Q9

[robowarren]

Hi,

Is E not correct because "first" is not the same as pioneered (quoted in line 11) and because the passage only focuses on the two examples re oil and weather? Is E just too broad?

Thanks!

[giladedelman]

Yes. We know that Emeagwali was the first to apply parallel computing to the specific problem of mapping oil fields, but not that he was the first to apply parallel processing to any real-world problems.

(C) is correct, on the other hand, because it just says Emeagwali was the first to use a massively parallel computer to map oil flows. This is supported in the first paragraph.

(A) is out because the passage never says non-parallel computers have been rendered obsolete.

(B) is out because 1) we don't know it was his first breakthrough and 2) the passage never mentions any requests from oil companies.

(D) is incorrect in kind of the same way as (E): we know Emeagwali used insights taken from nature to achieve certain scientific breakthroughs, but there is no indication that he was the first to ever do so.

[pretty_shy96]

I stuck between (C) & (E). Unfortunately, I picked (E). I could not differentiate the between the two choices. Looking at Line 11, it says the guy pioneered the use of massively parallel computers. Would not that mean that he was the first to use massively parallel computers? Someone stated that it is not the same thing, but just to double check, the meaning is to one who is first or among the earliest in any field of inquiry, enterprise, or progress. Or is there another reason why (E) is incorrect. Can someone please explain this? Thanks in advance.

[oyxy1111]

I stuck between (C) & (E). Unfortunately, I picked (E). I could not differentiate the between the two choices. Looking at Line 11, it says the guy pioneered the use of massively parallel computers. Would not that mean that he was the first to use massively parallel computers? Someone stated that it is not the same thing, but just to double check, the meaning is to one who is first or among the earliest in any field of inquiry, enterprise, or progress. Or is there another reason why (E) is incorrect. Can someone please explain this? Thanks in advance.

Line 6-8: Emeagwali achieved breakthroughs in the design of parallel COMPUTER SYSTEMS.
(E): ...parallel processing...
Do you notice this mismatch? Parallel processing is a much broader concept.

[haeeunjee]

I stuck between (C) & (E). Unfortunately, I picked (E). I could not differentiate the between the two choices. Looking at Line 11, it says the guy pioneered the use of massively parallel computers. Would not that mean that he was the first to use massively parallel computers? Someone stated that it is not the same thing, but just to double check, the meaning is to one who is first or among the earliest in any field of inquiry, enterprise, or progress. Or is there another reason why (E) is incorrect. Can someone please explain this? Thanks in advance.

Look carefully at the sentence that starts at Line 11 -- E pioneered the use of parallel computers.... to solve the problem of predicting oil flow.

The sentence doesn't end at "pioneering." We need to read the full sentence. The accomplishment is that E used parallel computer in order to solve the oil prediction problem..

Therefore, the accomplishment is actually more narrow than pioneering in parallel computers in general. Question 9 feeds on that discrepancy.