Relationship between "detrimental" and "effective"?
A sample IELTS question in the reading section concerns a passage about how dentistry has improved over the last few centuries. The passage includes:> "...for most of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century...Barber-surgeons didn't just remove teeth, either: they also doled out detrimental advice on how to care for teeth and relieve toothache - suggesting, for instance, that patients pick their gums with the beak of an osprey bird."The question asks: >Does the following statement reflect the claims of the writer? Answer > **YES** if the statement reflects the claims of the writer > **NO** if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer > **NOT GIVEN** if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this. The statement is:>Picking one's gums with the bill of an osprey was an effective method of pain relief in the 19th century. The official correct answer is **YES**. The explanation cites the quoted text above, starting after the colon, with "sooth an aching tooth" substituted for "relieve toothache." I would have thought the answer would be **NO** because of the adjective "detrimental" indicating the writer did not think the advice was effective. Is there a positive relationship between these two adjectives that would make the answer **YES**?
The answer is definitely "Yes" because we can determine the opinion of the writer. The reason is because the word 'detrimental' indicates the opinion of the writer.
