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Flashcards: Extrapolating from the Text in Mixed Passages
Adapted from The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith (1776)
The greatest improvements in the productive powers of labor, and the greater part of the skill, dexterity, and judgment with which it is anywhere directed or applied, seem to have been the effects of the division of labor. The effects of the division of labor, in the general business of society, will be more easily understood by considering in what manner it operates in some particular manufactures. It is commonly supposed to be carried furthest in some very trifling ones; not perhaps that it really is carried further in them than in others of more importance, but in those trifling manufactures that are destined to supply the small wants of but a small number of people, the whole number of workmen must necessarily be small; and those employed in every different branch of the work can often be collected into the same workhouse, and placed at once under the view of the spectator.
In those great manufactures, on the contrary, which are destined to supply the great wants of the great body of the people, every different branch of the work employs so great a number of workmen that it is impossible to collect them all into the same workhouse. We can seldom see more, at one time, than those employed in one single branch. Though in such manufactures, therefore, the work may really be divided into a much greater number of parts, than in those of a more trifling nature, the division is not near so obvious, and has accordingly been much less observed.
To take an example, therefore, from a very trifling manufacture, but one in which the division of labor has been very often taken notice of: the trade of a pin-maker. A workman not educated to this business (which the division of labor has rendered a distinct trade), nor acquainted with the use of the machinery employed in it (to the invention of which the same division of labor has probably given occasion), could scarce, perhaps, with his utmost industry, make one pin in a day, and certainly could not make twenty. But in the way in which this business is now carried on, not only the whole work is a peculiar trade, but it is divided into a number of branches, of which the greater part are likewise peculiar trades. One man draws out the wire; another straights it; a third cuts it; a fourth points it; a fifth grinds it at the top for receiving the head; to make the head requires two or three distinct operations; to put it on is a peculiar business; to whiten the pins is another; it is even a trade by itself to put them into the paper; and the important business of making a pin is, in this manner, divided into about eighteen distinct operations, which, in some manufactories, are all performed by distinct hands, though in others the same man will sometimes perform two or three of them.
In every other art and manufacture, the effects of the division of labour are similar to what they are in this very trifling one; though, in many of them, the labour can neither be so much subdivided, nor reduced to so great a simplicity of operation. The division of labour, however, so far as it can be introduced, occasions, in every art, a proportionable increase of the productive powers of labour. The separation of different trades and employments from one another, seems to have taken place, in consequence of this advantage.
Based on the passage, what can we infer about the trade of pin-making?
Producing pins at a great rate requires very little initial investment.
One man alone can produce as many pins as he likely needs.
It is considered an outdated industry.
Other writers have considered it in light of the division of labor.
All GMAT Verbal Resources
Studying for the GMAT is an absolute necessity, as the scores you receive help to form an objective measure of the abilities business programs are looking for in ideal candidates. For applicants who find greater ease in working with numbers than with words and for those who left the classroom environment months or years ago, preparing for the rigors of the GMAT’s Verbal section can seem like an uphill battle. In addition, the Verbal section tests a notably broad range of critical reasoning skills, one more expansive than what students may expect on a single test section or have experience with from previous standardized tests. Understanding exactly what is expected of you when answering each of the section’s three question types allows you to narrow your review to where it is most needed and gain confidence by improving your weakest abilities, leaving you with a well-rounded set of verbal skills and the confidence that you can use them to succeed on your test’s Verbal section. Whether you need GMAT tutoring in Atlanta, GMAT tutoring in Houston, or GMAT tutoring in San Francisco, working one-on-one with an expert may be just the boost your studies need.
The appearance of Reading Comprehension questions on this section likely come as no surprise, as being able to quickly and accurately understand what one reads is a skill necessary to success in business. The GMAT’s Reading Comprehension questions present passages of about 350 words in length drawn from topics in the natural sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, and business. While some Reading Comprehension questions test relatively straightforward concepts like main idea and argumentative claims, others require more abstract reasoning and concern elements of writing such as authorial tone, passage organization, and the purpose and effect of given selections. Still other questions demand that students pick up on subtle cues to make inferences and draw conclusions.
Sentence correction questions may come as a slight surprise on the same section featuring the analysis of prose passages, as many standardized exams split these two skills into a reading section and a writing or English section; however, one cannot deny that the ability to communicate concisely and unambiguously serves well individuals in managerial roles. The GMAT’s Sentence Correction questions provide you with a complete sentence, part or all of which is underlined. Your task is to decide whether the underlined portion of the sentence is incorrect or could be better phrased by exchanging it with one of the provided answer choices. These questions demand a rigorous attention to small grammatical details as well as a sense of how proposed changes function in the context of the sentence as a whole. Varsity Tutors also offers resources like a free GMAT Verbal Practice Tests to help with your self-paced study, or you may want to consider a GMAT tutor.
Perhaps the most surprising GMAT Verbal question type, the Critical Reasoning questions featured on this section of the exam measure a student’s skill in analyzing the logic and soundness of arguments. Critical Reasoning questions present you with a short argument a few sentences in length and concern premises, weaknesses, and implications of that argument. Familiarizing yourself with common argumental flaws such as flaws of sampling, flaws of analogy, and causal flaws can give you a framework to rely on when approaching these questions. In addition to the GMAT Verbal Flashcards and GMAT tutoring, you may also want to consider using some of our free GMAT Verbal Diagnostic Tests.
If you feel unprepared for one, two, or all of the question types that appear on the GMAT’s Verbal section, trying practice problems in your problem areas can be a first step toward mastering them. Varsity Tutors’ free GMAT Verbal flashcards are an excellent resource that you can use anywhere at any time to practice in a focused fashion on just the topics that trouble you. Our free GMAT Verbal flashcards each offer a full explanation of the reasoning used to arrive at the correct answer; this allows any flashcards you miss to become potential learning experiences. After all, any missteps you identify and correct while studying are mistakes you are not likely to make on test day. Whether you want to review an entire problem type or focus on one specific concept tested, our GMAT Verbal flashcards are organized so that you can study at the level of specificity that best suits the current needs of your review. With the help of our flashcards and other free GMAT Verbal resources, you can make yourself an expert on each GMAT Verbal question type and look forward to demonstrating your newly-sharpened skills on your exam.
