The Eurasian ruffe, a fish species inadvertently introduced into North

Question

The Official Guide for GMAT Review, 12th Edition, 2009

Practice Question  
Question No.: CR 30
Page: 509 
The Eurasian ruffe, a fish species inadvertently introduced into North America’s Great Lakes in recent years, feeds on the eggs of lake whitefish, a native species, thus threatening the lakes’ natural ecosystem. To help track the ruffe’s spread, government agencies have produced wallet-sized cards about the ruffe. The cards contain pictures of the ruffe and explain the danger they pose; the cards also request anglers to report any ruffe they catch.

Which of the following, if true, would provide most support for the prediction that the agencies’ action will have its intended effect?

(A) The ruffe has spiny fins that make it unattractive as prey.

(B) Ruffe generally feed at night, but most recreational fishing on the Great Lakes is done during daytime hours.

(C) Most people who fish recreationally on the Great Lakes are interested in the preservation of the lake whitefish because it is a highly prized game fish.

(D) The ruffe is one of several nonnative species in the Great Lakes whose existence threatens the survival of lake whitefish populations there.

(E) The bait that most people use when fishing for whitefish on the Great Lakes is not attractive to ruffe.

BillyZ · Accepted Answer

How to Strengthen an Argument

Use the following points to effectively strengthen arguments:

1. Identify the conclusion—this is what you are trying to strengthen!

Because Strengthen questions are the polar opposite of Weaken questions, the correct approach to supporting a GMAT argument is to help the author’s  conclusion . When evaluating an answer, ask yourself, “ Would this answer choice assist the author in some way? ” If so, you have the correct answer.

2. Personalize the argument.

Personalizing allows you to see the argument from a very involved perspective and helps you assess the strength of each answer.

3. Look for weaknesses in the argument.

This may seem like a strange recommendation since your task is to strengthen the argument, but a weak spot in an argument is tailor-made for an answer that eliminates that weakness.  If you see a weakness or flaw in the argument, look for an answer that eliminates the weakness . In other words, close any gap or hole in the argument.

Many Strengthen questions require students to  find the missing link between a premise and the conclusion . These missing links are assumptions made by the author, and bringing an assumption to light strengthens the argument because it validates part of the author’s thinking.

4. Arguments that contain analogies or use surveys rely upon the validity of those analogies and surveys.

Answer choices that strengthen the analogy or survey, or establish their soundness, are usually correct.

5. Remember that the correct answer can strengthen the argument just a little or a lot. This variation is what makes these questions difficult.

Three Incorrect Answer Traps

The same type of wrong answer traps appear in Strengthen as in Weaken questions:

1. Opposite Answers . These answers do the exact opposite of what is needed—they weaken the argument. Because of their direct relation to the conclusion they are attractive answer choices, despite the fact that they result in consequences opposite of those intended.

2. Shell Game Answers . Remember, a Shell Game occurs when an idea or concept is raised in the stimulus and then a very similar idea appears in the answer choice, but the idea is changed just enough to be incorrect but still attractive. In Strengthen questions, the Shell Game is usually used to support a conclusion that is similar to, but slightly different from, the one presented in the stimulus.

3. Out of Scope Answers . These answers simply miss the point of the argument and support issues that are either unrelated to the argument or tangential to the argument.

These three answer types are not the only ways an answer choice can be attractively incorrect, but they appear frequently enough that you should be familiar with each form.

Tracking the Ruffe

Step 1: Identify the Question

This question asks you to provide support for the prediction, so this is a Strengthen the Argument question.

Step 2: Deconstruct the Argument

R bad for lakes

To track R:

Cards to ang. → report if catch R

This argument presents a plan. Are there any issues or concerns about this plan working as intended?

(By the way, anglers is another name for people who fish.)

Step 3: Pause and State the Goal

On Strengthen questions, the goal is to find a piece of information that would support the conclusion. In this case, the correct should make the plan at least somewhat more likely to work.

Step 4: Work from Wrong to Right

(A) The attractiveness of the ruffe as prey does not affect whether the plan to track the ruffe will work.

