GMAT Critical Reasoning Discussions

I wud have marked option C

what is the OA??

Neighboring landholders: Air pollution from the giant aluminum refinery that has been built next to our land is killing our plants.
Company spokesperson: The refinery is not to blame, since our study shows that the damage is due to insects and fungi.


Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the conclusion drawn by the company spokesperson?
  1. The study did not measure the quantity of pollutants emitted into the surrounding air by the aluminum refinery.
  2. The neighboring landholders have made no change in the way they take care of their plants.
  3. Air pollution from the refinery has changed the chemical balance in the plants' environment, allowing the harmful insects and fungi to thrive.
  4. Pollutants that are invisible and odorless are emitted into the surrounding air by the refinery.
  5. The various species of insects and fungi mentioned in the study have been occasionally found in the locality during the past hundred years.
19. Which of the following best completes the paragraph below?
Despite their seemingly inflated price, custom-made guitars continue to be preferred because they are thought to have a markedly better sound due to the perceived superiority of handcraftsmanship over assembly line mass production. Assigning the moniker "custom made" to instruments that are mass-produced, albeit in limited quantities for similar price, would hurt the perception of the term "custom made" because ________________________________________
(A) those purchasers able to would be unwilling to spend money on assembly-line instruments
(B) easy replication diminishes the aura of uniqueness implied by carefully hand-made products
(C) an inflated price will no longer reflect an instrument's harmonic and tonal superiority
(D) greater availability of high priced instruments will immediately increase profitability
(E) machine replication is not necessarily less costly or more efficient
Despite their seemingly inflated price, custom-made guitars continue to be preferred because they are thought to have a markedly better sound due to the perceived superiority of handcraftsmanship over assembly line mass production. Assigning the moniker custom made to instruments that are mass-produced, albeit in limited quantities for similar price, would hurt the perception of the term custom made because easy replication diminishes the aura of uniqueness implied by carefully hand-made products

I would have marked option B

What is the OS??

19. Which of the following best completes the paragraph below?
Despite their seemingly inflated price, custom-made guitars continue to be preferred because they are thought to have a markedly better sound due to the perceived superiority of handcraftsmanship over assembly line mass production. Assigning the moniker custom made to instruments that are mass-produced, albeit in limited quantities for similar price, would hurt the perception of the term custom made because ________________________________________
(A) those purchasers able to would be unwilling to spend money on assembly-line instruments
(B) easy replication diminishes the aura of uniqueness implied by carefully hand-made products
(C) an inflated price will no longer reflect an instruments harmonic and tonal superiority
(D) greater availability of high priced instruments will immediately increase profitability
(E) machine replication is not necessarily less costly or more efficient
I wud have marked option C

what is the OA??

Even i chose the option 3 but the PDF which I was using says the answer is option 2..May be the answer key is wrong
Thanks All!!
The OA is option C ;)

@amar_sinha: I also chose option B...


Hi Varun,
Can you post the OA explanation for this.

People tend to estimate the likelihood of an event's occurrence according to its salience; that is, according to how strongly and how often it comes to their attention.
By placement and headlines, newspapers emphasize stories about local crime over stories about crime elsewhere and about many other major events.

It can be concluded on the basis of the statements above that, if they are true, which of the following is most probably also true?

  1. The language used in newspaper headlines about local crime is inflammatory and fails to respect the rights of suspects.
  2. The coverage of international events in newspapers is neglected in favor of the coverage of local events.
  3. Readers of local news in newspapers tend to overestimate the amount of crime in their own localities relative to the amount of crime in other places.
  4. None of the events concerning other people that are reported in newspapers is so salient in people's minds as their own personal experiences.
  5. The press is the news medium that focuses people's attention most strongly on local crimes.
Neighboring landholders: Air pollution from the giant aluminum refinery that has been built next to our land is killing our plants.
Company spokesperson: The refinery is not to blame, since our study shows that the damage is due to insects and fungi.


Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the conclusion drawn by the company spokesperson?
  1. The study did not measure the quantity of pollutants emitted into the surrounding air by the aluminum refinery.
  2. The neighboring landholders have made no change in the way they take care of their plants.
  3. Air pollution from the refinery has changed the chemical balance in the plants' environment, allowing the harmful insects and fungi to thrive.
  4. Pollutants that are invisible and odorless are emitted into the surrounding air by the refinery.
  5. The various species of insects and fungi mentioned in the study have been occasionally found in the locality during the past hundred years.

Neighboring landholders: Air pollution from the giant aluminum refinery that has been built next to our land is killing our plants.
Company spokesperson: The refinery is not to blame, since our study shows that the damage is due to insects and fungi.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the conclusion drawn by the company spokesperson?

