hunters killed more Javan rhinos in Vietnam than in Indonesia.
D Most animal extinctions are the result of human actions.
E Genetic diversity is the most important factor for the survival of a species.



Can anybody suggest me that how to tackle this kind of broad questions on exam? In my second CAT test I did all inference (except this one) type RC questions correct but while I saw this question I felt that I had no clue and probably I would have to evade through the entire paragraph. Finally I tried blunt guessing and selected wrong answer!!

My question is how to relate each answer with the passage considering questions are inference type? How much time I should allocate to do this question? I took 1min and 19 seconds for this question.

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

[JonathanSchneider]

Inference questions are tricky, but once you get the hang of them, they're great. Basically, you just need to choose an inference that is totally provable (with no assumptions) from the text. In most cases this simply requires connecting the dots between two pieces of given info. This question throws in an additional difficulty in that we are not asked to infer something about a specific part of the text, but rather to infer something in general. Thus, we have to be flexible and search throughout the whole passage. As a result, feel free to take a little extra time with a question like this. Instead of the normal 1 minute, take maybe 1.5 However, if you've done a good job understanding the structure of the passage on your first read through it, you should be able to find the specific areas mentioned in each of the five answer choices relatively quickly. From there, you just need to eliminate all the wrong choices.

[priyankur.saha]

Thank you Jonathan for suggestion.

In that case I have to pick the anchor text from answer choice and then I can validate in passage to test the inference.

I am trying to approach in this way:
A Javan rhinos are one of the most endangered animals on the planet.
- this is too extreme because passage talked about only Java Rhino
B More is known about the genetics of the Javan rhino than is known about its mating patterns.
Mating pattern is not mentioned in passage
C Hunters killed more Javan rhinos in Vietnam than in Indonesia.
- I looked at second para for this but did not find any comparison - still kept it hold
D Most animal extinctions are the result of human actions.
- Same as A: this is too extreme because passage talked about only Java Rhino
E Genetic diversity is the most important factor for the survival of a species.
- Genetic Diversity mentioned two times in second para "sufficient genetic diversity to have a chance at survival". at the time of exam I did not look at this answer closely and missed it. This is clearer then C. Hence answer

Let me know if you have any further point to add on it or you have any other good approach to nail it.

Thank you.

[JonathanSchneider]

Nope, looks like you've got the hang of it. Just remember: when making an inference, no assumptions.

[nakul_anand]

The author’s attitude toward current human efforts to save the Javan rhino can best be described as

(A) optimistic and worthwhile
(B) pointless and doomed
(C) idealistic but profitable
(D) problematic and ironic
(E) confused but heroic

I understand that the 8th line in the second paragaph mentions 'Ironically' which justifies choice (D).

But doesn't (B) also look right? The 3rd sentence in the second paragraph says that the human efforts may prove to be futile. Isn't that indicating 'pointless'?

[RonPurewal]

The author’s attitude toward current human efforts to save the Javan rhino can best be described as

(A) optimistic and worthwhile
(B) pointless and doomed
(C) idealistic but profitable
(D) problematic and ironic
(E) confused but heroic

I understand that the 8th line in the second paragaph mentions 'Ironically' which justifies choice (D).

But doesn't (B) also look right? The 3rd sentence in the second paragraph says that the human efforts may prove to be futile. Isn't that indicating 'pointless'?

that's not what "pointless" means.
"pointless" means that there is absolutely no purpose whatsoever in making the effort. i.e., the effort has a 0% chance of success.
same for "doomed".

note that every statement in that paragraph is qualified: may prove to be this, may turn out to be that. there is nothing to justify a description as absolute as "pointless" or "doomed".

[gmatprep14]

Hi Ron

How do you justify problematic and ironic

I chose pointless and doomed but later realized that it is too strong a tone .

