GMAT Question of the Day

April 1, 2014

 

 

Every weekday, GMAT Hacks publishes a realistic GMAT practice question. In general, you'll see Quant problems on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and Verbal questions on Tuesday and Thursday. You'll always be able to find them at www.gmathacks.com/daily.

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Today's Practice GMAT Question:

Every year, children are born with neural tube defects, which can prevent full formation of the brain or closing of the base of the spine, causing paralysis. A primary cause was found to be a deficiency of folic acid, an essential nutrient, in the diets of pregnant women. To reduce the incidence of these birth defects, the country of Islandia began to require folic acid supplementation of all wheat flour. This ensured that everyone received adequate amounts of folic acid in their diets, thereby preventing neural tube defects in children.
 
Each of the following, if true, helps to explain how the supplementation of wheat flour could have prevented neural tube defects in children EXCEPT:
(A) Pregnant women whose families did not traditionally eat food containing folic acid found it easier to supplement their diets with the nutrient when it was already contained in a staple such as wheat flour.
(B) Aware that wheat flour had additional health benefits, Islandia residents consumed larger amounts of wheat flour than before the supplementation began.
(C) The supplementation of folic acid caused wheat flour distributors to more aggressively compete for customers, who they expected to seek out their products for health reasons.
(D) Pregnant women who ignored recommended supplements such as folic acid could not avoid including wheat flour in their daily diet.
(E) Prompted by the country's emphasis on folic acid supplementation, pregnant women sought out other foods that naturally contain folic acid.


 

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Need more work in this area? In Total GMAT Verbal, there is an entire chapter, including practice problems, that covers Explanation.

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About the author: Jeff Sackmann has written many GMAT preparation books, including the popular Total GMAT Math, Total GMAT Verbal, and GMAT 111. He has also created explanations for problems in The Official Guide, as well as 1,800 practice GMAT math questions.

Total GMAT Verbal

The comprehensive guide to the GMAT Verbal section. Recognize, dissect, and master every question type you'll face on the test. Everything you need, all in one place, including 100+ realistic practice questions.
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