  1. The study did not measure the quantity of pollutants emitted into the surrounding air by the aluminum refinery.
  2. The neighboring landholders have made no change in the way they take care of their plants.
  3. Air pollution from the refinery has changed the chemical balance in the plants' environment, allowing the harmful insects and fungi to thrive.
  4. Pollutants that are invisible and odorless are emitted into the surrounding air by the refinery.
  5. The various species of insects and fungi mentioned in the study have been occasionally found in the locality during the past hundred years.
  1. This can be true. But still the study shows that the damage is done by insects and fungi. This might not weaken the conclusion to that extent.
  2. This in no way weakens the conclusion
  3. This is the perfect statement which weakens the conclusion. The study that the damage is done by fungi and insects is true but the growth of fungi and insects is due to the change in chemical balance in plants environment. And this change in chemical balance is due to pollution. So ultimately refinery has to be blamed for the killing of plants.
  4. Doesn't weaken the conclusion
  5. Doesn't weaken the conclusion
People tend to estimate the likelihood of an event's occurrence according to its salience; that is, according to how strongly and how often it comes to their attention.
By placement and headlines, newspapers emphasize stories about local crime over stories about crime elsewhere and about many other major events.


It can be concluded on the basis of the statements above that, if they are true, which of the following is most probably also true?
  1. The language used in newspaper headlines about local crime is inflammatory and fails to respect the rights of suspects.
  2. The coverage of international events in newspapers is neglected in favor of the coverage of local events.
  3. Readers of local news in newspapers tend to overestimate the amount of crime in their own localities relative to the amount of crime in other places.
  4. None of the events concerning other people that are reported in newspapers is so salient in people's minds as their own personal experiences.
  5. The press is the news medium that focuses people's attention most strongly on local crimes.


C is the right one.
Hi Varun,
Can you post the OA explanation for this.


Dont ask me anything.. this is what it says ;

Identify the question type


The question says 'Which of the following conclusions can be most properly inferred from the premises above.', so you are clearly being asked to a supply the conclusion to the argument. Identify the premises



There are two premises to this argument
  1. The market place changes faster than companies can re-organize.
  2. By not re-organizing you can focus on making your company flexible in other ways.
Try to draw a conclusion

Remember a conclusion must tie together all the premises.
If you can predict a conclusion check whether it appears in the answers, if you cannot we move on to...
Process of elimination

Answer A
Investing in staff is implied by the second premise and so is very tempting to select but remember a conclusion has to tie all the premises together and this answer does does not relate to the first premise at all. This means it should be eliminated.
Answer B
Investing in research may be advantageous for the company but it does not follow from either of the premises and can be eliminated.
Answer C
Stick to on organizational structure. This fits with both premises the first says that companies cannot reorganize fast enough and the second which says effort that would have been spent re-organizing can be reinvested in more effective strategies. This looks like a good candidate.
Answer D
This contradicts the first premise and so should be eliminated as a possible conclusion.
Answer E
Again we have to assume that the premises are true and since the first premise says that companies cannot re-organize at a fast enough rate, this answer should be eliminated.

We have eliminated all the answers except C so this must be correct.
Thanks All!!
The OA is option C ;)

@amar_sinha: I also chose option B...



guys .. sorry i meant ans choice 4. i corrected that in my original post.
company-marketplace passage
People tend to estimate the likelihood of an event's occurrence according to its salience; that is, according to how strongly and how often it comes to their attention.
By placement and headlines, newspapers emphasize stories about local crime over stories about crime elsewhere and about many other major events.



It can be concluded on the basis of the statements above that, if they are true, which of the following is most probably also true?
  1. The language used in newspaper headlines about local crime is inflammatory and fails to respect the rights of suspects.
  2. The coverage of international events in newspapers is neglected in favor of the coverage of local events.
  3. Readers of local news in newspapers tend to overestimate the amount of crime in their own localities relative to the amount of crime in other places.
  4. None of the events concerning other people that are reported in newspapers is so salient in people's minds as their own personal experiences.
  5. The press is the news medium that focuses people's attention most strongly on local crimes.

I think it`s option (3)

The country of Maravia has severe air pollution, 80 percent of which is caused by the exhaust fumes of cars. In order to reduce the number of cars on the road, the government is raising taxes on the cost of buying and running a car by 20 percent. This tax increase, therefore, will significantly reduce air pollution in Maravia.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

(A) The government of Maravia is in the process of building a significant number of roadways.
(B) Maravia is an oil-producing country and is able to refine an amount of gasoline sufficient for the needs of its population.
(C) Maravia has had an excellent public transportation system for many years.
(D) Ninety percent of the population of Maravia is very prosperous and has a substantial amount of disposable income.
(E) In Maravia, cars that emit relatively low levels of pollutants cost 10 percent less to operate, on average, than do cars that emit high levels of pollutants.

People tend to estimate the likelihood of an event's occurrence according to its salience; that is, according to how strongly and how often it comes to their attention.
By placement and headlines, newspapers emphasize stories about local crime over stories about crime elsewhere and about many other major events.


It can be concluded on the basis of the statements above that, if they are true, which of the following is most probably also true?
  1. The language used in newspaper headlines about local crime is inflammatory and fails to respect the rights of suspects.
  2. The coverage of international events in newspapers is neglected in favor of the coverage of local events.
  3. Readers of local news in newspapers tend to overestimate the amount of crime in their own localities relative to the amount of crime in other places.
  4. None of the events concerning other people that are reported in newspapers is so salient in people's minds as their own personal experiences.
  5. The press is the news medium that focuses people's attention most strongly on local crimes.



