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- Fri Jan 21, 2011 12:00 am
#31484
Complete Question Explanation
Resolve the Paradox. The correct answer choice is (C)
This question poses a paradox concerning disease P in country X. It is always useful on Resolve the Paradox questions to clearly identify the paradox in the stimulus before proceeding to the answer choices. This will allow you to avoid answer choices that resolve very similar, yet different paradoxes to the one provided. This is a common incorrect answer trap on Resolve the Paradox questions and penalizes those test takers who summarize what they read rather than identifying precisely the facts stated in the stimulus.
Here, Country X has the lowest incidence of disease P of any country. Yet, the residents of Country X seem to have the most serious cases of any country as well, as they are much more likely to die from the disease. These two facts seem to contradict each other. However, note the use of the word “reported” in the second sentence. Country X does not necessarily have the most serious cases of disease P, they just have the most serious reported cases. This leaves open the possibility that the paradox is not so much about the actual numbers involved with disease P, but about the reported numbers of disease P. Therefore, any fact that explains a discrepancy in the numbers reported could potentially resolve this paradox.
Answer Choice (A): This answer looks attractive at first glance, but is ultimately incorrect. The issue here is the severity of the disease in Country X, not how contagious it is. You are trying to explain why disease P appears to be so much more severe in Country X, not why it is more contagious.
Answer Choice (B): This answer choice does not address the facts given in the stimulus. The paradox is that Country X has the lowest incidence of disease P yet the residents of Country X are more likely to die from the disease. Answer choice (B) addresses the fatal cases of disease P among non-residents of Country X. This is irrelevant. Answer choices similar to (B) are common on Resolve questions. They force you to read closely and know precisely the facts of the stimulus.
Answer Choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. This answer shows that only the most severe cases of disease P are being diagnosed in Country X. This could explain why the overall incidence appears to be so low, because there may be many non-severe cases that are not reported. It also explains why the death rate is so high among those who are diagnosed, as only severe cases are being reported, and the death rate is likely to be higher among these types of cases.
Answer Choice (D): This answer does not help explain the paradox. Even if it is true that the number of cases fluctuates wildly, that does not explain the disparity between the low overall incidence of disease P, and high severity of the reported cases in Country X.
Answer Choice (E): This answer explains only one side of the paradox. This type of incorrect answer choice is also rather common on Resolve the Paradox questions. In order to properly resolve the paradox, you must explain how both sides can coexist, not simply how one of the facts came about. The climate may explain why disease P is so severe in country X, but why is the overall incidence of the disease so low? If anything, answer choice (E) probably deepens rather than resolves this paradox.
Resolve the Paradox. The correct answer choice is (C)
This question poses a paradox concerning disease P in country X. It is always useful on Resolve the Paradox questions to clearly identify the paradox in the stimulus before proceeding to the answer choices. This will allow you to avoid answer choices that resolve very similar, yet different paradoxes to the one provided. This is a common incorrect answer trap on Resolve the Paradox questions and penalizes those test takers who summarize what they read rather than identifying precisely the facts stated in the stimulus.
Here, Country X has the lowest incidence of disease P of any country. Yet, the residents of Country X seem to have the most serious cases of any country as well, as they are much more likely to die from the disease. These two facts seem to contradict each other. However, note the use of the word “reported” in the second sentence. Country X does not necessarily have the most serious cases of disease P, they just have the most serious reported cases. This leaves open the possibility that the paradox is not so much about the actual numbers involved with disease P, but about the reported numbers of disease P. Therefore, any fact that explains a discrepancy in the numbers reported could potentially resolve this paradox.
Answer Choice (A): This answer looks attractive at first glance, but is ultimately incorrect. The issue here is the severity of the disease in Country X, not how contagious it is. You are trying to explain why disease P appears to be so much more severe in Country X, not why it is more contagious.
Answer Choice (B): This answer choice does not address the facts given in the stimulus. The paradox is that Country X has the lowest incidence of disease P yet the residents of Country X are more likely to die from the disease. Answer choice (B) addresses the fatal cases of disease P among non-residents of Country X. This is irrelevant. Answer choices similar to (B) are common on Resolve questions. They force you to read closely and know precisely the facts of the stimulus.
Answer Choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. This answer shows that only the most severe cases of disease P are being diagnosed in Country X. This could explain why the overall incidence appears to be so low, because there may be many non-severe cases that are not reported. It also explains why the death rate is so high among those who are diagnosed, as only severe cases are being reported, and the death rate is likely to be higher among these types of cases.
Answer Choice (D): This answer does not help explain the paradox. Even if it is true that the number of cases fluctuates wildly, that does not explain the disparity between the low overall incidence of disease P, and high severity of the reported cases in Country X.
Answer Choice (E): This answer explains only one side of the paradox. This type of incorrect answer choice is also rather common on Resolve the Paradox questions. In order to properly resolve the paradox, you must explain how both sides can coexist, not simply how one of the facts came about. The climate may explain why disease P is so severe in country X, but why is the overall incidence of the disease so low? If anything, answer choice (E) probably deepens rather than resolves this paradox.