Multiple choice

Directions: Read the passage/argument and answer the question that follows it.

The emergence of Internet endangers the readership of print media in the US. By every stretch of data available, the country has seen a perceptible decline in the cumulative readership of newspapers and magazines.

Which one(s) out of the following is most closely PARALLEL to the above argument given here?

  1. The mathematics faculty in my college never tried to make the subject interesting for us. Consequently, I fear mathematics till date and probably will do so in future, too.

  2. In Texas, ever since the state government curtailed the use of cell phones in high schools, there has been a marked improvement in attendance levels.

  3. The police say that in most of the US states, the spurt in teenage crimes can be attributed to an increase in the number of licensed weapons held by their parents.

  4. The proliferation of the Zana tribe in the Caribbean islands has led to a perceptible shift in crime levels for these tribals are professional criminals.

  5. The city council in Carnation has decided to pass a resolution providing for the immediate arrest of those found violating any of its traffic laws, so as to ensure utmost compliance.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The paragraph talks of a negative correlation between internet user base and the readership of print media. The correct answer would be one talking of a similar negative correlation, regardless of the subject matter or content. From this perspective, option (3) talks of a positive correlation, wherein two variables move in the same direction. Thus option (3) is wrong here. Option (1) and (5) are irrelevant to the question in hand as they do not talk of any correlation at all. Option (4) is a deceptively plausible answer as it uses the word shift which could mean either way. Hence it is not justified. Choice (3) can be rejected because it alludes to a positive correlation between two variables i.e. a rise in crime rate along with a rise in the number of licensed weapons. The best possible choice is (2), which talks of a spurt in attendance along with a fall in the use of cell phones on school campuses, implying a negative correlation.

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