12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 7: The larger a bridge

Question

12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition with Lots of Fun

The larger a bridge, the greater its exposure to forces that can cause it to collapse. Since the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, more than a dozen longer suspension bridges have successfully been built globally without incident. Furthermore, the only suspension bridges that have collapsed since 1937 have all been shorter than the Golden Gate.

Which of the following, if true, best explains why only suspension bridges shorter than the Golden Gate have collapsed since its completion?

A. A suspension mechanism becomes more viable for a bridge design as the span distance becomes longer.

B. All but one of the suspension bridges longer than the Golden Gate have been built outside of the United States.

C. In most instances, the size of a construction project is directly proportional to the care exhibited in its design and execution.

D. The principles underlying the construction of suspension bridges have not changed markedly since the Golden Gate Bridge opened to traffic in 1937.

E. More suspension bridges have collapsed in the past 50 years than have any other type of bridge used in more than ten countries worldwide.

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V33-13

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

GMAT CLUB Official Explanation

Choice A: No. That  a suspension mechanism becomes more viable for a bridge design as the span distance becomes longer  provides no information to explain why  the only suspension bridges that have collapsed since 1937 have all been shorter than the Golden Gate .

Choice B: No. That  all but one of the suspension bridges longer than the Golden Gate have been built outside of the United States  provides no information to explain why  the only suspension bridges that have collapsed since 1937 have all been shorter than the Golden Gate .

Choice C: Yes.  That  in most instances, the size of a construction project is directly proportional to the care exhibited in its design and execution  provides an explanation for why  the only suspension bridges that have collapsed since 1937 have all been shorter than the Golden Gate .

Choice D: No. That  the principles underlying the construction of suspension bridges have not changed markedly since the Golden Gate Bridge opened to traffic in 1937  provides no information to explain why  the only suspension bridges that have collapsed since 1937 have all been shorter than the Golden Gate .

Choice E: No. That  more suspension bridges have collapsed in the past 50 years than have any other type of bridge used in more than ten countries worldwide  makes it less reasonable that  the only suspension bridges that have collapsed since 1937 have all been shorter than the Golden Gate .

The correct answer is choice C.

sj296 · Answer

AndrewN , could you please explain the solution to this question.

I marked Option A whereas OA is option C.

My problem with option C is that the argument says that  the only suspension bridges that have collapsed since 1937 have all been shorter than the Golden Gate . If that's the case then

1. The 'size of the construction project shouldn't matter. Also, 'Size of a construction project' is a broad term - Size of a construction project could mean duration of the project, the cost associated with the project, length of the bridges (in this case), staffing requirements, etc.

2. Let's say even if 'Size of the construction project' matters then can we say with 100% that the construction companies who have built the smaller suspension bridges didn't care for attention to detail. And if we go by option C then there is a probability that smaller cantilever bridges will also collapse.

I am not able to wrap my head around option C. Please help.

AndrewN · Answer

Hello, sj296 . I appreciate your calling me in to comment on this one, even if the OE has been provided. I have not read that OE in an effort to provide my own thoughts; if they overlap, so much the better. I am attaching a screenshot of my experience with the question, in which I have highlighted a few talking points. Screen Shot 2021-12-21 at 15.01.07.png Note that, just as in any type of question, we must take the premises in the passage at face value. The facts are as follows: The larger a bridge, the greater its exposure to forces that can cause it to collapse (line 1) More than a dozen suspension bridges longer than the Golden Gate Bridge have been built and have stood "without incident" since 1937 (line 2) ALL suspension bridges that have collapsed since 1937 have been shorter than the Golden Gate Bridge (line 3) We need to find a compelling reason to explain why only suspension bridges shorter than the Golden Gate Bridge have collapsed since 1937, since we would expect longer bridges to collapse instead. Choice (A) fails in that, just because something may more viable the longer a bridge may be, we cannot say that the mechanism in question was utilized in longer bridges. Maybe it was, maybe it was not. This does not explain why shorter bridges would have collapsed. (They might have been short enough not to warrant the use of the suspension mechanism—i.e. they should have stood up on their own to the forces that could cause them to collapse.) Choice (B) fails because where bridges were constructed is beside the point. The passage states that since 1937, more than a dozen longer suspension bridges have successfully been built globally without incident (my italics), so we cannot assume that countries outside the U.S. have a different set of construction standards or some such. The paradox remains. Choice (C) is reasonable because, if the size of a construction project dictates the care exhibited in its design and execution , and that relationship is directly proportional , then the greater the length of the bridge, the more carefully it should have been planned and constructed. Hence, it would make sense that lengthier suspension bridges stood the test of time while shorter ones might not have: not as much care went into the latter from start to finish. Finally, notice the most in most instances . This tells us that although not every project is undertaken with the relationship outlined in mind, most are, so perhaps the dozen or so larger projects fell into one camp while the smaller projects fell into the other. This consideration and the language used to convey it allow us to see both sides of the coin. Choice (D) fails because the construction principles have no bearing on the evidence that longer suspension bridges have stood without incident since their construction while shorter ones have collapsed. Like (A) earlier, just because these principles exist, and just because they have not changed markedly , we cannot assume that every construction project has observed them. Choice (E) fails because other of have nothing to do with the matter at hand. If you are aiming to resolve a paradox between two seemingly conflicting facts, it does not help to bring in a completely separate (third) consideration. We are only interested in longer or shorter suspension bridges. Touching directly on the two points you mentioned, remember, you are only looking to find information that best explains the paradox—it need not be bulletproof. Size in answer choice (C) can reasonably be interpreted as a reference to the eventual length of the bridge, given the content of the passage; cantilever bridges are not a concern, since the passage discusses suspension bridges exclusively, in terms of the evidence. Thanks to the GMAT Club question-writer for providing this question . I had a lot of fun breaking it down. (Pardon the pun.) Enjoy the competition, everyone. - Andrew

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12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 7: The larger a bridge

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