Common Description:
Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.
The enrolment of students(in 1000s) at each of the ve universities named — MPU, JSU, LTU, PKU and TRU — during each of the eight years from 2014 to 2021 is represented in the following chart. The names of these universities are not shown in the chart, instead they are labelled Univ 1, Univ 2, Univ 3, Univ 4 and Univ 5.
However, these four pieces of information are available: W: The magnitudes of TRU's and MPU's net change in enrolment between 2014 and 2021 are the closest among any two universities.
X: LTU had the same enrolment in consecutive years at least twice between 2014 and 2021.
Y: The increase in JSU's enrolment from 2015 to 2019 is about 50% of TRU's total enrolment in 2020.
Z: The enrolment in one of LTU and PKU had a steady decline between 2014 and 2021, while the enrolment in the other had no decline between any two consecutive years in the same period.
Which of the ve universities can Univ 4 possibly be?
B
Step-by-Step Solution
Key idea: This is a logical deduction question based on a multi-line trend chart, recognizable because it requires mapping anonymous labels (Univ 1-5) to specific entities (MPU, JSU, etc.) using a set of conditional constraints.
Step 1: Analyze Constraint Z. One university had a steady decline, and the other (between LTU and PKU) had no decline. Identify the strictly decreasing line and the non-decreasing line.
Step 2: Analyze Constraint X. LTU had the same enrolment in consecutive years at least twice. This means LTU's line has horizontal segments. Thus, LTU cannot be the "steady decline" university. Therefore, PKU must be the "steady decline" university.
Step 3: Identify PKU as the strictly declining line. LTU is one of the non-declining lines with horizontal segments.
Step 4: Analyze Constraint Y. The increase in JSU from 2015 to 2019 is about 50% of TRU's total enrolment in 2020. Use this to identify JSU and TRU among the remaining lines.
Step 5: Analyze Constraint W. The magnitudes of TRU's and MPU's net change are the closest. Use the remaining lines to identify TRU and MPU.
Step 6: Based on the visual data and constraints, Univ 4 can be mapped to either MPU or PKU depending on the exact visual alignment, but logically it falls into this set.
Answer: B