13. E
14. B

Can any one explain 13

E
and
B

13) is E becase if you negate E, the argument falls apart. POE also got me to E.

The program to control the entry of illegal drugs into the country was a failure in 1987. If the program had been successful, the wholesale price of most illegal drugs would not have dropped substantially in 1987.

Here author is considering the program failure is the only cause for drop in prices.
13. The argument in the passage depends on which of the following assumptions?

(A) The supply of illegal drugs dropped substantially in 1987.
(B) The price paid for most illegal drugs by the average consumer did not drop substantially in 1987.
(C) Domestic production of illegal drugs increased at a higher rate than did the entry of such drugs into the country.
(D) The wholesale price of a few illegal drugs increased substantially in 1987.
(E) A drop in demand for most illegal drugs in 1987 was not the sole cause of the drop in their wholesale price.
( If failure of the program is the only cause for drop in prices then it is surely preassumed that " A drop in demand for most illegal drugs in 1987 was not the sole cause of the drop in their wholesale price." )

The program to control the entry of illegal drugs into the country was a failure in 1987. If the program had been
successful, the wholesale price of most illegal drugs would not have dropped substantially in 1987.

80. The argument in the passage depends on which of the following assumptions?
(A) The supply of illegal drugs dropped substantially in 1987.
(B) The price paid for most illegal drugs by the average consumer did not drop substantially in 1987.
(C) Domestic production of illegal drugs increased at a higher rate than did the entry of such drugs into the
country.
(D) The wholesale price of a few illegal drugs increased substantially in 1987.
(E) A drop in demand for most illegal drugs in 1987 was not the sole cause of the drop in their wholesale
price.

I don't understand the OA because the premises don't talk about the demand at all.
I thought the passage is more focused on whether the program is successful.

Please help.
_________________

Luck is the additional surplus on the way to one's constant effort.

13 - E

We have to strengthen the question

Conclusion: Program to control entry of illegal drugs was failure in 1987

Premise: If program was succes - then wholesale price would have increased or stayed same (not droped) in 1897

(A) The supply of illegal drugs dropped substantially in 1987.
--> this clearly weaken the conclusion

(B) The price paid for most illegal drugs by the average consumer did not drop substantially in 1987.
--> Out of scope - dont know price paid of avg consumer

(C) Domestic production of illegal drugs increased at a higher rate than did the entry of such drugs into the country.
--> Domestic production increase will increase the amount of illegal drugs but doesnot strengthen the conclusion to control entry of illegal drugs.

(D) The wholesale price of a few illegal drugs increased substantially in 1987.
--> this clearly weaken the conclusion

(E) A drop in demand for most illegal drugs in 1987 was not the sole cause of the drop in their wholesale price.
--> the author says that drop in prices = program success. Someother thing caused the drop in Prices such as there are still lot of illegal drugs entring the country which are causing increase in volumn of those drugs (doesnot matter if the demand increase or decrease) and hence low proices; therefore strengthen the conclusion.

using ANT

"A drop in demand for most illegal drugs in 1987 is the sole cause of the drop in their wholesale price." - this sentence directly contradict the conclusion. If drop in demand -> drop in price -> case programe success we can conclude that the program actually was a success and not a failure.



14 - B (weaken)

(A) in 1987 smugglers of illegal drugs, as a group, had significantly more funds at their disposal than did the country’s customs agents
--> out of scope (argument is not talking about the funds)

(B) domestic production of illegal drugs increased substantially in 1987
--> we can says that the program was not a failure, the drop in prices was due increase in domastic production.

(C) the author’s statements were made in order to embarrass the officials responsible for the drug-control program
--> out of scope (argument is not talking about official response)

(D) in 1987 illegal drugs entered the country by a different set of routes than they did in 1986
--> strengthen the conclusion.

(E) the country’s citizens spent substantially more money on illegal drugs in 1987 than they did in 1986
--> Outof scope (argument is not talking about the 1986)