Solutions

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Question

That the application of new technology can increase the productivity of existing coal mines is demonstrated by the case of Tribnia’s coal industry. Coal output per miner in Tribnia is double what it was five years ago, even though no new mines have opened.

Which of the following can be properly concluded from the statement about coal output per miner in the passage?


 

Option A:

If the number of miners working in Tribnian coal mines has remained constant in the past five years, Tribnia’s total coal production has doubled in that period of time.

Option B:

Any individual Tribnian coal mine that achieved an increase in overall output in the past five years has also experienced an increase in output per miner.

Option C:

If any new coal mines had opened in Tribnia in the past five years, then the increase in output per miner would have been even greater than it actually was.

Option D:

If any individual Tribnian coal mine has not increased its output per miner in the past five years, then that mine’s overall output has declined or remained constant.

Option E:

In Tribnia the cost of producing a given quantity of coal has declined over the past five years.

Difficulty Level

Easy

Solution

Option A is the right answer.


Option Analysis

Question type: Inference based

Summary of the argument: Since this is an inference question we will need to go to the argument to find out something that is 100% true based on the information given to us.

A) Correct Answer

B) We don’t have information about the output per miner.

C) We cannot say this as the increase in output here is linked to the application of technology.

D) Again this cannot be inferred from the passage.

E) We cannot infer about the cost of producing an “X” amount of coal.


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