This is what MGMAT says about the choice

D) CORRECT. The discussion of the mixed results and poor prognosis for the population in Vietnam justifies "problematic." The last sentence of the passage, observing that benevolence has proved little better than maltreatment justifies "ironic." Also, the author references the ironic quality of human protection of the Javan rhino in the 8th sentence in the 2nd paragraph, "Ironically, however, the lack of human disturbance allows mature forests to replace the shrubby vegetation the animals prefer."

I am not convinced with this explanation.
It is ironic that the lack of human disturbance is helping the animal . But can you say that the author's attitude toward current human efforts is ironic ?

Similarly for problematic, Passage says that farmers used to shot the animal. How can you conclude something about current human efforts from this statement ?

Please clarify.

[tim]

Well, if you don't like the idea that an author's attitude can be problematic, you should really be baffled by "pointless and doomed". Regardless of the context of the passage, an attitude CAN be considered problematic or ironic. I'm having trouble thinking of any situation where someone's attitude can be considered pointless or doomed. :) I think the best way to look at this one is to say that the author feels the conservation efforts are X and Y, but if you interpret X and Y as applying to the attitude itself then "pointless and doomed" is even more clearly not the right choice..

Hi Ron

How do you justify problematic and ironic
[...]
It is ironic that the lack of human disturbance is helping the animal . But can you say that the author's attitude toward current human efforts is ironic ?

Similarly for problematic, Passage says that farmers used to shot the animal. How can you conclude something about current human efforts from this statement ?

Please clarify.

[krishnakumarhod]

1. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A Javan rhinos are one of the most endangered animals on the planet.
B More is known about the genetics of the Javan rhino than is known about its mating patterns.
C Hunters killed more Javan rhinos in Vietnam than in Indonesia.
D Most animal extinctions are the result of human actions.

E Genetic diversity is the most important factor for the survival of a species.

My thoughts

I feel the choice E is very generalised and strogly worded "The most important factor" is very strongly worded.If it has been worded as "One of the most" then i think the answer choice would have been better

[StaceyKoprince]

krishna, I agree with your reasoning - and E, in fact, is not the correct answer to this question.

What do you think the correct answer is?

[rahultmac29]

Hi Stacey,
I picked B as the answer, more on a gut feeling than anything else.
The reasons why I discounted C,D,E as choices I have mentioned below. Is my reasoning correct for these choices?
But how should I have gone about ascertaining an answer between A and B?

A. Javan rhinos are one of the most endangered animals on the planet. -- Passage mentions 'Javan rhinoceros is often called the rarest large mammal on earth.'
B. More is known about the genetics of the Javan rhino than is known about its mating patterns. -- Passage talks about the use of dung to know more about the rhino. Hence we know a lot about the genetic side of the Rhino... But mating is not mentioned.
C. Hunters killed more Javan rhinos in Vietnam than in Indonesia. -- Although the passage mentions effect of hunters we cannot conclude anything about the disparity in the number of killings.
D. Most animal extinctions are the result of human actions. -- Too extreme
E. Genetic diversity is the most important factor for the survival of a species. -- The use of MOST makes this option incorrect.

Also what is the OA?

[mehtamaulikd]

E option in the inference question is too broad when it says that it is the most important....hence should not be selected acc to me B is correct.....and is also an inference that if u do not know how many horns a female has...means the female has not been seen...hence mating is out of the question...
Thus, B is the answer...

[omer_yarkowich]

Hi Stacey,

Also what is the OA?

B - More is known about the genetics of the Javan rhino than is known about its mating patterns.

[mschwrtz]

Yup. Not crazy about this one, but consider,

Very little is known about Javan rhinos because they lead secretive and solitary lives in remote jungles. Until recently, scientists debated whether females even have horns, and most scientific work has had to rely on DNA garnered from dung.

It's not so much that scientists know more about Javan rhino DNA than about Javan rhino mating, as that scientists know more about Javan rhino DNA than about Javan rhino anything else (including mating).

[rte.sushil]

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?