Since the city council sent a letter to the residents of

The author relies on which one of the following to advance his argument? - is a clear indicator of assumption question stem.

IMO Option B stands out as the correct answer choice among all.

Thanks,
Vaibhav.

I think its D too ,
As that must have been the consideration while making the asaumption

Posted from my mobile device

Official Answer is B.



The key to this question is that the conclusion is that there is a causal relationship, not that the firewood was reduced. Thus you have to focus on whether the answer choice strengthens the causal relationship

Here's why I thought D wouldn't be an answer. D says other initiatives were well received. The premise states that the consumption was cut down by 20% and 20% isn't actually "well".

Sorry to say this seems like 500 level

B) The cost of firewood has not increased significantly in Newport since the city council sent the letter.

So What, does it mean that people stop buying firewood, we never know.Already the price of wood is so low that even if cost increases significantly that does not impact people and no change in the quantity of purchase.
This cannot be true

D) Previous initiatives by the city council to preserve the environment have been well-recieved in the town of Newport.
Since initiatives to preserve environment has been well accepted, this initiative will also be well received by the town as the people of town are more worried about environment.
We can say that people may not follow, but since people are happy to sacrifice for environment as mentioned in the option, means the firewood issue also will be well understood and people will react accordingly.

Hope my reasoning is correct and I feel that B is not correct.

Hello

I, too, was considering D as an option and that option is quite tempting, to be honest. The last part of the conclusion talks about why people chose to reduce the consumption of firewood and this is the critical line, according to me. I ask myself, how do I know that the letter influenced their decision? B says the firewood cost has not increased post the letter delivery and this strikes the point in question right where it needs to! "Okay look, the price did not increase after the letter and the people still decided to cut-down on the rave parties? Woah, must be the letter, then!" But let us put B on hold!
D talks about the previous initiatives on environmental decisions being well-received, but just because the previous ones were well-received does not tell me how the ones in the future are going to turn out.
This one thought, in addition to the point put across in B, made me chose B over D!

I hope my explanation helps!

Dear Argha,
The correct answer is B. The stimulus is of type defender assumptions. Because the stimulus states that only sending letters has led to a reduction of fire picts. Eliminate any answer choices that support other causes making it happen. So the answer B supports it

Regards,
Vedant.Vs.Pandey
Gmat Nerd to help you always. Happy Learning.

Since the city council sent a letter to the residents of Newport on the danger to the environment of smoke from beach firepits, residents have cut their use of beach firepits by 20 percent. Obviously the city council's letter was responsible for the residents' decision to reduce their consumption of firewood.
Conclusion: City council's letter is responsible for residents' decision to reduce the consumption of wood.

The author relies on which one of the following to advance his argument?


A) When it sent the letter, the city council predicted a reduction in the consumption of firewood.
Negation: When it sent the letter, the city council did not predict a reduction in the consumption of firewood
Analysis: Doesn't matter. What if they had predicted? The outcome would still be the same.

B) The cost of firewood has not increased significantly in Newport since the city council sent the letter.
Negation: The cost of firewood has increased significantly since the council sent the letter
Analysis: If the cost has increased significantly, then probably it is not the city council's letter that resulted in decrease in the consumption of fireweed, but the increased prices. Keep it!

C) Danville, a city 10 miles from Newport also experienced a drop in the use of beach firepits.
Doesn't matter. Could the consumption in Newport still be reduced had Danville didn't experience a drop in the use of beach firepits? Yes!

D) Previous initiatives by the city council to preserve the environment have been well-recieved in the town of Newport.
Doesn't matter. Could the consumption in Newport still be reduced had the city council's previous initiatives been objected to? Yes!

E) Gas burning barbeques have become more popular on the beaches of Newport.
This could be a sufficient condition but not a necessary condition. It means, if this statement is true, it would support the conclusion. But it is not required for this statement to be true to reach to the conclusion.

Therefore, the answer is B

B) The cost of firewood has not increased significantly in Newport since the city council sent the letter.

Notice qualifiers in the answer choices.
The cost of firewood increased =/= The cost of firewood increased significantly
increase from 10$--->11$ =/= increase from 10$---> 100$

Option B states that the increase in the cost was not significant. Hence, option B is the correct answer .