Mehemmed wrote:
Dear experts,
Could you please explain why B is correct. In order B to explain the except situation above we should make assumption which, I think ,requires far more assumption than required in any GMAT CR question. Also, it is not everyone's common sense that highly valued land is used primarily for multistorey buildings. One, for example, could argue that highly valued lands is occupied by wealthy people who constructed mansions or there's not any city-like (not sure there's such a word

) objects (skyscrapers, industrial plants etc) and thus the atmosphere is fresh, so land prices are high.
On the other hand, answer choice C says that bamboo bears some additional cost. That's why total cost of construction in lower priced lands makes better economics sense. However, if we want to construct something from bamboo in high valued land there will be higher land cost+ additional bamboo costs which makes construction less efficient from economic standpoint than that of tropical areas where land prices are lower.
What I am missing here?
Mehemmed, yes, just because land values are high does NOT necessarily mean that it will be used for multi-story buildings. But we are not looking for a 100% air-tight explanation. We are looking for something that "
most helps to explain the exception noted above."
Quote:
(C) In order to protect it from being damaged by termites and beetles, bamboo must be soaked, at some expense, in a preservative.
We are told that "in tropical areas bamboo is a
much less expensive construction material than either steel or concrete and is always readily available." (C) tells us that there is
some additional cost involved in using bamboo. But if bamboo is MUCH less expensive, who cares if there is SOME additional cost?
It's like saying that prices at Grocery Store A are MUCH cheaper than prices at Grocery Store B (assume all other factors are equal). But Store A charges a small fee for every plastic or paper bag used to bag your groceries whereas Store B does not. Would that small fee prevent you from shopping at Store A? Of course not.
More importantly, we are looking for something that explains why bamboo makes better economic sense in tropical areas EXCEPT when land values are high. Choice (C) describes a factor that would affect price REGARDLESS of whether land values are high. Thus, (C) cannot explain the exception and must be eliminated.
This post explains why (B) is the best answer.
I hope that helps!
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