Examkin

Question

Difficulty: Very hardInferential Comprehension and Deduction

Read the passage below carefully:

For generations, pastoralist communities across the semi-arid lowlands of Garissa evaluated social standing primarily through the magnitude of livestock herds. However, recurrent ecological shocks and severe pasture degradation recently forced local women’s cooperatives to pioneer camel milk processing centers equipped with solar-powered cold chains. By guaranteeing a steady supply of pasteurized milk to distant urban markets regardless of seasonal rainfall shifts, these centers established an unprecedented stream of daily cash income. Consequently, family spending reoriented from crisis-driven purchases of commercial cattle feed toward long-term human capital investments and water infrastructure maintenance. Yet, despite clear improvements in household resilience, the council of traditional clan elders initially blocked the expansion of these processing facilities into outlying districts. The elders contended that commercializing milk, historically reserved for hospitality and immediate domestic consumption, eroded the ancestral ethos of herd accumulation as the primary marker of prestige. The impasse was resolved only after the cooperatives agreed to channel a designated fraction of commercial proceeds directly into a community-managed fodder reserve designed to sustain migratory herds during peak dry periods.

Which of the following can be logically inferred regarding the traditional council's eventual endorsement of the commercial hubs?

  1. The elders accepted the commercial model because the negotiated concession directly mitigated the threat of herd depletion, thereby safeguarding the physical foundation of traditional prestige.Answer
  2. B
    The elders relinquished their ancestral belief in livestock accumulation after observing the long-term economic superiority of human capital investments.
  3. C
    The elders endorsed the expansion because the cooperatives agreed to halt milk commercialization during peak drought periods.
  4. D
    The elders initially opposed the centers primarily out of concern that female economic empowerment would dismantle traditional clan governance structures.

Answer

The elders accepted the commercial model because the negotiated concession directly mitigated the threat of herd depletion, thereby safeguarding the physical foundation of traditional prestige.
The correct answer accurately synthesizes the passage's implicit cause-and-effect relationship. The elders valued herd accumulation as the ultimate marker of prestige. By securing a dedicated fodder reserve funded by milk profits, they ensured their herds would survive droughts, thus preserving the tangible asset that confers traditional prestige.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the elders' initial core objection
The elders opposed commercial milk sales because they believed it eroded the ancestral ethos of measuring social standing and prestige by herd size.
Establishing the premise of their resistance is essential to understanding what condition would satisfy them.
2
Examine the terms of the resolution
The compromise required cooperatives to allocate milk profits toward a community fodder reserve to sustain migratory herds during dry spells.
The resolution directly links commercial milk income to livestock survival.
3
Synthesize the underlying implicit logic
Sustaining migratory herds via the fodder reserve protects livestock from dying during droughts, ensuring that the physical basis of traditional prestige (herd size) remains intact.
This logical bridge explains why the elders shifted from opposition to endorsement without abandoning their core values.

Key Concept

Inferential Comprehension and Deduction
Rate this question

Topics

Inferential Comprehension and Deduction

More questions from this topic