Although 90 percent of the population believes

Question

Although 90 percent of the population believes itself to be well informed about health care, only 20 percent knows enough about DNA to understand a
news story about DNA. So apparently at least 80 percent of the population does not know enough about medical concepts to make well-informed personal medical choices or to make good public policy decisions about health care.

The argument’s reasoning is questionable because the argument fails to demonstrate that

(A) those people who can understand news stories about DNA are able to make well-informed personal medical choices
(B) more than 20 percent of the population needs to be well informed about health care for good public policy decisions about health care to be made
(C) one’s being able to make well-informed personal medical choices ensures that one makes good public policy decisions about health care
(D) an understanding of DNA is essential to making well-informed personal medical choices or to making good public policy decisions about health care
(E) since 90 percent of the population believes itself to be well informed about health care, at least 70 percent of the population is mistaken in that belief

CrackverbalGMAT · Answer

let us try to simplify the argument --

Premise  
Only 20% know enough about DNA to understand a news story about DNA.

this is the same as saying 80% do not know enough about DNA to understand a news story about DNA.

the argument then is --
 
80% do not know enough about DNA --> 80% do not know enough about medical concepts to make well-informed personal medical choices or to make good public policy decisions about health care

Note that there is a "jump/gap" in the argument -- knowledge about DNA is equated to making well-informed medical choices or making good public policy decisions about health care.

Which answer addresses this?  Option D

let us take a look at other answer options --

Option A - Incorrect

The argument makes the assumption that understanding of DNA is  required  to make well-informed medical choices and public policy decisions on health care. But this does not mean that understanding of DNA is a guarantee to making well informed personal medical choices. There might be other things that are required, in addition to an understanding of DNA, to make well informed personal medical choices.
Since, option A is not required to draw the conclusion, this is incorrect.

Option B - Incorrect

the argument more or less does demonstrate that 80% of people are not well informed and must be informed to make good public policy decisions on health care.

Moreover, this -- "well informed about  health care  for good public policy decisions about health care to be made". The argument talks about DNA/medical concepts there, not "health care".

Option C - Incorrect

the conclusion talks about "make well-informed personal medical choices   OR   to make good public policy decisions about health care".
Nowhere can we can infer that one is required for the other.

Since, this is not required for the argument, this is not a flaw.

Option E - Incorrect

But this is not a flaw in the argument but merely an inference that can be drawn.

nickrocks · Answer

D
Reasoning is faulty because as per premise Knowledge of DNA isn't essential.

Abhishek009 · Answer

Correct answer must be (D) for the highlighted errors in the other options..

unraveled · Answer

Although 90 percent of the population believes itself to be well informed about health care, only 20 percent knows enough about DNA to understand a
news story about DNA. So apparently at least 80 percent of the population does not know enough about medical concepts to make well-informed personal medical choices or to make good public policy decisions about health care.

The argument’s reasoning is questionable because the argument fails to demonstrate that

(A) those people who can understand news stories about DNA  are able to make well-informed personal medical choices 
(B) more than 20 percent of the population  needs to be well informed  about health care for good public policy decisions about health care to be made
(C) one’s being able to make well-informed personal medical choices  ensures that  one makes good public policy decisions about health care
(D) an understanding of DNA is essential to making well-informed personal medical choices or to making good public policy decisions about health care
(E) since 90 percent of the population believes itself to be well informed about health care, at least 70 percent of the population is mistaken in that belief - WRONG.

D ans E were good for me.
E is something one can think after reading the passage. Nothing wrong as such with E but D is flawed relative to E.
D gives a perfect setup for why 80% would not know enough about medical concepts.

Answer D.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Although 90 percent of the population believes

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Although 90 percent of the population believes

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