(B) This answer presents information that would make the plan less likely to work. If fishermen tend to fish at a time when the ruffe generally don’t feed, they will not catch many ruffe and will therefore not be very helpful in tracking its spread.

(C) CORRECT . This information makes the plan more likely to work. If people who fish care about preserving the lake, they are more likely to take the time and the effort to report any ruffe that they catch.

(D) This answer is irrelevant because the plan presented in the argument is about tracking the ruffe.  The effects of other species are not important to this plan .

(E) If anglers use bait that is not attractive to the ruffe, anglers will not catch many ruffe even if ruffe are present in the lake. These anglers will not be very helpful in tracking the ruffe, so this answer actually weakens the argument.

nverma · Answer

FINALLY C

aiglos · Answer

An explanation:

A) If ruffe are unattractive as prey, they will probably spread more quickly in the Great Lakes. This
will most likely have little effect on whether the wallet-sized cards will help government agencies
track the ruffe.

I don't understand why  if ruffe are unattractive as prey, they will probably spread more quickly in the Great Lakes ?

I'm waiting for your suggestions, guys!

P.S. The correct answer is C.

metallicafan · Answer

Look the sentences in red, the conclusion is implied: "The cards will help to track this fish". 
In this case, we have to support that conclusion.

Hope it helps.

abhi47 · Answer

Hi gmatpunjabi,

Here the correct answer is C (" Most people who fish recreationally on the Great Lakes are interested in the preservation of the lake whitefish because it is a highly prized game fish. " ) as it offers some support to the government program.

abhi47 · Answer

So the card will help the people in tracing the ruffles.

karun0109 · Answer

I think the conclusion is given in the question.. the question asks "which of the following if true would provide most support for the PREDICTION THAT THE AGENCIES' ACTION WILL HAVE IT'S INTENDED EFFECT..." The prediction is the conclusion IMO..

saikarthikreddy · Answer

C is the answer .Here we need to find a reason for the anglers to report the catch of a raffe.It is correctly stated in C that since the anglers are interested in the whitefish they would surely report when a raffe is caught since the raffe is responsible for the reduction in whitefish population .

bobbynakka · Answer

"The Eurasian ruffe, a fish species inadvertently introduced into North Americaâ€™s Great Lakes in recent years, feeds on the eggs of lake whitefish, a native species, thus threatening the lakesâ€™ natural ecosystem."

I think this is the conclusion.

I think this is the conclusion.

earnit · Answer

Although C is Appropriate Answer.

What is the flaw in E?

If the anglers use a bait which is not attractive to ruffe then surely they will not be able to catch Ruffe fish. However, after awareness generated by Govt. Agency regarding the dangers posed by ruffe. These anglers would likely change the Bait to something that attracts ruffe fish inorder to catch it.

The above reasoning is similar to Option C reasoning that after being aware of ..... anglers will start reporting ruffe catch to govt.

ItsABrainGame · Answer

Main Point: Ruffs population is threatening whitefish -> government should control ruffs somehow so they create a card and urge people to report ruffs
Prove it: Choose a AC which will prove that card idea will work

A. features of ruffe fins...does nothing to prove
B. this weakens or out of focus
C. proves it that people fishing at lake will report ruffe because its a highly prized fish.
D. same premise as the argument
E. weakens or out of focus

Best Choice: C

gmatretest · Answer

We were being told again and again that GMAT is about tunnel vision. But that was exactly why I was trapped in this question.

In my notes, I highlighted "sights of ruffe" as keyword and "easiness in sighting ruffe" as possible answer. That led me to deleting C (we are talking about tracking ruffe, NOT how highly-prized whitefish can be). Consecutively, I crossed all answers off and got trapped for over 3 mins.

Is there any suggestion for further improvement in catching the right keyword?

thangvietnam · Answer

in "plan" argument, we find some idea which can make the plan easy to do or hard to do. in so doing, we make an answer to strengthen and weaken questions.

above thinking is a prethinking process we do before going to answer choices. we know what we look for among answer choices, to be successful.

prabsahi · Answer

Hello, 
Option E says ..The bait that most people use when fishing for whitefish on the Great Lakes is not attractive to ruffe…

This implies bait for whitefish is not attactive.Now if bait for whitefish is not attactive then people might not be interesting in saving/reporting whitefish and hence they 
might report an this ..so this can weaken the plan/conclusion.

