Fifteen years after one of the worst recessions any European country

Question

Fifteen years after one of the worst recessions any European country has seen, Finns are not exactly merry but they are content. Their small country is at or near the top of most league tables: first in the World Economic Forums list of most competitive countries and second in its business-competitiveness index; first in the OECD's world ranking of educational performance; second-highest share of R & D spending in the European Union.

Which of the following points to a chink in their armor?
 
A. This is one of the few European countries to have succeeded in business in which international prices are falling because of global competition and technological change.

B. For some years, Finland has been running proportionally the biggest fiscal surplus in the euro area.

C. Finnish Universities tend to be gleaming steel and glass affairs, visible expressions of the link between knowledge and modernity.

D. No other country in the EU depends on one company as Finland does on Nokia.

E. Finland has a powerful green movement that is opposed to nuclear power, yet it is now building its fifth nuclear power station.

PragmaticShaw · Answer

Option D doesn't even makes sense, please provide a cogent rationale.

Sc44 · Answer

Second that. How is Nokia relevant to Chink

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Nileshbudhwani99 · Answer

If the country is dependent majorly on one company i.e. Nokia, then business competition argument of author is weakened. That's why option B is the answer, also no other option weakens the argument.

CrackverbalGMAT · Answer

Hi

The argument lists out the various aspects in which Finland is doing well and asks us to find a "chink in the armour" ie; an area of weakness or vulnerability. It may be related to any of the points mentioned in the argument or not - it just needs to be a weakness.

Option (D) fits the bill perfectly since it says that Finland is heavily dependent on Nokia. This brings in concentration risk - if just one company, Nokia, fails, Finland's economy would be severely impacted. This is a definite weakness. No other answer option talks about something which can be construed as a weakness. Hence option (D) is the correct answer.

Hope this helps.

KittyDoodles · Answer

The passage states certain points on how Finland is performing decent after 15 years from the worst recession ever seen in European countries. Thus to weaken the same we have to search an option that either weakens one of the points or reflects a certain vulnerability.

Option A  states that Finland has been succesful at a business venture for which the prices wordline has been falling. Thus this option strengthens the argument.

Option B states that Finaland has the BIGGEST surplus in the Euro area, thus proving support to the argument.

Option C states links knowledge modernity. Thus reflects progress to the country

Option E presents facts that dont reflect any vulnerability in the country.

Option D states that the country is dependant on the perforamce of one company. This reflects that the country isn't as competitive and thus points out a weakness to the country.

Fifteen years after one of the worst recessions any European country

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Fifteen years after one of the worst recessions any European country

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

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