PrepTest 106, Section 3, Question 4
Raising the humidity of a room protects furniture,(28 more words not shown)
Each of the following is(6 more words not shown)
- AHumidity can be(3 more words not shown)
- BA room can(10 more words not shown)
- CDry air can(9 more words not shown)
- DIncreased humidity can(5 more words not shown)
- EThe human immune(5 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Apparently a room can be too dry even for its computers. The passage gives us several benefits of increasing humidity: protecting objects from dry air, making people feel warmer, helping defenses against viruses, and easing some skin rashes.
What we’re looking for
How much humidity? We aren't told. The benefits don't establish that more is always better, or settle whether there are drawbacks too. We should keep those unanswered questions separate from the benefits actually stated. This is a supported EXCEPT question, so four choices should follow from those statements and one should go beyond them.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
We learn that raising humidity can protect computers from damage caused by excessively dry air. We aren't told that humidity itself can damage them. That might be a possibility to investigate, but the passage doesn't establish it.
Don't turn this into the opposite overstatement, either: the author hasn't proved humidity can never be bad for computers. A is the answer because it lacks support, not because the passage proves it false.
- B
If excessively dry air can damage furniture and draperies, a room can indeed be too dry to maintain its furnishings well. This is the first statement expressed in more general language.
- C
Increasing humidity can make people feel warmer. That supports a difference in how warm the air feels without requiring a change in the actual temperature: dry air can feel cooler than humid air at the same temperature. The claim concerns perceived warmth, not a claim that adding humidity necessarily raises the temperature.
- D
Alleviating some skin rashes is a benefit to the skin. D only says increased humidity can be beneficial, so the passage's limited example is enough. It doesn't claim every skin problem improves.
- E
Helping the body's defenses against viruses is a way the immune system can benefit. This follows from the stated benefit without requiring a guarantee that humidity prevents every infection.
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