pkmme wrote:
For the last five years, the XYZ Courier Company has made regular delivery trips between Town A and Town B. The average time taken by the company’s drivers to drive the round trip between the two towns, excluding the time taken for loading, unloading, and delivery, over that period has been 80 minutes. John, a driver for XYZ, needs to make a personal trip between the two towns; he figures that he should allow approximately 80 minutes for the round trip.
Which of the following, if true, does not call John’s conclusion into question?
a) The route between Town A and Town B has been plagued by increasing congestion over the last five years, as the area's population has doubled during that time.
b) Most of XYZ’s courier vehicles are heavy trucks, for which speed limits are lower than for passenger vehicles.
c) Many of the packages carried by XYZ between Town A and Town B are large, high-security packages, for which the processes of loading, unloading, and delivery can take up to half the length of the trip itself.
d) John will make his personal trip at an hour when XYZ does not make delivery trips.
e) Before a freeway was built between Town A and Town B two years ago, the only routes between the two towns were state highways with multiple traffic lights and reduced-speed downtown zones.
Can someone explain what exactly is the question calls for?
Calls into question means Weakens an argument. Doesn't call into question is the opposite- Strengthens.
Question type: WeakensX
John thinks it would take him 80 minutes for the entire trip. All but one of the options prove his thinking wrong and here's how:
a) The route between Town A and Town B has been plagued by increasing congestion over the last five years, as the area's population has doubled during that time.
>>>It gives a reason to suspect that the present state of road will cause him more time.
Just a hypothetical scenario:
5 years back-> No congestion-> Speed 130 mph
Now-> Congestion-> Speed 30 mph
Average-> 80 mph
Thus, average speed for last five years is not a good basis to judge the travel time today. Weakens.
b) Most of XYZ’s courier vehicles are heavy trucks, for which speed limits are lower than for passenger vehicles.
>>>John will be traveling in a passenger car and can potentially travel faster because of less restriction. The travel time can thus be significantly lower.
c) Many of the packages carried by XYZ between Town A and Town B are large, high-security packages, for which the processes of loading, unloading, and delivery can take up to half the length of the trip itself.
>>> average time was calculated "excluding the time taken for loading, unloading, and delivery, over that period has been 80 minutes." Thus, this doesn't weaken his guess.
d) John will make his personal trip at an hour when XYZ does not make delivery trips.
Night times; free road. Faster travel time compared to the travel time during the day when the delivery happens.
Sorry for the stupid question but how can we assume that delivery happens only during the day time or any other time at which the company XYZ doesn't make delivery trips the traffic would be less - Could you please explain? e) Before a freeway was built between Town A and Town B two years ago, the only routes between the two towns were state highways with multiple traffic lights and reduced-speed downtown zones.
2 years back-> bad speed-> maybe 50
Now->110 mph
John can make the trip more quickly.
Weaken
Ans: "C"
close
but C souds right as in does not matter to the conclusion!
