Economist Reading Comprehension Challenge #5

Time for another GMAT reading comprehension booster shot! I enjoyed this article and thought I would pass it on to everyone. I hope that you enjoy the article and the RC questions!  In case you are just starting out with the Economist Reading Comprehension Challenge take a look at this article about using the economist to improve GMAT reading comprehension. Happy Studies!!

Here is the link to the Economist article:

http://www.economist.com/news/science-a … tty-tissue

The Economist: Altered States

1. Which of the following best expresses the main point of the passage?

A. While long known that exercise lowers cholesterol a new study has conclusively demonstrated that exercise also protects against a wide range of diseases such as diabetes and osteoporosis.

B. A new study has demonstrated that exercise changes the composition of fat cells allowing them to be stored more efficiently.

C. Long known as a panacea for health, exercise has been shown to have far reaching effects even when done inconsistently.

D. While long known to improve health and protect the body from various ills, exercise has now been shown to alter the genes in the tissues that store fat, a change that may help the body store excess calories in a healthier way.

E. Exercise promotes health and protects the body from various diseases but lifestyle choices have an equal impact on overall health and longevity.

2. According to the passage each the following is a benefit of exercise EXCEPT?

A. A stronger and more efficient immune response

B. Protection from heart attacks

C. A healthier allocation of fat cells

D. Greater cell communication

E. A more efficient cardiovascular system

3. The passage supports which of the following statements about epigenetic markers?

A. To understand the most important benefits of exercise it is critical to understand their structure

B. In the past, it has been too expensive to analyze them

C. Although there may be challenges related to studying them, detecting them is relatively easy.

D. Without them exercise would be far less beneficial

E. They are more difficult to detect in a person with adult-onset diabetes

4. The study mentioned in the third paragraph supports which of the following statements about exercise?

A. There is a minimum amount of exercise necessary to see some of the benefits normally associated with exercise.

B. Increasing the number of work-out sessions per week will increase the benefits of exercise but any amount of exercise is still beneficial to bodily health

C. Physiological changes from exercise can be observed in as little as six months of moderate work-outs

D. Although fatty tissue is considered an organ it is of far less importance than the liver or the pancreas

E. Muscle tissue is different than fatty tissue in that the latter is considered an organ and releases chemicals that have an impact on other organs.

Answers

1. D

2. A

3. C

4. C