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People with a certain eye disorder are virtually unable to see in moderately bright light, which seems to them unbearably intense, since the cells of their retinas are overwhelmed by moderately bright light. These people do, however, show normal sensitivity to most components of dim light. Their retinal cells are also not excessively sensitive to red components of moderately bright light.
The information above best supports which of the following hypotheses about people with the disorder described, if they have no other serious visual problems?
This is a well-disguised Inference question. In Inference question type, we must pick the answer that can absolutely be derived from the information provided in the passage. The most common wrong answers are "could be true, but not necessarily true" and "new data / information" traps.
Most of the time, Inference questions contain only facts & premises. Let's identify them:
P1 - people w/ a certain eye disorder cannot see in moderately bright light because it overwhelms the eyes.
P2 - people w/ that disorder can see OK in dim light.
P3 - but, people w/ that disorder can see red component of the moderately bright light (btw, physics, and more specifically, optics says that light has several components - blue, red, green, yellow - to name a few). If you are 10,000 miles away from Physics... Perhaps, you have seen a cover of the
Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon that shows the prism? This is the perfect example of how the light can be broken down into components.
Also, it is logical to assume there are three categories of light: dim, moderate, and intense (not covered here). Yes, Inference questions allow to assume some common sense information, even if it is not provided in the passage. For example, France is in Europe, wheat is a grain, water is heaver than air, and so on.
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A. In all moderately dim light in which people without the disorder can read large print, people with the disorder cannot read such print.
The argument does not talk about large prints... So, this option is out.
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B. In an otherwise darkened concert hall, these people will see a dimly illuminated red exit sign more clearly than small dim white lights that mark the aisles.
Though it is a tempting option, it is incorrect. We cannot make any inferences about which components of light people w/ disorder can see better in dim light. We just know they can see in dim light.
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C. These people typically see more acutely at night and in dim light than do most people who do not have the disorder.
The argument does not discuss people who do not have the disorder, so we cannot make any comparisons.
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D. Eyeglasses that are transparent to red components of light but filter out other components of light help these people see in moderately bright light.
Okay. This option is closely related to P3, i.e. in moderate light people can see red component, but cannot see any other components which, in ensemble, are too intense, making the person's eye too sensitive to moderate light. If the glasses filter all components except for the red one in moderate light, the person will be able to see smth.
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E. These people perceive colors other than red in the same way as do most people who do not have the disorder.
This one provides too much of new information. Out for the same reason as (A).