#1 - The basic ingredients from which cement is made

[marieallen]

Is there an explanation for this stimulus? Thanks in advance.

[Malila Robinson]

Hi Marie,

This is a Must Be True question, and the stimulus has causal reasoning. It begins by saying that the basic ingredients of cement are cheap and plentiful. Then it interjects with a ‘nevertheless’ causal statement:

Cause: Turning (cheap and plentiful) basic ingredients into cement in high-temperature kilns uses large amounts of energy.
Effect: The price of cement is influenced by the price of oil.

So you have to link the use and cost of oil to the high-temperature kilns that are used to make cement.

To prephrase: ‘Oil must be used in the kilns at least some of the time, or there would be no reason presented for the price of cement to be linked to the cost of oil.’

This makes B the correct answer.

Hope that helps,
-Malila

[marieallen]

Again - thank you!

[andriana.caban]

Hi!

I chose (A). Can you please explain why (A) is wrong over (B).

These are the reasons why I eliminated the other answer choices:

(C) The author only discusses a relationship between cement and the price of oil, but doesn't specify whether the cost of cement is increased or decreased based on the cost of oil

(D) Eliminated for the same reason as (C)

(E) Again, Author doesn't specify how much cement costs especially relative to the price of cement's basic ingredients (such as limestone and clay)


I was between (A) and (B) and ultimately eliminated (B) because I thought that it was too far of a reach to assume that oil is a source of energy for some of the kiln. Basically, I didn't note a relationship between energy and oil. Can someone paint a picture, perhaps providing an example as to how oil relates to energy?

I'm confused about that portion of the stimulus.

[andriana.caban]

Hi can someone please answer my question - thanks!

[James Finch]

Hi Andriana,

In this stimulus, oil cannot be a basic ingredient of cement, as the way the first three sentences interplay makes clear. Instead, the only way that the stimulus gives us that would enable oil to influence the price of concrete is as a source of energy, as it is often used in the real world (i.e. as a basis for gasoline or diesel fuel).

Hope this helps!