IMO.. it is 3.
1. language .. is out of topic.
2. coverage of events is out of topic
3.contender
4. is very broad. and usage of 'NONE' makes the option a weak contender.
5. direct pick from passage.

please correct me if im wrong

rgds-
sri
The country of Maravia has severe air pollution, 80 percent of which is caused by the exhaust fumes of cars. In order to reduce the number of cars on the road, the government is raising taxes on the cost of buying and running a car by 20 percent. This tax increase, therefore, will significantly reduce air pollution in Maravia.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

(A) The government of Maravia is in the process of building a significant number of roadways.
(B) Maravia is an oil-producing country and is able to refine an amount of gasoline sufficient for the needs of its population.
(C) Maravia has had an excellent public transportation system for many years.
(D) Ninety percent of the population of Maravia is very prosperous and has a substantial amount of disposable income.
(E) In Maravia, cars that emit relatively low levels of pollutants cost 10 percent less to operate, on average, than do cars that emit high levels of pollutants.


My Answer is (D
People tend to estimate the likelihood of an event's occurrence according to its salience; that is, according to how strongly and how often it comes to their attention.
By placement and headlines, newspapers emphasize stories about local crime over stories about crime elsewhere and about many other major events.


It can be concluded on the basis of the statements above that, if they are true, which of the following is most probably also true?
  1. The language used in newspaper headlines about local crime is inflammatory and fails to respect the rights of suspects.
  2. The coverage of international events in newspapers is neglected in favor of the coverage of local events.
  3. Readers of local news in newspapers tend to overestimate the amount of crime in their own localities relative to the amount of crime in other places.
  4. None of the events concerning other people that are reported in newspapers is so salient in people's minds as their own personal experiences.
  5. The press is the news medium that focuses people's attention most strongly on local crimes.


3) is my Answer, what is OA?
The country of Maravia has severe air pollution, 80 percent of which is caused by the exhaust fumes of cars. In order to reduce the number of cars on the road, the government is raising taxes on the cost of buying and running a car by 20 percent. This tax increase, therefore, will significantly reduce air pollution in Maravia.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

(A) The government of Maravia is in the process of building a significant number of roadways.
(B) Maravia is an oil-producing country and is able to refine an amount of gasoline sufficient for the needs of its population.
(C) Maravia has had an excellent public transportation system for many years.
(D) Ninety percent of the population of Maravia is very prosperous and has a substantial amount of disposable income.
(E) In Maravia, cars that emit relatively low levels of pollutants cost 10 percent less to operate, on average, than do cars that emit high levels of pollutants.

My take:--
option (D)
Despite their seemingly inflated price, custom-made guitars continue to be preferred because they are thought to have a markedly better sound due to the perceived superiority of handcraftsmanship over assembly line mass production. Assigning the moniker custom made to instruments that are mass-produced, albeit in limited quantities for similar price, would hurt the perception of the term custom made because easy replication diminishes the aura of uniqueness implied by carefully hand-made products

I would have marked option B
What is the OS??


Correct! OA is option B.
People tend to estimate the likelihood of an event's occurrence according to its salience; that is, according to how strongly and how often it comes to their attention.
By placement and headlines, newspapers emphasize stories about local crime over stories about crime elsewhere and about many other major events.

It can be concluded on the basis of the statements above that, if they are true, which of the following is most probably also true?
  1. The language used in newspaper headlines about local crime is inflammatory and fails to respect the rights of suspects.
  2. The coverage of international events in newspapers is neglected in favor of the coverage of local events.
  3. Readers of local news in newspapers tend to overestimate the amount of crime in their own localities relative to the amount of crime in other places.
  4. None of the events concerning other people that are reported in newspapers is so salient in people's minds as their own personal experiences.
  5. The press is the news medium that focuses people's attention most strongly on local crimes.


Yup the answer is option (3).

My take on the below CR

The country of Maravia has severe air pollution, 80 percent of which is caused by the exhaust fumes of cars. In order to reduce the


is option D.

The country of Maravia has severe air pollution, 80 percent of which is caused by the exhaust fumes of cars. In order to reduce the number of cars on the road, the government is raising taxes on the cost of buying and running a car by 20 percent. This tax increase, therefore, will significantly reduce air pollution in Maravia.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

(A) The government of Maravia is in the process of building a significant number of roadways.
(B) Maravia is an oil-producing country and is able to refine an amount of gasoline sufficient for the needs of its population.
(C) Maravia has had an excellent public transportation system for many years.
(D) Ninety percent of the population of Maravia is very prosperous and has a substantial amount of disposable income.
(E) In Maravia, cars that emit relatively low levels of pollutants cost 10 percent less to operate, on average, than do cars that emit high levels of pollutants.

I think its option (D)