For years, U.S. employers have counted on a steady flow of labor from Mexico willing to accept low-skilled, low paying jobs. These workers, many of whom leave economically depressed villages in the Mexican interior, are often more than willing to work for wages well below both the U.S. minimum wage and the poverty line. However, thanks to a dramatic demographic shift currently taking place in Mexico, the seemingly inexhaustible supply of workers migrating from Mexico to the United States might one day greatly diminish if not cease.

Predictions of such a drastic decrease in the number of Mexican immigrants, both legal and illegal, are driven by Mexico’s rapidly diminishing population growth. As a result of a decades-long family planning campaign, most Mexicans are having far fewer children than was the norm a generation ago. The campaign, organized around the slogan that “the small family lives better,” saw the Mexican government establish family-planning clinics and offer free contraception. For nearly three decades, the government’s message concerning population hasn’t wavered. In fact, the Mexican Senate recently voted to extend public school sex education programs to kindergarten.

The result of Mexico’s efforts to stem population growth is nothing short of stunning. In 1968, the average Mexican woman had just fewer than seven children; today, the figure is slightly more than two. For two primary reasons, Mexico’s new demographics could greatly impact the number of Mexicans seeking work in the U.S. First, smaller families by their nature limit the pool of potential migrants. Second, the slowing of Mexico’s population growth has fostered hope that Mexico will develop a healthy middle class of people content to make their livelihoods in their home country.

Though the former of these factors is all but assured, the growth of a healthy middle class is far from a foregone conclusion. The critical challenge for Mexico is what it does with the next 20 years. Mexico must invest in education, job training, and infrastructure, as well as a social-security system to protect its aging population. If Mexico is willing to step forward and meet this challenge, America may one day wake up to find that, like cheap gasoline, cheap Mexican labor has become a thing of the past.

3. One function of the final paragraph of the passage is to

A.) relate why the number of Mexican immigrants seeking work in the United States is certain to decline.

B.) detail the successes of Mexico’s family planning campaign.

C.) explain why the number of Mexican immigrants seeking work in the United States may not dramatically decrease.

D.) specify the types of infrastructure in which Mexico must invest.

E.) notify American employers that they will soon need to find alternative sources of labor.


Hi - correct answer is marked as C. I chose D and can't see why it's wrong. Here are the MGMAT explanations for C and D:

(C) CORRECT. The final paragraph explains that Mexico must take specific actions to foster the development of a healthy middle class. Without a healthy middle class, the author believes that large numbers of Mexicans will continue to seek work in the United States.

(D) Though the author does mention that Mexico must invest in infrastructure, no mention is made of the types of infrastructure this investment should benefit.

The official explanation classifying (D) as incorrect seems not only ambiguous but also incorrect itself? What does "this investment should benefit" refer to/mean? Furthermore, the author does mention specific types of infrastructure to invest in in the final paragraph ("Mexico must invest in education, job training, and infrastructure, as well as a social-security system to protect its aging population.").

Thanks for your help.

Following is paraphrasing of passage

1st para makes a prediction
-Because of the demographic shift taking place in mexico, the number of Mexicans immigrating to US might diminish greatly one day.

2nd para states what drives the prediction
-The prediction is based on the sustained family planning campagin run by Mexican govt

3rd para explains how as a result of the campagin, Number of mexicans mighrating to US might decrease
1. The very nature of smaller families to limit immigration
2. Hope that a healthy middle class wil arise in mexico and people will find employment in the home country only.

4th para, though nodding in favor of first factor, limits the viablitily of occurance of second factor, or in other words adds the skepticism
-first factor is rest assured
-if mexico takes number of steps, then only middle class will arise ,and the goal will be achieved.


The final paragraph thus limits the prediction, or adds skepticism that the goal might not be achieved , and this is what answer choice C states

nope. take a closer look at the quote that you produced.
the quote mentions "infrastructure", but does not go into further detail as to exactly what kind of infrastructure.
had the passage mentioned particular types of infrastructure, that would have come after the word "infrastructure" (e.g., "infrastructure, such as...")

note that education, job training, and a social-security system are NOT infrastructure. ("infrastructure" refers to buildings, roads, power grid, and other physical essentials of a modern society.)

--

in general:
if a WIDE-SCOPE QUESTION (main idea, purpose of an entire paragraph, etc.) mentions a specific detail from the passage, you should be suspicious.

you shouldn't necessarily eliminate it on the spot, but you should be suspicious. one of the most common ways in which they'll tempt you is to include words from the passage itself in an effort to confuse you.

I tried finding discussions around option A but found none so opening the thread


Why is option A wrong?

In Para 3 author says "Though the former of these factors is all but assured, the growth of a healthy middle class is far from a foregone conclusion"

Given that smaller families will surely limit immigrants why can't we take that as purpose of para. I agree author highlighted challenges for development of middle class but he says wait and watch policy by saying "It remains to be seen whether government and industry will answer these challenges as vigorously as the family-planning campaign answered the problem of population growth"

In end I still feel author left a impression that immigrants from Mexico will reduce. Reduction may not be drastic but will be there.

Any expert comment or comments from fellow gmatters

Check out the wording in A--"relate why the number of Mexican immigrants seeking work in the United States is certain to decline". That is VERY extreme wording and is not what the author is saying. In fact the author says "If Mexico is willing to step forward and meet this challenge, America may one day wake up to find that, like cheap gasoline, cheap Mexican labor has become a thing of the past." There is no certainty in what the author is saying.

Contrast that to the wording in the correct answer, C: "explain why the number of Mexican immigrants seeking work in the United States may not dramatically decrease."

_________________
Jamie Nelson
ManhattanGMAT Instructor