While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:The Million Song Dataset (MSD) includes main audio features and...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The Million Song Dataset (MSD) includes main audio features and descriptive tags for popular songs.
- Audio features include acoustic traits such as loudness and pitch intervals.
- Many algorithms use these audio features to predict a new song's popularity.
- These algorithms may fail to accurately identify main audio features of a song with varying acoustic traits.
- Algorithms based on descriptive tags that describe fixed traits such as genre are more reliable predictors of song popularity.
The student wants to explain a disadvantage of relying on audio features to predict a song's popularity. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Many popularity-predicting algorithms are based on a song's audio features, such as loudness and pitch intervals.
Algorithms based on audio features may misidentify the main features of a song with varying acoustic traits, making such algorithms less reliable predictors of popularity than those based on fixed traits.
Audio features describe acoustic traits such as pitch intervals, which may vary within a song, whereas descriptive tags describe fixed traits such as genre, which are reliable predictors of popularity.
The MSD's descriptive tags are reliable predictors of a song's popularity, as the traits they describe are fixed.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The Million Song Dataset (MSD) includes main audio features and descriptive tags for popular songs." |
|
| "Audio features include acoustic traits such as loudness and pitch intervals." |
|
| "Many algorithms use these audio features to predict a new song's popularity." |
|
| "These algorithms may fail to accurately identify main audio features of a song with varying acoustic traits." |
|
| "Algorithms based on descriptive tags that describe fixed traits such as genre are more reliable predictors of song popularity." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
- Main Point: Audio features have limitations for predicting song popularity because they vary within songs, while descriptive tags based on fixed traits are more reliable predictors.
- Argument Flow: The notes start by establishing what the Million Song Dataset contains, then explain how audio features are currently used for popularity prediction algorithms. However, they reveal a key problem: these algorithms struggle with songs that have varying acoustic traits. Finally, they present descriptive tags as a more reliable alternative because they describe fixed characteristics.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The student wants to explain a disadvantage of using audio features to predict song popularity.
What type of answer do we need? A statement that clearly presents the drawback or limitation of audio feature-based algorithms.
Any limiting keywords? "disadvantage" is the key limiting word - we need to focus specifically on what's wrong with audio features, not their benefits or general descriptions.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The right answer should explain that audio feature algorithms can misidentify features in songs with varying acoustic traits, making them less reliable than algorithms based on fixed characteristics.
Many popularity-predicting algorithms are based on a song's audio features, such as loudness and pitch intervals.
✗ Incorrect
- Simply states that many algorithms use audio features
- Doesn't explain any disadvantage or problem
- Just restates a fact from the notes without addressing the question's focus
Algorithms based on audio features may misidentify the main features of a song with varying acoustic traits, making such algorithms less reliable predictors of popularity than those based on fixed traits.
✓ Correct
- Directly states the disadvantage: algorithms may misidentify features of songs with varying acoustic traits
- Explains why this makes them less reliable than fixed trait alternatives
- Perfectly matches our prethinking by connecting the problem to the comparison
Audio features describe acoustic traits such as pitch intervals, which may vary within a song, whereas descriptive tags describe fixed traits such as genre, which are reliable predictors of popularity.
✗ Incorrect
- Describes both audio features and descriptive tags
- Mentions that audio features may vary while descriptive tags are fixed
- This choice contains relevant information but doesn't clearly present the disadvantage as the main focus
The MSD's descriptive tags are reliable predictors of a song's popularity, as the traits they describe are fixed.
✗ Incorrect
- Only talks about descriptive tags being reliable
- Doesn't explain what's wrong with audio features
- Misses the question's focus entirely by emphasizing the alternative rather than the disadvantage