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DSAT R&W Practice Question-Information and Ideas-Inferences – Medium | New Syllabus

DSAT R&W Practice Question-Information and Ideas-Inferences - Medium

DSAT R&W Practice Question-Information and Ideas-Inferences – Medium

DSAT R&W Practice Question-Information and Ideas-Inferences – Medium is part of Expression of Ideas  : This section evaluates students’ ability to identify main ideas in a passage and the ability to make inferences  about what the text implies, not just stating the obvious facts. Interpreting, evaluating, and combining different pieces of information from multiple sources is tested

Weightage : 26%

Subtopic: Information and ideas

DSAT R&W – Exam Style Practice Questions – All Topics

Question Medium

Text
Indigenous songs can be repositories of ecological information, from Yi songs about the natural environment to Tlingit songs about wildlife encounters. Kwakwaka’wakw song keeper Kwaxsisialla Wathl’lula aided research by ethnobiologist Dana Lepofsky et al. by contributing songs that reference creating terraced intertidal gardens to foster the healthy development of clams, a staple in the Kwakwaka’wakw people’s diet. Such structures date as far back as 3,500 years ago. Intriguingly, analysis of local paleoecological marine bivalve records has revealed significant increases in clam size and productivity as clam garden practices became more prevalent and harvesting pressure increased–a finding that bolsters the notion that ______.

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A) the Kwakwaka’wakw people encouraged the health of clam gardens and reduced pressure on them by periodically increasing their reliance on other sources of sustenance.

B) the practical approach described in the Kwakwaka’wakw songs effectively maintained clams as a sustainable food source.

C) the Kwakwaka’wakw people initially adapted their clam garden practices from similar methods observed among other Indigenous peoples in neighboring areas.

D) contemporary Kwakwaka’wakw people have only minimally deviated from the clam-gardening practices described in the people’s songs.

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Solution

Ans: B

The text’s evidence supports this conclusion because:

  1. Songs document terraced garden practices for clam cultivation
  2. Paleoecological records show increased size/productivity despite harvesting pressure
  3. This demonstrates the methods’ sustainability over millennia

Why B is correct:
It directly connects the song-documented practices with the archaeological evidence of sustained productivity.

Question Medium

Text

Prolonged exposure to anthropogenic noise (sounds from human sources like traffic or mining) can affect animals, as Graeme Shannon and colleagues found in a 2014 study of black-tailed prairie dogs. Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of studies of how such noise affects animals and found that, for every study, relevant traits or behaviors of the animals were observably different between the exposed group and the otherwise similar but unexposed group. Although, on average, studies of mammals showed larger differences than studies of fish did, for every class of animals examined, there were individual studies showing differences well above the average for mammals. Therefore, the results of the meta-analysis suggest that ______.

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A) some studies of fish found larger effects of exposure to anthropogenic noise than some studies of mammals did.

B) the differences that studies attribute to exposure to anthropogenic noise are likely to be more pronounced for fish than they are for mammals.

C) the difference found in the study conducted by Graeme Shannon and colleagues was likely larger than the average difference for studies of black-tailed prairie dogs included in the meta-analysis.

D) the studies in the meta-analysis that examined mammals were more likely than those that examined fish to specify whether the observed effects were detrimental.

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Solution

Ans: A

The text establishes that:

  1. All studies showed observable differences between exposed/unexposed groups
  2. Mammal studies showed larger average differences than fish studies
  3. But individual studies in all classes (including fish) showed differences above the mammal average

Why A is correct:
This is the only option that accounts for the key point about individual fish studies exceeding mammal averages.

Question Medium

Text
Joel Brown and colleagues showed that high moonlight intensity inhibits the activity of the Arizona pocket mouse (Perognathus amplus), a finding explicable in terms of benefits and costs; greater lunar intensity may not enable the mice to increase foraging success enough to offset the higher chance of detection by predatory owls or hawks. Though many other nocturnal mammals respond to lunar intensity variations similarly to Arizona pocket mice, Azara’s night monkeys (Aotus azarac) display the opposite pattern, as their heavy reliance on visual foraging results in a different balance of reward and risk.

Based on the text, why do Azara’s night monkeys respond to high lunar intensity differently than Arizona pocket mice do?

A) In such conditions, the chance of detection by predators declines for Azara’s night monkeys but rises for Arizona pocket mice.

B) Although the risks of activity in such conditions are greater for Azara’s night monkeys than they are for Arizona pocket mice, the rewards are also greater for Azara’s night monkeys.

C) In such conditions, the costs of activity are lower relative to the benefits of activity for Azara’s night monkeys than they are for Arizona pocket mice.

D) Due to their heavy reliance on visual foraging, Azara’s night monkeys experience a reduction in their foraging success in such conditions, whereas Arizona pocket mice experience no change in their foraging success.

