tejasvkalra wrote:
GMATNinja ,
VeritasKarishma kindly help with my query-
in (B) if the answer to the question is yes , we can make a case that yes there are some remedies that can help with the duration of cold , when taken orally; this weakens our argument by saying that cold virus lives in the mouth
if the answer is no , we have some support for the conclusion; some other remedy is also not effective when taken orally, so the virus must be there in the nose
Let's take a look at the passage before taking a closer look at (B).
The passage tells us:
- 1) Research suggests there is no consistent effect on the common cold of sucking zinc lozenges
- 2) A zinc gel taken nasally has been shown to dramatically reduce the duration of colds
- 3) The gel and the lozenge have the same form and concentration of zinc
- 4) Therefore, the greater effectiveness of the gel is due to the cold virus concentrating in the nose, not the mouth
This suggests that since the type and concentration of zinc are the same in both treatments but they're used in different areas, the greater effectiveness of the gel
must be due to its placement in the nose, compared to the lozenge being used in the mouth.
We're asked which of the answer choices would best help us evaluate the argument.
(B) tells us:
Quote:
B. Whether there are remedies that do not contain zinc but that, when taken orally, can reduce the duration of colds
From this, we do not know whether the remedies suggested remain in the mouth and are sucked (like the lozenge) or are swallowed and digested. If they are swallowed, digested, and absorbed into the bloodstream before having their effects, then we cannot know whether the cold virus tends to concentrate in the nose or the mouth. The remedy in the bloodstream will be carried to both areas and can demonstrate its effectiveness by attacking the cold virus wherever it finds it.
From (B), there is still too much we don't know about the action of the remedies mentioned to suggest it would help us determine whether the cold virus tends to concentrate in the nose or the mouth -- (B) is not our answer.
Let's take a look at (D):
Quote:
D. Whether either the zinc gel or the lozenges contain ingredients that have an impact on the activity of the zinc
If the lozenge contains an ingredient that inhibits the action of zinc
OR the gel contains an ingredient that enhances the action of zinc, then we cannot necessarily say that it is the placement of each treatment that explains the difference in effect. The difference in ingredients might have a greater effect.
If we know that the other ingredients in each treatment have no impact, or the same impact, on the effectiveness of the zinc, then we would have more confidence that the placement of the treatments is a likely cause of the difference in effectiveness of the treatments.
(D) would help us evaluate the argument in the passage, so (D) is the answer to this question.
I hope that helps!
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