amolg wrote:
noboru wrote:
Of 2,500 people who survived a first heart attack, those who did not smoke had their first heart attack at a median age of 62. However, of those 2,500, people who smoked two packs of cigarettes a day had their first heart attack at a median age of 51. On the basis of this information, it can be concluded that nonsmokers tend to have a first heart attack eleven years later than do people who smoke two packs of cigarettes a day.
The conclusion is incorrectly drawn from the information given because this information does not include
(A) the relative severity of heart attacks suffered by smokers and nonsmokers
(B) the nature of the different medical treatments that smokers and nonsmokers received after they had survived their first heart attack
(C) how many of the 2,500 people studied suffered a second heart attack
(D) the earliest age at which a person who smoked two packs a day had his or her first heart attack
(E) data on people who did not survive a first heart attack
(A) the relative severity of heart attacks suffered by smokers and nonsmokers
Severity doesnt matter, the comaprison is about the first heart attack(B) the nature of the different medical treatments that smokers and nonsmokers received after they had survived their first heart attack
What happens after the heart attach doesnt matter, for this argument (C) how many of the 2,500 people studied suffered a second heart attack
Second heart attack is out of question(D) the earliest age at which a person who smoked two packs a day had his or her first heart attack
Correct.
The conclusion is, difference of 11 years to have first heart attack between non-smokers and smokers. This conclusion is invalid if majority of this median is before or after 51 years. So 11 years difference is wrong indicator. (E) data on people who did not survive a first heart attack
What happens after the heart attack is irrelevent for the conclusion, read the conclusion carefully.First of all, the OA is E. This is an Official LSAT Question (Test #10 of "10 Actual Tests").
Of 2,500 people who
survived a first heart attack, those who did not smoke had their first heart attack at a median age of 62. However, of those 2,500, people who smoked two packs of cigarettes a day had their first heart attack at a median age of 51. On the basis of this information, it can be concluded that
nonsmokers tend to have a first heart attack eleven years later than do people
who smoke two packs of cigarettes a day.
The conclusion is incorrectly drawn from the information given because this information does not include
(A) the relative severity of heart attacks suffered by smokers and nonsmokers
(B) the nature of the different medical treatments that smokers and nonsmokers received after they had survived their first heart attack
(C) how many of the 2,500 people studied suffered a second heart attack
(D) the earliest age at which a person who smoked two packs a day had his or her first heart attack
(E) data on people who did not survive a first heart attack
Note that the argument focuses its premises on people who
survived their first heart attack. The argument however makes a broader statement in its conclusion: "people who smoke" (note that the "survivor" qualifier is now gone). What if significantly more smokers had their first heart attack at, say, 10 years old, but they ALL DIED? Therefore, the conclusion that nonsmokers tend to have a first heart attack 11 years later than do people who smoke is INVALID. You see, by broadening its conclusion, it had made an unwarranted generalisation.
And yes you are correct, read the conclusion carefully.