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Apr 2808:00 AM PDT
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Whether you are just beginning your MBA journey or fine-tuning your path to a 700+ score, GMAT Day is designed to give you a competitive edge.
19 Nov 2020, 07:03
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D
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
35%
(medium)
Question Stats:
70% (01:53) correct
30%
(02:00)
wrong
based on 469
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Between 1982 and 1990, the beach front town of Cocoa Grove recorded only twelve alcohol-related deaths. Since the city council began encouraging university organizations to host their spring break events at local facilities, alcohol related deaths have jumped ten-fold. Clearly, the sharp increase in alcohol-induced fatalities in Cocoa Grove is directly related to the annual influx of students on spring break.
Which of the following, if true, confirms the validity of the argument above?
A. During the month of spring break festivities, Cocoa Beach experiences a significant surge in automobile traffic
B. A major state highway was redirected through the city limits of Cocoa Beach in 1992 and the number of arrests for drunken driving has increased steadily since that time
C. The majority of students participating in spring break events drink excessive amounts of alcohol during their stay in Cocoa Beach
D. Of the alcohol related deaths recorded since students on spring break began frequenting the town, 90% occurred during the annual 4 week span of spring break
E. The majority of citizens of Cocoa Beach welcome the influx of students on spring break and the economic boom that accompanies them
Which of the following, if true, confirms the validity of the argument above?
A. During the month of spring break festivities, Cocoa Beach experiences a significant surge in automobile traffic
B. A major state highway was redirected through the city limits of Cocoa Beach in 1992 and the number of arrests for drunken driving has increased steadily since that time
C. The majority of students participating in spring break events drink excessive amounts of alcohol during their stay in Cocoa Beach
D. Of the alcohol related deaths recorded since students on spring break began frequenting the town, 90% occurred during the annual 4 week span of spring break
E. The majority of citizens of Cocoa Beach welcome the influx of students on spring break and the economic boom that accompanies them
09 Dec 2020, 00:12
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Pre-thinking:
Conclusion: The sharp increase in alcohol-induced fatalities in Cocoa Grove is directly related to the annual influx of students on spring break.
Premises: Since the city council began encouraging university organizations to host their spring break events at local facilities, alcohol related deaths have jumped ten-fold.
Let us look at the answer options:
A. During the month of spring break festivities, Cocoa Beach experiences a significant surge in automobile traffic The conclusion is about alcohol related deaths - merely the presence of automobiles does not impact it in any way. Eliminate.
B. A major state highway was redirected through the city limits of Cocoa Beach in 1992 and the number of arrests for drunken driving has increased steadily since that time We do not know since when the spring break events are being held locally. Also, this provides a potential alternative explanation for the increase in deaths (if we assume the spring break events are being held locally since just after 1990) - the deaths could be due to drunken driving throughout the year and not only during spring breaks. Eliminate.
C. The majority of students participating in spring break events drink excessive amounts of alcohol during their stay in Cocoa Beach This is a tempting answer choice but there is no direct causality linking alcohol to deaths during the spring breaks. Eliminate.
D. Of the alcohol related deaths recorded since students on spring break began frequenting the town, 90% occurred during the annual 4 week span of spring break Correct answer. If there is a ten-fold increase in alcohol related deaths since spring break events started being held locally, and most of the deaths occur during the spring break, this provides a direct connection between the spring break and alcohol related deaths.
E. The majority of citizens of Cocoa Beach welcome the influx of students on spring break and the economic boom that accompanies them Irrelevant to the conclusion. Eliminate.
Hope this helps.
Conclusion: The sharp increase in alcohol-induced fatalities in Cocoa Grove is directly related to the annual influx of students on spring break.
Premises: Since the city council began encouraging university organizations to host their spring break events at local facilities, alcohol related deaths have jumped ten-fold.
Let us look at the answer options:
A. During the month of spring break festivities, Cocoa Beach experiences a significant surge in automobile traffic The conclusion is about alcohol related deaths - merely the presence of automobiles does not impact it in any way. Eliminate.
B. A major state highway was redirected through the city limits of Cocoa Beach in 1992 and the number of arrests for drunken driving has increased steadily since that time We do not know since when the spring break events are being held locally. Also, this provides a potential alternative explanation for the increase in deaths (if we assume the spring break events are being held locally since just after 1990) - the deaths could be due to drunken driving throughout the year and not only during spring breaks. Eliminate.
C. The majority of students participating in spring break events drink excessive amounts of alcohol during their stay in Cocoa Beach This is a tempting answer choice but there is no direct causality linking alcohol to deaths during the spring breaks. Eliminate.
D. Of the alcohol related deaths recorded since students on spring break began frequenting the town, 90% occurred during the annual 4 week span of spring break Correct answer. If there is a ten-fold increase in alcohol related deaths since spring break events started being held locally, and most of the deaths occur during the spring break, this provides a direct connection between the spring break and alcohol related deaths.
E. The majority of citizens of Cocoa Beach welcome the influx of students on spring break and the economic boom that accompanies them Irrelevant to the conclusion. Eliminate.
Hope this helps.
04 Feb 2026, 23:38
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When a GMAT question says "if true", you MUST accept the answer choice as a fact - even if it seems strange. Your job isn't to fact-check whether the answer choice is realistic; your job is to evaluate its logical impact on the argument.
Think of it this way: Cocoa Grove hosts spring break events. Different universities have breaks at different times, so the "spring break season" for this beach town could easily span 4 weeks as waves of students from different schools arrive throughout March.
The real question is: IF 90% of deaths happen during this 4-week window, does that confirm students are causing them?
Absolutely yes! If alcohol-related deaths spike exactly when students are present and drop when they leave, that's powerful evidence linking the deaths directly to the student influx.
Common trap: Rejecting answer choices because they seem "unrealistic" based on outside knowledge.
Key Takeaway: Never reject a GMAT answer choice because it seems unrealistic. Accept it as true, then ask: "Does this strengthen or weaken the argument?"
Answer: D
Think of it this way: Cocoa Grove hosts spring break events. Different universities have breaks at different times, so the "spring break season" for this beach town could easily span 4 weeks as waves of students from different schools arrive throughout March.
The real question is: IF 90% of deaths happen during this 4-week window, does that confirm students are causing them?
Absolutely yes! If alcohol-related deaths spike exactly when students are present and drop when they leave, that's powerful evidence linking the deaths directly to the student influx.
Common trap: Rejecting answer choices because they seem "unrealistic" based on outside knowledge.
Key Takeaway: Never reject a GMAT answer choice because it seems unrealistic. Accept it as true, then ask: "Does this strengthen or weaken the argument?"
Answer: D
