Many trees produce growth rings as they age, with each ring in a tree's trunk representing one year in the...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Many trees produce growth rings as they age, with each ring in a tree's trunk representing one year in the tree's life. This often makes it fairly easy to determine how old a tree was when it was cut down. To do so, you look at the tree stump and count the dark rings you see. But a researcher claims that this method often can't be used to identify the age of olive trees.
Which detail, if true, would most directly support the researcher's claim?
The oldest olive tree in the world is likely over 1,100 years old.
Narrow growth rings can suggest that an olive tree experienced harsh conditions.
Many olive trees have growth rings that are difficult to see.
Olive trees thrive in areas with hot, dry summers.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Many trees produce growth rings as they age, with each ring in a tree's trunk representing one year in the tree's life.' |
|
| 'This often makes it fairly easy to determine how old a tree was when it was cut down.' |
|
| 'To do so, you look at the tree stump and count the dark rings you see.' |
|
| 'But a researcher claims that this method often can't be used to identify the age of olive trees.' |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: While counting growth rings is typically an effective way to determine tree age, a researcher claims this standard method doesn't work for olive trees.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes the general principle that trees form annual growth rings that can be counted to determine age. It explains the standard procedure of counting dark rings on stumps. However, it then presents a researcher's claim that contradicts this general rule specifically for olive trees, suggesting there's something different about olive trees that makes the standard method unreliable.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? We need to find evidence that would support the researcher's claim that ring-counting doesn't work for olive trees.
What type of answer do we need? A detail that explains WHY the standard method fails specifically for olive trees.
Any limiting keywords? 'Most directly support' means we want the most relevant evidence, and 'if true' indicates we're looking for a hypothetical detail that would strengthen the argument.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The researcher claims that counting growth rings doesn't work for olive trees
- For this claim to be valid, there must be something unique about olive trees that makes the standard ring-counting method unreliable or impossible
- The right answer should explain what's different about olive trees that prevents us from using the normal procedure of counting dark rings on a stump
- We need evidence that shows olive trees don't follow the typical pattern that makes ring-counting effective for other trees
- This could be about the visibility of rings, their formation, or some other characteristic that disrupts the counting process
The oldest olive tree in the world is likely over 1,100 years old.
- This tells us olive trees can live over 1,100 years
- While this shows they're long-lived, it doesn't explain why counting their rings would be difficult
- Age alone doesn't support the claim that the counting method fails
Narrow growth rings can suggest that an olive tree experienced harsh conditions.
- This explains what narrow rings indicate about growing conditions
- But it doesn't suggest that rings can't be counted—just that they're narrow
- Being narrow doesn't prevent counting; it just tells us about environmental stress
Many olive trees have growth rings that are difficult to see.
- This directly explains why the counting method fails for olive trees
- If growth rings are 'difficult to see,' then the standard procedure of visually counting rings becomes unreliable or impossible
- This perfectly supports the researcher's claim by identifying the specific problem that prevents accurate age determination
Olive trees thrive in areas with hot, dry summers.
- This describes olive trees' preferred climate conditions
- Growing in hot, dry areas doesn't explain why ring-counting wouldn't work
- Climate preference alone doesn't create a barrier to the counting method