Question

Difficulty: MediumSingle-Sentence Inferences

Read the following sentence from an academic analysis of early twentieth-century architectural acoustics:

"Although Wallace Sabine's 1900 mathematical model of reverberation time provided architects with their first quantitative tool for evaluating auditorium acoustics, the formula presupposed a completely diffuse sound field—a state seldom achieved in rectangular halls that lack acoustic diffusers or sound-absorbing surface treatments."

True or False: Based on the sentence above, in rectangular halls lacking acoustic diffusers or sound-absorbing surface treatments, Sabine's model relies on a physical condition that is rarely met.

Answer: Answer

Answer

The statement is True.
The statement is True because the target sentence directly pairs the model's assumption ('presupposed a completely diffuse sound field') with the factual observation that this state is 'seldom achieved' in untreated rectangular halls. Therefore, in those specific halls, the model depends on a condition that is rarely present.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core premise of Sabine's mathematical model mentioned in the sentence.
The formula presupposes (assumes as a prerequisite) a completely diffuse sound field.
Single-sentence inference requires isolating explicit conditions before assessing deductions.
2
Identify the prevalence of this condition in the specified environment.
A completely diffuse sound field is 'seldom achieved' in rectangular halls lacking diffusers or absorbing treatments.
The sentence directly describes the frequency of the required physical condition in halls without treatments.
3
Synthesize the premise and the environmental condition.
Since the model depends on a condition that is seldom achieved in untreated rectangular halls, the statement accurately reflects the sentence.
Connecting 'presupposed' with 'seldom achieved' yields a direct, valid single-sentence deduction.

Key Concept

Single-Sentence Logical Inference
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