Analysis of Short Passage

GRE Verbal Problem Solving
1

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I analyzed the passage as per the following. Can any expert give me a feedback?

Simplification & Function:

  1. Theories on many things but the ditching of Cliff is a paradox ~ fact/ introduction of topic
  2. Researchers studied waste and found-
    • during prosperity, maize found in 44% sample
    • during degrowth, maize found in 10% sample; wild plant went up ~ details of research
  3. During degrowth, waste of home Turkey went down, wild animals went up~ further details
  4. It can be inferred due to less crop hunting increased ~ inference

Primary Purpose: the author is describing a possible explanation of the fact that why cliff dwellers abandoned that particular area

Main Idea: the consumption of wild plants and animals increased due to crop failure

*** Author is neutral, not supporting or contradicting any idea
*** the tone of the passage is medium, not too strong

2

This works, but it could be simpler.

  1. The abandonment is a puzzle.
  2. Maize refuse went down when depopulation occurred (seems like they ran out of maize?)
  3. More data about food (I’m unsure what this means until I read the last sentence)
  4. Oh yeah, the data = food shortages.

The primary purpose is the main idea. ETS doesn’t use “main idea”; they use “primary purpose”.

There is no tone. This is just a passage describing a theory.

3

Thank you so much