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Solution

Ans: C

The text explains the difference through a cost-benefit analysis:

  • Arizona pocket mice: High moonlight increases predation risk without sufficient foraging benefit (“not enable…to offset”)
  • Azara’s night monkeys: Visual foraging creates a “different balance” where benefits outweigh costs

Why C is correct:
It captures the text’s explicit framing of the difference as a relative cost-benefit ratio (“different balance of reward and risk”).

Question Medium

Text
A group of primate conservationists recently began a long-term study of the effects of different conservation strategies on the northern muriqui (Brochyteles hypoxanthus). The species population is currently estimated to be around 1,000. It is challenging to accurately count these primates, however, which makes it difficult to tell whether the population is increasing, decreasing, or staying stable. The study may thus ______.

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A) cause other conservationists to adopt a new methodology for counting populations.

B) risk making inaccurate conclusions about the effectiveness of different conservation strategies.

C) benefit from including species beyond the northern muriqui.

D) fail to consider less-well-known conservation approaches for the northern muriqui.

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Solution

Ans: B

The text establishes a clear cause-effect relationship:

  1. Problem: Difficulty in obtaining accurate population counts of northern muriquis
  2. Consequence: Challenges in assessing population trends (increasing/decreasing/stable)
  3. Logical outcome: This counting difficulty may compromise the study’s ability to evaluate conservation strategies

Why B is correct:
The text’s focus on counting challenges directly leads to the risk of inaccurate conclusions about strategy effectiveness, since population data is crucial for such evaluations.

Question Medium

Text
Arsenal Football Club won more than half its home matches between 1947 and 2003, helping to distinguish the team as a top British professional soccer club. Additionally, Arsenal, whose home uniform color is mainly red, was more successful in home matches than was Huddersfield Town Association Football Club, whose home uniform color is not red. Research has shown that many people associate the color red with power and dominance. Past experiences with red objects such as stop signs can even cause people to respond to the color red with caution and hesitation. These findings, if applicable in the context of athletic competitions, could suggest that the uniforms worn by Arsenal’s players in their home matches may have ______.

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A) increased Arsenal players’ sense of excitement.

B) caused Arsenal’s players to play less skillfully.

C) negatively affected the performance of players on opposing teams.

D) led fans to perceive the team’s opponents as more dominant than they actually were.

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Solution

Ans: C

The text establishes a clear cause-effect chain:

  1. Empirical observation: Arsenal (red uniforms) outperformed Huddersfield (non-red)
  2. Psychological research: Red is associated with power/dominance and triggers caution
  3. Logical conclusion: Opponents’ performance may be impaired by subconscious reactions to red

Why C is correct:
Only option C aligns with the text’s focus on how red uniforms might psychologically affect opponents (causing “caution and hesitation”), not Arsenal players or fans.

Why others are incorrect:

  • A) Misplaced focus: The text never suggests red affects Arsenal players’ emotions.
  • B) Contradicts evidence: Arsenal’s success contradicts “less skillfully.”
  • D) Reverses the effect: Research suggests red makes wearers seem dominant, not opponents.

This question tests the ability to extrapolate scientific findings to new contexts while maintaining logical consistency.

Question Medium

Text
Even MacLean and colleagues evaluated behavioral and genetic data from over 14,000 dogs, representing more than 100 breeds, and found that variations in behavior between breeds can be attributed to genetic variations between those breeds, suggesting a genetic basis for breed differences in behavior. This was the case for both separation problems and dog rivalry but was especially pronounced for attachment and attention-seeking, which can be seen when a dog solicits affection or attention. In a different study, researchers found that, with regard to attachment and attention-seeking, the French bulldog behaves in notably different ways than the cairn terrier. Together, these findings imply that ____

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A) the French bulldog and the cairn terrier differ with respect to the genetic underpinnings for attachment and attention-seeking.

B) the French bulldog and the cairn terrier will likely become more genetically similar over time.

C) French bulldogs and cairn terriers show a greater tendency toward attachment and attention-seeking than most other dog breeds do.

D) individual French bulldogs may display higher levels of attachment and attention-seeking than individual cairn terriers.

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Solution

Ans: A

The text establishes two key points that lead to this conclusion:

  1. Genetic basis for behavior: Breed differences in behavior (including attachment/attention-seeking) are linked to genetic variations (MacLean study).
  2. Behavioral contrast: French bulldogs and cairn terriers exhibit notably different attachment/attention-seeking behaviors (second study).

Why A is correct:
Only option A connects these findings logically by attributing the behavioral differences between the two breeds to genetic factors, which aligns perfectly with the text’s focus on genetic explanations.

