Reading Comprehension

PT125 · S1 · P2 · Q8 Drilling Muds

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Passage A Drilling fluids, including the various mixtures known as drilling muds, play essential roles in oil-well drilling.

Central Topic / Purpose

Drilling muds / to describe something and highlight a problem associated with it

Main Point

Drilling muds are carefully calibrated liquids important in oil-well drilling, but their complexity and the opacity of their recipes make it hard to study their environmental impact.

Central Topic / Purpose

Environmental impact of drilling muds / to describe the different environmental impacts of different drilling muds

Main Point

Water-based mud isn't very harmful and can be tossed overboard, while oil-based muds are potentially harmful and their disposal is much more tightly regulated.

Relationship

Both passages shared similar topics (drilling mud / environmental impact). Passage A felt a little more like it was trying to highlight a potential problem, while Passage B is written more in the style of neutrally describing the potential harm of OBM's. Overall, they seem pretty complementary and overlapping.

8.

Each of the following is supported by one or both of the passages EXCEPT:

  1. Clay is an important constituent

    Supportable in Passage A

    The 2nd paragraph of Passage A mentions that clays are in drilling muds, and the 2nd paragraph of Passage B says that bentonite clay is in WBMs. Neither passage identifies clay as important, but it's pretty supportable to think that if clay is included in Passage A's general factoid about drilling muds (drilling muds are made of bentonite and other clays), then it's probably important in many muds.

    9% picked this

  2. At least one type of

    Supportable in Passage B

    We learn that WBMs are not significantly toxic to marine life in passage B.

    4% picked this

  3. There has been some study

    Supportable in Both

    Given that Passage A indicates some difficulties with studying the impact of discharges and that Passage B indicates some awareness we have of the benignity of WBMs and the possible harm (scallops / mineral oil) of OBMs, it seems very reasonable to assume that at least some attempt to study the environmental effects has already taken place.

    9% picked this

  4. Government regulations allow drilling muds

    Supportable in Passage B

    Since we know that the use of OBMs is regulated and we know that they contain 30% mineral oil, we know that regulations allow for a type of mud that contains 30% mineral oil.

    25% picked this

  5. Correct

    During the drilling of an

    Why this is right

    Passage A doesn't even mention the ocean or any other body of water. Passage B comes closer, but there's no way to derive that "the entire time drilling is happening, mud is simultaneously being discharged into the sea". It says that drilling mud is released "only during the drilling phase", but that means: drilling phase → mud released not drilling phase → mud released

    Skill tested: Inference · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.

    52% picked this

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