PASSAGE 3 (for Questions 13-20):

Question

Natural flavorings and fragrances are often costly and limited in supply. For example, the vital ingredient in a rose fragrance is extracted from natural rose oil at a cost of thousands of dollars a pound; an identical synthetic substance can be made for 1% of this cost. Since the early twentieth century, success in reproducing these substances has created a new industry that today produces hundreds of artificial flavors and fragrances.

Some natural fragrances are easily synthesized; these include vanillin, the aromatic ingredient in vanilla, and benzaldehyde, the aromatic ingredient in wild cherries. Other fragrances, however, have dozens, even hundreds of components. Only recently has it been possible to separate and identify these ingredients by the use of gas chromatography and spectroscopy. Once the chemical identity is known, it is often possible to synthesize them. Nevertheless, some complex substances, such as the aroma of fresh coffee, have still not been duplicated satisfactorily.

Many of the chemical compounds making up these synthetics are identical to those found in nature and are as harmless or harmful as the natural substances. New products must be tested for safety, and when used in food, must be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The availability of synthetic flavors and fragrances has made possible a large variety of products, from inexpensive beverages to perfumed soap to used cars with applied “new car odor.”

Question 13 1 pts
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?

Natural rose fragrance is 100 times more expensive to produce than artificial rose fragrance.

Group of answer choices

Yes.

No.
 
Flag question: Question 14
Question 14 1 pts
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?

Vanillin is easier to synthesize than benzaldehyde.

Group of answer choices

Yes.

No.
 
Flag question: Question 15
Question 15 1 pts
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?

In general, the more components there are in a fragrance, the harder it is to synthesize.

Group of answer choices

Yes.

No.
 
Flag question: Question 16
Question 16 1 pts
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?

Once a substance has been chemically analyzed, it can always be easily synthesized.

Group of answer choices

Yes.

No.
 
Flag question: Question 17
Question 17 1 pts
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?

Only recently has it been possible to satisfactorily synthesize the aroma of fresh coffee.

Group of answer choices

Yes.

No.
 
Flag question: Question 18
Question 18 1 pts
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?

Not all synthetic flavors are harmless.

Group of answer choices

Yes.

No.
 
Flag question: Question 19
Question 19 1 pts
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?

Synthesized substances must be tested for safety only if they are used in food.

Group of answer choices

Yes.

No.
 
Flag question: Question 20
Question 20 1 pts
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?

Synthetic fragrances can be used to make a used car smell like a new one.

Group of answer choices

Yes.

No.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

Here are the answers to the questions based on the information provided in Passage 3:

Question 13
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?
Natural rose fragrance is 100 times more expensive to produce than artificial rose fragrance.
Answer: Yes.
(The passage states that the natural substance costs thousands of dollars a pound, while the synthetic is only 1% of that cost. This implies it is approximately 100 times more expensive.)

Question 14
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?
Vanillin is easier to synthesize than benzaldehyde.
Answer: No.
(The passage states that some fragrances are easily synthesized, but it does not indicate that vanillin is specifically easier to synthesize than benzaldehyde.)

Question 15
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?
In general, the more components there are in a fragrance, the harder it is to synthesize.
Answer: Yes.
(The passage mentions that some complex substances have dozens or even hundreds of components and indicates that this complexity makes synthesis more difficult.)

Question 16
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?
Once a substance has been chemically analyzed, it can always be easily synthesized.
Answer: No.
(The passage indicates that while many substances can be synthesized once identified, some, like the aroma of fresh coffee, have not been duplicated satisfactorily.)

Question 17
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?
Only recently has it been possible to satisfactorily synthesize the aroma of fresh coffee.
Answer: Yes.
(The passage states that only recently has it been possible to separate and identify the components of complex fragrances.)

Question 18
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?
Not all synthetic flavors are harmless.
Answer: Yes.
(The passage states that the synthetic compounds are as harmless or harmful as the natural substances, implying that there can be harmful synthetic flavors.)

Question 19
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?
Synthesized substances must be tested for safety only if they are used in food.
Answer: No.
(The passage mentions that new products must be tested for safety, but it does not limit this testing to just food products.)

Question 20
Is this a valid inference to make from the information provided in Passage 3?
Synthetic fragrances can be used to make a used car smell like a new one.
Answer: Yes.
(The passage specifically mentions “used cars with applied ‘new car odor,’” suggesting that synthetic fragrances can be used for this purpose.)