GRE Reading Comprehension

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Source: CHP

The common cold, produced most often by rhinoviruses, is intractable to antiviral defense. A defense against rhinoviruses might nonetheless succeed by exploiting hidden similarities among the rhinovirus strains. For example, most rhinovirus strains bind to the same kind of molecule (delta-receptors) on a cell's surface when they attack human cells. Colonno, taking advantage of these common receptors, devised a strategy for blocking the attachment of rhinoviruses to their appropriate receptors. Rather than fruitlessly searching for an antibody that would bind to all rhinoviruses, Colonno realized that an antibody binding to the common receptors of a human cell would prevent rhinoviruses from initiating an infection. Because human cells normally do not develop antibodies to components of their own cells, Colonno injected human cells into mice, which did produce an antibody to the common receptor. In isolated human cells, this antibody proved to be extraordinarily effective at thwarting the rhinovirus. Moreover, when the antibody was given to chimpanzees, it inhibited rhinoviral growth, and in humans it lessened both the severity and duration of cold symptoms.

Question List: 1 2 3 4

Which of the following most logically completes the argument?

Alivia's government has approved funds for an electricity-generation project based on the construction of a pipeline that will carry water from Lake Cylus, in the mountains, to the much smaller Lake Tifele, in a nearby valley. The amount of electricity generated will be insufficient by itself to justify the project's cost, even if the price of imported oil-Alivia's primary source of electricity-increases sharply. Nonetheless, the pipeline project is worth its cost, because ——

  • A the price of oil, once subject to frequent sharp increases, has fallen significantly and is now fairly stable
  • B the project could restore Lake Tifele, which is currently at risk of drying up and thus of being lost as a source of recreation income for Alivia
  • C the government of Alivia is currently on excellent terms with the governments of most of the countries from which it purchases oil
  • D it would cost less to generate electricity by moving water from Lake Cylus to lake Tifele than to do so by moving water from Lake Cylus to another valley lake
  • E Alivian officials do not expect that the amount of electricity used in Alivia will increase substantially within the next ten years

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