An economic council evaluated the agriculture-related industries of a certain country's overall economy. The stacked-bar graph shows for each of...
GMAT Graphics Interpretation : (GI) Questions
An economic council evaluated the agriculture-related industries of a certain country's overall economy. The stacked-bar graph shows for each of eight consecutive years (Y1–Y8) the value added to the country's economy by each of five agriculture-related industries: food service, textile/apparel, food products, forestry/fishing, and farming.
From each drop-down menu, select the option that creates the most accurate statement according to the information provided.
Owning The Dataset
Table 1: Text Analysis
| Text Component | Content |
|---|---|
| Evaluating entity | An economic council evaluated |
| Subject matter | Agriculture-related industries |
| Geographic context | A certain country's overall economy |
| Chart type | The stacked-bar graph shows |
| Time period | Eight consecutive years \((Y1–Y8)\) |
| Measurement | Value added to the country's economy |
| Categories | Five industries: food service, textile/apparel, food products, forestry/fishing, farming |
Table 2: Chart Analysis
| Chart Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Chart structure | Stacked bar chart, five segments per bar (industry split by year) |
| X-axis | Years \(Y1–Y8\) |
| Y-axis | Value added in billions of dollars \((\$0–\$900B \text{ scale})\) |
| Industry segments | Food service (largest), textile/apparel, food products, forestry/fishing, farming |
| Maximum segment | Food service in Y7, \(\$400B\) |
| Smallest segments | Forestry/fishing and textile/apparel, \(\$10B–\$20B\) consistently |
| Overall trend | Total values generally increase over time |
Key Insights
Food service is the dominant contributor each year, with its highest value \((\$400B)\) in year Y7—the single largest industry value observed. Forestry/fishing and textile/apparel make the smallest contributions, usually between \(\$10B–\$20B\) per year. Overall, the chart shows a general upward trend in the combined value added by all five industries from Y1 to Y8.
Step-by-Step Solution
Question 1: Identify the Industry with the Greatest Single-Year Value Added
Complete Statement:
For Y1 through Y8, the greatest of the yearly values added to the country's economy by a single agriculture-related industry was added by the [BLANK 1] industry.
Breaking Down the Statement
- Statement Breakdown 1:
- Key Phrase: For Y1 through Y8
- Meaning: This means we are considering all years displayed in the chart, from Y1 to Y8.
- Relation to Chart: We must look at every year's data in the chart to find the maximum value.
- Important Implications: Our answer should not be limited to a particular year; we need the maximum across all years.
- Statement Breakdown 2:
- Key Phrase: the greatest of the yearly values
- Meaning: We are being asked to find the single highest (maximum) value among yearly contributions.
- Relation to Chart: Look for the largest single segment (height) in any one year on the chart.
- Important Implications: We are not summing values or finding an average—only the single largest value.
- What is needed: We need to find which industry (across all years) added the largest single yearly value.
Solution:
- Condensed Solution Implementation:
Examine each industry segment in each year to find the tallest single segment. - Necessary Data points:
Industry segment heights by year—especially those that look the tallest: Food service in Y7 \((\$400B)\) stands out. - Calculations Estimations:
Comparing segment heights visually or from data: the food service segment in year Y7 is \(\$400B\), higher than any other segment across all years. - Comparison to Answer Choices:
Comparing available choices reveals that food service's \(\$400B\) in Y7 is greater than the maximum values from other industries.
FINAL ANSWER Blank 1: Food service
Question 2: Identify the Year the Maximum Occurred
Complete Statement:
For Y1 through Y8, the greatest of the yearly values added to the country's economy by a single agriculture-related industry was added by the food service industry in [BLANK 2].
Breaking Down the Statement
- Statement Breakdown 1:
- Key Phrase: by the food service industry
- Meaning: We are now only considering the food service industry.
- Relation to Chart: Locate the food service segment (the same color/texture in each bar) in each year.
- Statement Breakdown 2:
- Key Phrase: in [BLANK 2]
- Meaning: We must determine in which year this maximum value for food service occurred.
- Relation to Chart: Compare food service segment heights in every year (Y1-Y8) to identify the highest point.
- What is needed: We need to determine the year in which the food service industry contributed its maximum value.
Solution:
- Condensed Solution Implementation:
Scan across all years, looking at only the food service segments, and find the tallest value. - Necessary Data points:
Food service values by year: Y5 \((\$330B)\), Y6 \((\$270B)\), Y7 \((\$400B)\), Y8 \((\$360B)\), etc. - Calculations Estimations:
Direct comparison: Y7's food service value is \(\$400B\), which is higher than other years' values for food service. - Comparison to Answer Choices:
Among the answer choices for the year (Y6, Y7, Y8), Y7 matches the year with the \(\$400B\) maximum.
FINAL ANSWER Blank 2: Y7
Summary
To solve this problem, we needed to identify the largest yearly value contributed by any single agriculture-related industry. The food service segment in year Y7, with a value of \(\$400B\), is the greatest. Thus, the answers are 'Food service' for the industry and 'Y7' for the year.
Question Independence Analysis
The questions are dependent. The answer to the second (which year) relies on correctly identifying the industry with the maximum value from the first. Blank 1 determines the context for Blank 2.