Explanation

If crop yield per planted acre was less in the Soviet Union than it was in the United States, yet crop yield per total (planted plus fallow) agricultural acreage was greater in the Soviet Union than it was in the United States, the percentage of the total acreage that was left fallow must have been lower in the Soviet Union than in the United States.

Therefore, Choice A is the correct answer. Since the information provided in the paragraph is given in terms of yield per acre, no conclusion can be drawn about actual acreage, so Choices B, C, and D are all incorrect. Similarly, it is impossible to determine the total volume of crops produced in the Soviet Union, so Choice E is incorrect.

Can anyone give the reason why A is correct . i feel very difficult to comprehend the exp

Please explain in details. It is very tough question indeed.

1)
A ten-year comparison between the United States and the Soviet Union in terms of crop yields per acre revealed that when only planted acreage is compared, Soviet yields were equal to 68 percent of United States yields.

Here, we are focusing on the crop yielded PER acre. However, it is crucial to keep in mind that we are comparing ONLY the planted land
For instance, US cultivate 1000 acreage and from these, it yields 100 kg of brocccoli.
Russia of the same extension has 6.8 kg of broccoli


2)
When total agricultural acreage (planted acreage plus fallow acreage) is compared, however, Soviet yield was 114 percent of United States yield.

From the information above, which of the following can be most reliably inferred about United States and Soviet agriculture during the ten-year period?

A A higher percentage of total agricultural acreage was fallow in the United States than in the Soviet Union.

This is the correct choice. From what I have highlighted above is the only thing we can infer. For russia to have 114% means that the acreage it cultivates is almost if not in its entirety exploited

B The United States had more fallow acreage than planted acreage.

This is information is only partial if any

C Fewer total acres of available agricultural land were fallow in the Soviet Union than in the United States.

The total acres area can not be inferred because we do not have enough information

D The Soviet Union had more planted acreage than fallow acreage.

We do have only information about % not quantities of planted land

E The Soviet Union produced a greater volume of crops than the United States produced.

The volume is out of scope

Hopèe now is more clear than before to you

Hi, Thanks for the explanation.
I have once concern.

I understood the 1st part that if we compare 100 planted acreage(PA) from Soviet Union and USA we will get, 68% yield and 100% yield, respectively.
PA(Soviet)=0.68PA(US)
But in the 2nd part Soviet has 114% of the Total Acreage(TA) of that of US.

and TA=PA+fallow
Hence TA(Soviet)=114/100[TA(US)]
[PA+fallow](Soviet)=114/100[PA+fallow](US)
0.68PA(US)+fallow(Soviet)=1.14PA(US)+1.14fallow(US)
fallow(Soviet)=0.46PA(US)+1.14fallow(US)
Hence, by this logic
fallow(Soviet)>fallow(US)

Please tell me where I am wrong and what could have been the proper method

I have the same doubt about it. I think the question the better method to answer this is using elimination (B to E options don't talk about percentage but about total and this is not possible to infer from the argument. Because if we analyze the question I think is wrong.

It seems like the catch is YIELD - if the yield is more, then the fallow area will be less.
In the first look, it seems like A is incorrect. But, when we consider yield, it is correct.

I didn't think this was a great passage. The answers assume that US and Soviet agricultural practices are the same. We do not know that. US could have better farming technologies or better crop strains. Inferences about fallow land seemed presumptuous.

My Understanding.

Per acre - US - 100 KG Wheat SU - 68 KG Wheat.
Per 10 acres - US - 1000 KG Wheat SU - 680 KG Wheat.

Add x Acres fallow (Zero yeild) for US , y Acres for SU - Then - As per passage US - 100 SU - 114 Meaning - The number of Fallow acres added for soviets is lesser than that of the us. If it was the same then US Yield should have been more. Hence Answer A - Hope this helps.

­To solve this question, let us deploy IMS's four-step technique.

STEP #1 -> IDENTIFY THE QUESTION TYPE

Let us read the question stem to identify the question type.


The stem indicates an inference question.