Why others are incorrect:

  • B) Contradicts the text: No suggestion of future genetic convergence.
  • C) Distorts the text: Never compares these breeds to “most other breeds.”
  • D) Too specific: The text discusses breed-level (not individual) differences.
Question Hard

Text
Quasars—such as APM 08279+5255, located in the Lynx constellation—are extremely luminous galactic nuclei powered by supermassive black holes, some of which are known to have developed within the first billion years of the formation of the universe. Based on simulations they conducted, astrophysicists Daniel Whalen, Muhammad Latif, and colleagues concluded that these early quasars developed partly as a result of rare convergences of gases in space without the need for ultraviolet backgrounds or other extreme and implausible environmental conditions that models of the early universe have included to account for the presence of these quasars. If this conclusion is correct, it suggests that ______.

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A) future models of the early universe may not need to include conditions that explain early quasars since those quasars may not have actually existed at the time.

B) it may be possible to develop models of the early universe that rest on more credible assumptions than previous models have.

C) factors that previous models of the early universe assumed were necessary for the formation of quasars may have actually been consequences of the formation of quasars.

D) previous models of the early universe may have underemphasized the importance of ultraviolet backgrounds to quasar formation.

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Solution

Ans: B

The text explains that early quasars may have formed through rare gas convergences without requiring the extreme conditions previously assumed in models. This suggests that future models could be based on more plausible assumptions. Option B correctly captures this implication, while the other choices either contradict the passage (A, D) or introduce unsupported ideas (C).

Question

In her 2021 article “Throwaway History: Towards a Historiography of Ephemera,” scholar Anne Garner discusses John Johnson (1882–1956), a devoted collector of items intended to be discarded, including bus tickets and campaign pamphlets. Johnson recognized that scholarly institutions considered his expansive collection of ephemera to be worthless—indeed, it wasn’t until 1968, after Johnson’s death, that Oxford University’s Bodleian Library acquired the collection, having grasped the items’ potential value to historians and other researchers. Hence, the example of Johnson serves to ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?
A. demonstrate the difficulties faced by contemporary historians in conducting research at the Bodleian Library without access to ephemera.
B. represent the challenge of incorporating examples of ephemera into the collections of libraries and other scholarly institutions.
C. lend support to arguments by historians and other researchers who continue to assert that ephemera holds no value for scholars.
D. illustrate both the relatively low scholarly regard in which ephemera was once held and the later recognition of ephemera’s possible utility.

▶️Answer/Explanation

Ans. D

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. Johnson collected “ephemera,” or things that are meant to be thrown away. Scholars thought his collection was worthless to them, then later realized that it was potentially valuable. This suggests that scholars went from disregarding ephemera to recognizing their usefulness. Choice A is incorrect. This inference isn’t supported. The text tells us that the Bodleian Library acquired Johnson’s large collection of ephemera back in 1968, so we can assume that contemporary historians conducting research there do have access to that collection. Choice B is incorrect. This inference isn’t supported. The text tells us that “Oxford University’s Bodleian Library acquired the collection,” but it never suggests that it was a challenge to do so. Choice C is incorrect. This inference isn’t supported. The text actually suggests the opposite: the example of Johnson’s collection lends support to arguments that ephemera does hold value for scholars.

Question

Some businesses believe that when employees are interrupted while doing their work, they experience a decrease in energy and productivity. However, a team led by Harshad Puranik, who studies management, has found that interruptions by colleagues can have a social component that increases employees’ sense of belonging, resulting in greater job satisfaction that benefits employees and employers. Therefore, businesses should recognize that ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?
A. the interpersonal benefits of some interruptions in the workplace may offset the perceived negative effects.
B. in order to maximize productivity, employers should be willing to interrupt employees frequently throughout the day.
C. most employees avoid interrupting colleagues because they don’t appreciate being interrupted themselves.
D. in order to cultivate an ideal workplace environment, interruptions of work should be discouraged.

▶️Answer/Explanation

Ans. A

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of potential benefits of interruptions in the workplace. The text indicates that a common belief in business is that interruptions to working employees decrease energy and productivity levels. However, the text goes on to explain that a research team led by Harshad Puranik has found that there could be a social benefit to these interruptions. Since the team found that workplace interruptions can increase employees’ sense of belonging and job satisfaction, it follows that the interpersonal benefits of some interruptions can offset the perceived negative effects.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the text presents research findings that suggest some workplace interruptions can have a positive effect on employee job satisfaction, no further information is presented to suggest at what frequency these interruptions are ideal. Furthermore, the text doesn’t tie workplace interruptions to increased productivity, but rather links it to social benefits such as sense of belonging. Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t address employees’ motives for choosing not to interrupt their colleagues. The text presents research findings that suggest that there are some positive interpersonal effects of workplace interruptions that can increase employee job satisfaction. Choice D is incorrect because asking businesses to discourage workplace interruptions doesn’t follow from the team’s research about the benefits of workplace interruptions, nor does the text describe an ideal work environment. Instead, the text presents research suggesting that there may be positive aspects to workplace interruptions that haven’t previously been considered.

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