Throughout the Popoya Islands Community Pressure is Exerted on People GMAT Critical Reasoning

Question: Throughout the Popoya Islands community pressure is exerted on people who win the national lottery to share their good fortune with their neighbors. When people living in rural areas win the lottery they invariably throw elaborate neighborhood feasts, often wiping out all of their lottery winnings. However, in the cities, lottery winners frequently use their winnings for their own personal investment rather than sharing their good fortune with their neighbors.

Which one of the following, if true, contributes most to an explanation of the difference between the behavior of lottery winners in rural areas and those in cities?

1. Twice as many Popoyans live in rural areas as live in the city.
2. Popoyan city dwellers tend to buy several lottery tickets at a time, but they buy tickets less frequently than do rural dwellers.
3. Lottery winners in rural areas are notified of winning by public posting of lists of winners, but notification in the city is by private mail.
4. Families in rural areas in the Popoyas may contain twelve or fourteen people, but city families average six or seven.
5. Twice as many lottery tickets are sold in rural areas as are sold in the city.

Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The argument of the passage states that community pressure is exercised on people throughout the Popoya Islands. The rural people who won the lottery tickets have to throw feasts with their neighbours on the earnings they get by winning the tickets. On the other hand, the city dwellers who won the lottery tickets keep their earnings for themselves instead of sharing them with their neighbours. The stimulus of the passage shows how different people behave when they win the lottery. The answer choice C indicates that rural people get to know about the lottery winners from the public post since they are announced publicly. However, city dwellers get notifications of their victory by private mail. This implies that city dwellers can keep the information private. As per the claim of the passage, if the city winners were also publicly announced, they might be forced to throw lavish feasts. They will also be under societal pressure and thus would be unable to invest. Therefore, this mode of the announcement could be the cause behind the different acts of the people. Hence, option C is the correct answer. Let’s take a look at the other options. 

Option A
This answer choice says that the Popoyans who live in rural areas are twice that of the Popoyans who dwell in the city. It indicates that more people dwell in rural areas than in cities. This importation is not important to justify the fact that the passage claims. It depicts the amount of Popoyans in the rural cities which is irrelevant in this context. This information will not able to determine the cause behind the different acts of the people. Hence, option A is the incorrect answer and thereby gets eliminated.

Option B
This answer choice depicts that the city dwellers of Popoya have a tendency to purchase several lottery tickets at a time. However, they purchase tickets less frequently than the rural dwellers of Popoya.This behaviour of the city dwellers in purchasing multiple tickets at once and buying them less frequently does not relate to the context of the passage. This information is irrelevant and does not help to determine the cause behind the different acts of the people. Hence, option B is the incorrect answer and thereby gets eliminated.

Option D
This answer choice states that families residing in rural areas in Popoyas may consist of twelve or fourteen people. However, the city households have an average of six or seven. The number of people in a family does not explain much. It is completely irrelevant to the context of the passage. The information stated in this answer choice does not help to determine the cause behind the different acts of the people. Hence, option D is the incorrect answer and thereby gets eliminated. 

Option E
This answer choice states that the number of lottery tickets sold in rural areas is twice as many as sold in the city. This statement depicts the number of lottery tickets to be sold in the city and the rural area. This information is completely irrelevant to the context of the passage. The information stated in this answer choice does not help to determine the cause behind the different acts of the people. Hence, option E is the incorrect answer and thereby gets eliminated.    

“Throughout the Popoya Islands community pressure is exerted on people”- is a GMAT critical reasoning topic of the GMAT exam. This GMAT critical reasoning question includes five options and candidates need to choose the one which is correct. The GMAT critical reasoning section is designed to test the rational and analytical aptitudes of the candidates. 