STEP #2 -> X-RAY THE PASSAGE

In an inference question, it is a must to x-ray the passage and comprehend it. Let us therefore read the passage first and note the facts soon after.


FACT #1: A ten-year comparison between the United States and the Soviet Union in terms of crop yields per acre revealed that when only planted acreage is compared, Soviet yields were equal to 68 percent of United States yields.

FACT #2: When total agricultural acreage (planted acreage plus fallow acreage) is compared, however, Soviet yield was 114 percent of United States yield.

STEP #3 -> FRAME A SHADOW ANSWER

To frame a shadow answer, we need to know what the correct answer should do. In an inference question, the correct answer must be 100 percent validated by the information stated in the passage.

SHADOW ANSWER: An option that is fully validated by the stated facts in the passage.

STEP #4 -> ELIMINATE INCORRECT ANSWERS

Options that do not match the shadow answer can be eliminated.

A. A higher percentage of total agricultural acreage was fallow in the United States than in the Soviet Union. - MATCHES THE SHADOW ANSWER - Does the passage deal with percentage values? Yes, both the facts have percentage values! Does the passage talk of total agricultural acreage in the US and Soviet Union, and does it make a comparison between the United States and Soviet Union with respect to the percentage of total agricultural acreage? Yes! Does either fact talk of fallow acreage? Yes, fact #2 does! Do we have a reason to eliminate the option? No! - KEEP

B. The United States had more fallow acreage than planted acreage. - NOT A MATCH - Does the passage make a comparison between fallow acreage and planted acreage in the US? No! - ELIMINATE

C. Fewer total acres of available agricultural land were fallow in the Soviet Union than in the United States. - NOT A MATCH - Does the passage make a comparison between the Soviet Union and the United States with respect to total acres of available agricultural land? No!- ELIMINATE

D. The Soviet Union had more planted acreage than fallow acreage. - NOT A MATCH - Does the passage discuss total planted or fallow acreage in the Soviet Union? No! - ELIMINATE

E. The Soviet Union produced a greater volume of crops than the United States produced. - NOT A MATCH - Does the passage compare volume of crops in the Soviet Union and United States? No! - ELIMINATE

FINAL CHECK

Let us understand a few terms before we look at this inference question mathematically.

acreage = area of land in acres
fallow = unplanted

Now, let us say the planted area in the United States was 1000 acres.
Let us say the planted area in the Soviet Union was also 1000 acres.
Simply put, the planted acreage in both nations was 1000 acres.

As per fact #1, Soviet yields were equal to 68 percent of United States yields when planted acreage was compared.
Therefore, the United States had crop yields of 1000/1000 (1) while the Soviet Union's crop yields stood at 680/1000 (0.68).

Let us now say the United States had 1000 acres of fallow land as well.
The crop yields would then be 1000/2000 or 0.5 (Crop yields in planted area + Crop yield in fallow area ÷ planted acreage + fallow acreage); remember, since fallow land is unplanted, it cannot have any yield.

Now, Fact #2 mentions that Soviet yield was 114 percent of United States yield when total agricultural acreage was compared.
So, it was 114/100 x 0.5 = 1.14 x 0.5 = 0.57.

FACT CHECK: 0.57 (Soviet yield) is 114% of 0.5 (US yield) when total agricultural acreage is compared while Soviet yields (680) are equal to 68 percent of United States yields (1000) when planted acreage was compared.

Now, let us figure out the total agricultural acreage in the Soviet Union.

Planted acreage divided by total agricultural acreage will give us the yield, which is 0.57.
680 ÷ total agricultural acreage = 0.57
So, total agricultural acreage in the Soviet Union = 6800 ÷ 0.57 = about 1193.
Therefore, the fallow acreage in the Soviet Union would be total acreage minus planted acreage, that is 1193 - 1000 = 193.

The fallow acreage in the United States was 1000 acres, that is 50 percent of the total agricultural acreage.
The fallow acreage in the Soviet Union, however, was roughly 193 acres, about 16 percent of the total agricultural acreage.

Clearly, a higher percentage of total agricultural acreage was fallow in the United States than in the Soviet Union.

Hence, (A) is definitely the correct answer.