PrepTest 119, Section 1, Question 1
Economists have long defined prosperity in terms of(440 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(9 more words not shown)
- AAccording to critics,(23 more words not shown)
- BEconomists' definition of(19 more words not shown)
- CIf economists were(32 more words not shown)
- DIn contrast with(28 more words not shown)
- EWhile they are(31 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
We've already predicted the main point: measuring prosperity only through money leaves out important parts of quality of life. The examples show the limits of that definition, not that money is worthless or prosperity is impossible to assess.
What we’re looking for
We're looking for a version of that criticism, even if it doesn't repeat our wording or list both examples.
Working the answers
- A
The central claim concerns how prosperity is measured, not what communities already recognize about environmental protection. In fact, the timber community resists the limits intended to protect the environment it values.
- BCorrect
“Too narrow” captures the criticism we predicted. Monetary value leaves out environmental health and quality of life, so it cannot by itself capture the broader idea of prosperity.
- C
This predicts what a new definition would reveal about most communities. The writer doesn't make that broad prediction; the examples establish a problem with the existing definition.
- D
Criticizing the current measure isn't the same as saying prosperity cannot be defined or measured at all. The writer treats prosperity as a meaningful concept that this definition fails to capture fully.
- E
The concern isn't whether today's figures predict tomorrow's economy. It is whether monetary figures adequately represent prosperity in the first place. E substitutes a forecasting problem for the criticism we read.
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