Maly, Simon, and Yemmy have just arrived at the Ocean Cliff Park picnic area. They each plan to spend the...
GMAT Multi Source Reasoning : (MSR) Questions
Maly, Simon, and Yemmy have just arrived at the Ocean Cliff Park picnic area. They each plan to spend the day hiking, only on trails, and then return to the picnic area. Each may hike separately from the others. They will make their determinations about hiking time, trail difficulty, and level of scenery according to the information in the park's brochure. Their individual plans are as follows:
Maly's Plan
- To hike 1 or more trail or trail section with a difficulty rating of high
- Not to hike any trail or trail section twice
Simon's Plan
- To take at least 2 hikes of no more than 4 hours each
- To begin and end each hike at the picnic area
Yemmy's Plan
- To avoid the trail with the lowest scenery rating and each trail or trail section with a high difficulty rating
Inasmuch as doing so is compatible with each person's plan, each wants to hike to as many of these 4 scenic features today as possible: Heath Hill, Shrub Hill, Surf Beach, and Whale Point.
Based on the information provided, for each of the following scenic features, select Yes if starting at the picnic area and hiking along only main trails to that feature would be compatible with Yemmy's plan as it is described. Otherwise, select No.
OWNING THE DATASET
Understanding Source A: Text - Hiking Plans
| Information from Dataset | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Maly, Simon, and Yemmy have just arrived at the Ocean Cliff Park picnic area. They each plan to spend the day hiking, only on trails, and then return to the picnic area." |
|
| "Maly's Plan: • To hike 1 or more trail or trail section with a difficulty rating of high • Not to hike any trail or trail section twice" |
|
| "Simon's Plan: • To take at least 2 hikes of no more than 4 hours each • To begin and end each hike at the picnic area" |
|
| "Yemmy's Plan: • To avoid the trail with the lowest scenery rating and each trail or trail section with a high difficulty rating" |
|
| "Inasmuch as doing so is compatible with each person's plan, each wants to hike to as many of these 4 scenic features today as possible: Heath Hill, Shrub Hill, Surf Beach, and Whale Point." |
|
Summary: Three hikers arrive at Ocean Cliff Park with different personal constraints - Maly needs high-difficulty hiking and can't repeat trails, Simon must take multiple hikes of 4 hours or less each, and Yemmy avoids both low-scenery and high-difficulty options. All three want to visit as many of four scenic features as possible within their individual limits.
Understanding Source B: Table - Parks Brochure
| Information from Dataset | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The table lists the characteristics of the park's main hiking trails. The more asterisks there are under Scenery, the more scenic the trail." |
|
| Trail A: 1.0 km, 0.25 hr, low difficulty, * scenery |
|
| Trail B: 3.8 km, 3.00 hr, "medium, though the section through Red Gorge is high", ** scenery |
|
| Trail F: 2.7 km, 2.00 hr, high difficulty, ** scenery |
|
| Trails C, D, E, G: Various lengths, medium or low difficulty, *** to **** scenery |
|
| "The map shows the park's hiking trails. The connector trails are not considered sections of the main trails." |
|
Summary: The park has seven main trails ranging from 1.0-4.6 km with varying difficulty and scenery ratings, where Trail A has the lowest scenery that Yemmy must avoid, and only Trail F plus Trail B's Red Gorge section offer the high difficulty that Maly requires. All trails fit within Simon's 4-hour limit per hike, giving him flexibility in choosing combinations.
Overall Summary
- The dataset reveals a trail selection puzzle where three hikers must choose from seven rated trails to maximize visits to four scenic features while respecting individual constraints.
- Maly must include either Trail F or the Red Gorge section of Trail B for high difficulty and cannot repeat any trail.
- Simon can use any trails but must complete at least two separate round-trip hikes from the picnic area, each under 4 hours.
- Yemmy is the most restricted, avoiding Trail A (lowest scenery), Trail F (high difficulty), and the Red Gorge section of Trail B, leaving only Trails C, D, E, G, and the non-Red Gorge portions of Trail B as options.
Question Analysis
For each of the three scenic features, determine if Yemmy can hike to that feature from the picnic area using only main trails while following her constraints.
Key Constraints:
- Starting at picnic area
- Using only main trails
- Must be compatible with Yemmy's plan
- Yemmy avoids Trail A (lowest scenery rating)
- Yemmy avoids high difficulty sections (Trail F and Red Gorge)
Answer Type Needed: Yes/No evaluation for each scenic feature
Connecting to Our Analysis
The analysis shows Yemmy's constraints and trail information is available to determine routes to Crown Cliff, Spring Grove, and Stormy Bay Beach. Trail requirements for each scenic feature can be identified from the source material.
Can Answer from Analysis Alone: Yes - Trail requirements for each scenic feature are available in the sources
Extracting Relevant Findings
Evaluating compatibility with Yemmy's plan for each scenic feature. Yemmy can use Trails B (except Red Gorge), C, D, E, and G. Trail A has lowest scenery rating; Trail F and Red Gorge have high difficulty ratings.
Hypothesis: Compatibility depends on the trails required to reach each feature.
Individual Statement/Option Evaluations
Statement 1 Evaluation
Can Yemmy reach Crown Cliff using allowed trails?
- Trail Requirements: Crown Cliff can be reached via Trail D
- Compatibility Analysis: Trail D does not have the lowest scenery rating nor a high difficulty rating
- Conclusion: Yes - Crown Cliff is compatible with Yemmy's restrictions
Statement 2 Evaluation
Can Yemmy reach Spring Grove using allowed trails?
- Trail Requirements: Spring Grove requires Trail A
- Compatibility Analysis: Trail A has the lowest scenery rating, which Yemmy must avoid
- Conclusion: No - Spring Grove is incompatible because it requires the trail with lowest scenery rating
Statement 3 Evaluation
Can Yemmy reach Stormy Bay Beach using allowed trails?
- Trail Requirements: Stormy Bay Beach requires either Trail F or a route through Trail B + Red Gorge + connector + Trail G
- Compatibility Analysis: Trail F has a high difficulty rating, and the alternative route through Red Gorge also involves a high difficulty section, both of which Yemmy must avoid
- Conclusion: No - Stormy Bay Beach is incompatible because all routes involve high difficulty sections
Systematic Checking
Trail compatibility analysis for each scenic feature:
- Crown Cliff via Trail D: Compatible (no restrictions violated)
- Spring Grove via Trail A: Incompatible (lowest scenery rating)
- Stormy Bay Beach via Trail F or Red Gorge route: Incompatible (high difficulty ratings)
- All trail requirements successfully identified from source material
Final Answer
- Statement 1: Yes
- Statement 2: No
- Statement 3: No
Crown Cliff
Spring Grove
Stormy Bay Beach