LanguageRate of speech (syllables per second)Rate of information conveyed (bits per second)Serbian7.239.1Spanish7.742.0Vietnamese5.342.5Thai4.733.8Hun...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
| Language | Rate of speech (syllables per second) | Rate of information conveyed (bits per second) |
|---|---|---|
| Serbian | 7.2 | 39.1 |
| Spanish | 7.7 | 42.0 |
| Vietnamese | 5.3 | 42.5 |
| Thai | 4.7 | 33.8 |
| Hungarian | 5.9 | 34.6 |
A group of researchers working in Europe, Asia, and Oceania conducted a study to determine how quickly different Eurasian languages are typically spoken (in syllables per second) and how much information they can effectively convey (in bits per second). They found that, although languages vary widely in the speed at which they are spoken, the amount of information languages can effectively convey tends to vary much less. Thus, they claim that two languages with very different spoken rates can nonetheless convey the same amount of information in a given amount of time.
Which choice best describes data from the table that support the researchers' claim?
Among the five languages in the table, Thai and Hungarian have the lowest rates of speech and the lowest rates of information conveyed.
Vietnamese conveys information at approximately the same rate as Spanish despite being spoken at a slower rate.
Among the five languages in the table, the language that is spoken the fastest is also the language that conveys information the fastest.
Serbian and Spanish are spoken at approximately the same rate, but Serbian conveys information faster than Spanish does.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "A group of researchers working in Europe, Asia, and Oceania conducted a study to determine how quickly different Eurasian languages are typically spoken (in syllables per second) and how much information they can effectively convey (in bits per second)." |
|
| "They found that, although languages vary widely in the speed at which they are spoken, the amount of information languages can effectively convey tends to vary much less." |
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| "Thus, they claim that two languages with very different spoken rates can nonetheless convey the same amount of information in a given amount of time." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Despite varying speech speeds across languages, the amount of information they convey remains relatively similar, allowing different-paced languages to communicate equivalent information in the same timeframe.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? We need to identify which data from the table supports the researchers' claim that different speech speeds can convey the same information.
What type of answer do we need? Specific evidence from the numerical data that demonstrates languages with different speech rates having similar information delivery rates.
Any limiting keywords? None specified
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The researchers claim that languages with different speech speeds can convey the same amount of information
- So we need to find examples in the table where two languages have noticeably different syllables per second rates but their bits per second rates are very similar
Among the five languages in the table, Thai and Hungarian have the lowest rates of speech and the lowest rates of information conveyed.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims Thai and Hungarian have both the lowest speech rates AND lowest info rates
- This doesn't support the claim - it suggests speech speed and info delivery move together
Vietnamese conveys information at approximately the same rate as Spanish despite being spoken at a slower rate.
✓ Correct
- Vietnamese (\(5.3\mathrm{\ syllables/sec}\)) conveys \(42.5\mathrm{\ bits/sec}\) while Spanish (\(7.7\mathrm{\ syllables/sec}\)) conveys \(42.0\mathrm{\ bits/sec}\)
- Nearly identical information rates despite Vietnamese being much slower
- Perfectly demonstrates the researchers' claim
Among the five languages in the table, the language that is spoken the fastest is also the language that conveys information the fastest.
✗ Incorrect
- Spanish is fastest and also has high info rate
- This suggests faster speech = more information, contradicting the researchers' claim
Serbian and Spanish are spoken at approximately the same rate, but Serbian conveys information faster than Spanish does.
✗ Incorrect
- Serbian and Spanish have similar speech rates, not very different rates
- Doesn't demonstrate the key point about different speeds achieving same information delivery