Scientists typically do their most creative work before the age of forty. It is commonly thought that this happens because aging by itself brings about a loss of creative capacity. However, studies show that a disproportionately large number of the scientists who produce highly creative work beyond the age of forty entered their field at an older age than is usual. Since by the age of forty the large majority of scientists have been working in their field for at least fifteen years, the studies’ finding strongly suggests that the real reason why scientists over forty rarely produce highly creative work is not that they have simply aged but rather that they generally have spent
too long in a given field.

In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
A. The first is the position that the argument as a whole opposes; the second is an objection that has been raised against a position defended in the argument.
B. The first is a claim that has been advanced in support of a position that the argument opposes; the second is a finding that has been used in support of that position.
C. The first is an explanation that the argument challenges; the second is a finding that has been used in support of that explanation.
D. The first is an explanation that the argument challenges; the second is a finding on which that challenge is based.
E. The first is an explanation that the argument defends; the second is a finding that has been used to challenge that explanation.

Kindly justify your answers..

thanks for the expln badgerboy.. very well explained! the OA is D..

It seems to be D..Whats the final OA??Please confirm..

+1 D

C is impossible.
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I picked D....it took me 1:40mins.

How can it be D? There's no competing explanation. If anything, I see a link between the first and second.
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petrifiedbutstanding

You have just copied this answer from another website and posted here, without event bothering that the original answer was for a different question.

Below is the original link from where you have copied

http://www.beatthegmat.com/scientists-t ... 60644.html

Boldface questions require you to understand the structure of the argument. Let's try to do that:
First boldface: A position/explanation/claim that the argument opposes.
Second boldface: A finding/evidence that supports the position that the argument defends.
The position that the argument defends: the real reason why scientists over forty rarely produce creative work is not that they have simply aged but rather that they generally have spent too long in their field.

Let’s look at the first halves of the options:
Option E is out because the first boldface is not defended by the argument.

Now let’s look at the second halves of the remaining choices:
Option A is out because the second boldface is not an objection raised against the position that the argument defends.
In B, ‘that position’ refers to the position mentioned in the first half of the choice, which is the position that the argument opposes. But the second boldface opposes and not supports this position. So B is also out.
In C, the second boldface is not a finding used to support ‘that’ explanation (that ageing is the reason for loss of creative capacity). C can also be eliminated.
Thus, D is the right answer. According to D, the first is an explanation the argument challenges (ageing is the reason for loss of creative capacity) and the second is a finding on which this challenge is based (a disproportionately large number of the
scientists who produce highly creative work beyond the age of forty entered their field at an older age than usual).

Hope this is clear now.

The OA is D, not E.

abhi758 - where did you get the OA from?