The World’s Largest Market For Traditional Chinese Medicine GMAT Reading Comprehension

Reading Passage Question

The world’s largest market for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that is present in the town of Bozhou, China harbors more than 10,000 traders – a number that is 4 times the number of shopkeepers present in the largest of malls in the USA. This scenario portrays perfectly the booming demand for TCM in China. In fact, in such TCM markets, a wide variety of items – some possibly inconceivable to a typical westerner – including chips of agarwood, dried frogs, deer antlers, gazelle horns, etc. – are sold as various medications.

Things were not always this bright for TCM. In fact, the practice of TCM has seen a downfall after the end of the Qing dynasty in 1911. However, the boost given to TCM by China’s president Xi Jinping has helped it immensely in its resurgence. Mr. Xi says that he uses TCM and has pushed medical practitioners to put TCM on an equal pedestal with western medicine. Since Mr. Xi came into power, the Chinese government has developed road map to popularize and spread the use of TCM among the masses – within and outside China. As a result, the number of hospitals offering TCM increased from approximately 2000 in 2002 to more than 4500 in 2015. The number of medical practitioners licensed in TCM has increased by more than 50% between 2011 and 2015. Moreover, more than 60,000 TCM medications have been provided government validation, accounting for more than 40% of the market for China’s medicines.

However, there is little, if any, evidence that TCM works effectively. Even though there are certain clinical trials that indicated the effectiveness of TCM treatments against a small group of ailments, the evidence for TCM as a whole seems speculative at best. Out of 70 studies conducted on TCM treatments, 41 were badly designed trials, and the remaining 29 did not consider a representative sample group – rendering the results from all these studies inconclusive.

“The world’s largest market for Traditional Chinese Medicine”- is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.

This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 4 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

1. What is the main point of the passage?

1. To highlight how big a TCM market in China could be by comparing it malls in the USA
2. To highlight the resurgence of TCM practice in China and the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of TCM
3. To illustrate how a push from the president can boost any }eld despite its lack of credibility
4. To explain how the boost provided by the Chinese government has helped increase the popularity of TCM across China
5. To highlight that most of the studies conducted on TCM are likely ~awed

2. Which of the following can be inferred on the basis of the information given in the passage?

1. The number of shopkeepers in the largest mall in the USA is not more than 2700.
2. The number of shopkeepers in the largest mall in the USA is at least 5000.
3. The number of shopkeepers in the largest mall in the USA is at least 10000.
4. The number of shopkeepers in the largest mall in the USA is at least 2500.
5. The number of shopkeepers in the largest mall in the USA is exactly 2500.

3. Which of the following statements does not hold true about TCM, according to the passage?

1. TCM markets could contain items that a typical westerner wouldn’t expect to possess a medical utility.
2. The Chinese government has validated at least 50,000 traditional Chinese medications.
3. TCM medications account for more than one-thirds of medicines in China.
4. The number of hospitals offering TCM more than doubled between 2002 and 2015.
5. All animal products can be used as TCM medication.

4. After which year did the practice of traditional Chinese medicine see a rapid decline in China?

1. 1911
2. 2000
3. 2002
4. 2011
5. 2015

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