CrackverbalGMAT · Answer

Let’s look at the details of the argument.

1)The Eurasian ruffe was introduced into North America’s Great Lakes
2) It feeds on the eggs of lake whitefish, a native species, threatening the lakes’ natural ecosystem.

Plan-  
 To help track the ruffe’s spread, government agencies have produced wallet-sized cards about the ruffe. The cards contain pictures of the ruffe and explain the danger they pose. The cards also request anglers to report any ruffe they catch.

We need to find an  option that would support the prediction that the agencies’ action will have its intended effect.

(A) The ruffe has spiny fins that make it unattractive as prey.

If it is unattractive as prey, it will dissuade anglers from catching ruffe. This would go against the agencies’ plan.  Eliminate A

(B) Ruffe generally feed at night, but most recreational fishing on the Great Lakes is done during daytime hours.

This tells us that the probability of anglers catching ruffe is unlikely because
- Ruffe generally feeds at night 
- most recreational fishing on the Great Lakes is done during daytime hours.
 Eliminate B

(C) Most people who fish recreationally on the Great Lakes are interested in the preservation of the lake whitefish because it is a highly prized game fish.

This tells us why anglers would assist the agencies. 
The pocket-sized cards contain pictures of the ruffe and explain the danger they pose. 
If most people who fish recreationally on the Great Lakes are interested in the preservation of the lake whitefish, they will assist in catching ruffe and reporting it to the agencies. This provides support for the prediction that the agencies’ action will have its intended effect.  Hence C is the correct answer.

(D) The ruffe is one of several nonnative species in the Great Lakes whose existence threatens the survival of lake whitefish populations there.

This is data that is already present in the argument. We need to find an option that would support the agencies’ plan.  Eliminate D

(E) The bait that most people use when fishing for whitefish on the Great Lakes is not attractive to ruffe.

If the bait used by anglers is unattractive to ruffe, they’ll end up catching few ruffes, weakening the agencies’ plan.  Eliminate E.

Vishnupriya
CrackVerbal Prep Team

armaankumar · Answer

Background Information:  The Eurasian ruffe, a fish species inadvertently introduced into North America’s Great Lakes in recent years, feeds on the eggs of lake whitefish, a native species, thus threatening the lakes’ natural ecosystem. 
 Premise:  The cards contain pictures of the ruffe and explain the danger they pose; the cards also request anglers to report any ruffe they catch.
 Plan/Conclusion:  To help track the ruffe’s spread, government agencies have produced wallet-sized cards about the ruffe.

Which of the following, if true, would provide most  support  for the prediction that the agencies’ action will have its intended effect?

(A) The ruffe has spiny fins that make it unattractive as prey. 
This answers supports the wrong thing. The effect is regarding the spread of the ruffle. This answer choice adds no support to the main point of the argument. In any case, it might weaken the argument slightly by showing that it's harder to control the spread of ruffle.

(B)  Ruffe generally feed at night, but most recreational fishing on the Great Lakes is done during daytime hours. 
This answer choice weakens the argument slightly. If the ruffle is not hardly being fished, it will harder to control the spread of the ruffle.

(C)  Most people who fish recreationally on the Great Lakes are interested in the preservation of the lake whitefish because it is a highly prized game fish. 
This answer choice clearly adds support to the argument. If the people have a vested interest in preserving the lake, the plan will work.

(D)  The ruffe is one of several nonnative species in the Great Lakes whose existence threatens the survival of lake whitefish populations there.
 
This answer is just repeating what is already said in the passage.

(E)  The bait that most people use when fishing for whitefish on the Great Lakes is not attractive to ruffe. 
This answer choice does not support the prediction. In any case, it slightly weakens it. If the ruffle is not attracted to bait that implies that the ruffle won't be fished in a quantity sufficient to control their spread.

VerbalBot · Answer

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The Eurasian ruffe, a fish species inadvertently introduced into North

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The Eurasian ruffe, a fish species inadvertently introduced into North

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