Suggested GMAT Critical Reasoning Samples

• Advances in photocopying technology allow criminals with no printing expertise GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Professor A: We must make a strong moral statement against Country X’s policies GMAT Critical Reasoning
• According to an Independent Computer-Industry Analyst, the New Regent Microcomputer GMAT Critical Reasoning
• In Today’s Pluralistic Society, Textbook Publishers Find Themselves in an Increasingly Uncomfortable Position GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Economies in which a high percentage of resources are invested in research and development GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Columnist: The country is presently debating legislation GMAT Critical Reasoning
• When People Evade Income Taxes by not Declaring Taxable Income GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Utrania was formerly a major petroleum exporter, but in recent decades economic stagnation GMAT critical reasoning
• Useful protein drugs, such as insulin, must still be administered by the cumbersome GMAT critical reasoning
• Unripe Lychee Fruit Contain a Compound called Hypoglycin GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Tiger Beetles are such Fast Runners that they can Capture Virtually any Nonflying Insect GMAT Critical Reasoning
• In the nation of Pelmenia, 20% of 18-year-olds are left-handed, while just 10% of 45-year-olds and 2% of 70-year-olds are left-handed GMAT Critical Reasoning
• GMAT Critical Reasoning - The Tobacco Industry is Still Profitable and Projections are that it will Remain so GMAT Critical Reasoning
• The price the government pays for standard weapons purchased from military contractors is determined by a pricing method called “historical costing" GMAT Critical Reasoning
• In a taste test, participants were asked to try two versions of a cola GMAT Critical Reasoning
• The percentage of households with an annual income of more than $40,000 GMAT Critical Reasoning
• The nature of English literature reflects the rich and diverse vocabulary of the English language, which resulted from the dual influence of the Anglo-Saxon and, later, French languages GMAT Critical Reasoning
• A study released by a major medical center has found that people who experience a stroke are frequently not treated quickly GMAT Critical Reasoning
• The difficulty with the proposed high-speed train line is that a used plane GMAT Critical Reasoning
• The cotton farms of Country Q became so productive that the market could not absorb all that they produced GMAT Critical Reasoning
• The average hourly wage of television assemblers in Vernland has long been significantly lower than that in neighboring Borodia GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Tanco, a leather manufacturer, uses large quantities of common salt to preserve animal hides GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Sol Citrus, a small orchard that produces only organic citrus fruit, has faced new competition GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Studies have shown that elderly people who practice a religion are much more likely to die GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Health officials claim that because the foods and beverages mentioned or consumed on many television programs GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Monthly employee evaluations are an excellent tool for managers GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Engineers are investigating the suitability of Wantastiquet Pass as the site of a new bridge GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Physician: The Hormone Melatonin Has Shown Promise as a Medication for Sleep Disorders When Taken in Synthesized Form GMAT Critical Reasoning
• In order to reduce the number of items damaged while in transit to customers, packaging consultants recommended GMAT Critical Reasoning
• A major health insurance company in Lagolia pays for special procedures prescribed by physicians GMAT Critical Reasoning
• In the first half of this year, from January to June, about three million videocassette recorders were sold GMAT Critical Reasoning
• An airplane engine manufacturer developed a new engine model with safety features lacking in the earlier model GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Economist A: Banks offer only small interest rates for money being stored in savings accounts GMAT Critical Reasoning
• It is known that all dogs go to heaven GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Toughened hiring standards have not been the primary cause of the present staffing shortage in public schools GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Community spokesperson: As a result of a recent surge of foreclosures, many homes in our town are vacant and falling into disrepair GMAT Critical Reasoning
• When food is boiled it loses much of its original nutritional value GMAT Critical Reasoning
• A city plans to attract new citizens with new housing and new facilities GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Some of the world's most beautiful cats are Persian cats. However, it must be acknowledged that all Persian cats are pompous, and pompous cats are invariably irritating GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Ozone in the stratosphere blocks deadly ultraviolet rays from the sun, but chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in aerosols and other products have thinned this protective layer GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Experia Inc , one of the pioneers in the online retailing in the cosmetics business, does not have a physical presence GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Insectivorous plants, which unlike other plants have the ability to trap and digest insects GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Monarch butterflies, whose average life span is nine months, migrate from the midwestern United States to selected forests outside Mexico City GMAT Critical Reasoning
• When a polygraph test is judged inconclusive, there is no reflection on the examinee GMAT Critical Reasoning
• People Often Pronounce A Word Differently GMAT Critical Reasoning
• The most important aspect of moviemaking is conveying a scene’s rhythm GMAT Critical Reasoning
• J.J. Thomson, the discoverer of the electron and a recipient of the Nobel Price in physics, trained many physicists, among them seven Nobel Price winners GMAT Critical Reasoning
• The demand for Korean horror films in America will fall considerably since American horror films are back in demand there, impacting the overall demand for Korean films GMAT Critical Reasoning
• In January of last year the Moviemania chain of movie theaters started propping its popcorn in canola oil GMAT Critical Reasoning
• Raisins are made by drying grapes in the sun GMAT Critical Reasoning