woohoo921 wrote:
A few questions:
-What does the "as the following considerations show" refer to in the argument? Is it the following sentences? The placement of this phrase is a bit strange in my view.
-Would Choice (D) be correct if it read as follows: "It is an assumption for which explicit support is provided and is used to support the argument's main conclusion." I am just a bit confused here on how you can make this conclusion (although not the main conclusion) given that someone could have accidently stumbled upon the fraud? This does not necessarily show that Country X has a strong regulatory system. Or perhaps I am thinking about what the GMAT defines as an assumption. Is this basically a statement that is then supported by the following sentences, so in of itself given that the statement has support... that makes it a conclusion and not an assumption?
I may be overthinking this, but this boldfaced portion of the argument seemed just like a hasty generalization.
Thank you for bearing through my questions
As you suggest, the statement that "the discovery of the scandal confirms that Country X has a strong regulatory system" is supported by the sentences that follow. More specifically, it's supported by the statement that some fraudulent activity is inevitable, and that it will be discovered in a well-regulated market. So you're correct that "the following considerations" refers to the sentences that come next.
As you also point out, the fact that the boldface statement is supported means that it's by definition a conclusion, not an assumption. It's also true that the boldface conclusion relies on certain assumptions. It assumes, as you say, that the fraud was discovered
as a result of the regulations, and not simply by accident. But that doesn't make the boldface statement an assumption
itself. Rather, it tells us that the conclusion (i.e. the boldface statement) relies on an assumption.
From another angle: as you point out, the author's statement that "the discovery of the scandal confirms that Country X has a strong regulatory system" isn't airtight. Maybe other instances of fraud in Country X weren't caught? We really don't know. But whether it's true or not, the boldface statement is an inference supported by evidence. So even if it isn't an
airtight conclusion, and even if it relies on assumptions, it's still a conclusion.
Let's now take a look at (D):
Quote:
In the argument, the portion in boldface plays which of the following roles?
(D) It is an assumption for which no explicit support is provided and is used to support the argument's only conclusion.
One problem with (D) is that the boldface statement is a conclusion. Another problem is that explicit support
is provided. More specifically, the author supports the boldface statement by telling us that "some fraudulent activity is inevitable," and that a well regulated market will likely discover the fraud. So (D) is incorrect.
I hope that helps!