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GMAT Club Olympics 2024 (Day 2): To improve air quality, the city

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HarshaBujji

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09 Jul 2024, 19:29

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Bunuel

This question was provided by GMAT Club
for the GMAT Club Olympics Competition

Win over $30,000 in prizes such as Courses, Tests, Private Tutoring, and more

City environmental officer claim's: Fine will significantly reduce the level of air pollution in the city within one year.
Looking for assumption : Ppl will change BCS of the high fine or No other major change in the source of these pollution other than these diesel vehicles.

(A) The funding allocated to air quality monitoring in the city will not decrease from its current level. Irrelevant.
(B) The number of diesel vehicles currently used within the city will not increase from its current level. Irrelevant. Fines are to reduce the #veh this cannot be assumption.
(C) The amount of industrial pollution in the city will not increase from its current level.Hmm this seems to be inline with our thoughts. No other contributor for the increase in pollution. If we negate this our conclusion will be void.
(D) The number of vehicles entering the city from nearby areas will not significantly increase over the next year.Irrelevant
(E) The overall traffic volume in the city will not increase from its current level.Irrelevant

IMO C

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Quote:

To solve this question, let us deploy IMS's four-step technique. STEP #1 -> IDENTIFY THE QUESTION TYPE

Let us read the question stem to identify the question type. The stem states, 'Which of the following is an assumption on which the environmental officer's claim depends?' What we have is an assumption question.

Now that the question type is identified, let us proceed to the next step.

STEP #2 -> DECONSTRUCT THE ARGUMENT

In an assumption question, it is a must to deconstruct the argument by figuring out the conclusion and the premise. Let us therefore read the argument and deconstruct it.

CONCLUSION: To improve air quality, the city council of a metropolitan area is considering imposing a heavy fine on the use of diesel vehicles within city limits.
PREMISE: The fine will significantly reduce the level of air pollution in the city within one year.

Now that the argument is deconstructed, let us proceed to the third step.

STEP #3 -> FRAME A SHADOW ANSWER

In an assumption question, the right answer must bridge the gap between the conclusion and the premise. While the premise indicates the fine spoken of will reduce the level of air pollution, the conclusion says the fine would be imposed on the use of diesel vehicles within city limits. Of course, the author assumes that the fine will deter people from opting for diesel vehicles. The right answer therefore must state a situation that tells us that the imposing of fine will actually lead to a decrease in the use of diesel vehicles.

SHADOW ANSWER: Any situation that leads us to believe that imposing the fine on the use of diesel vehicles will actually lead to a decrease in the use of diesel vehicles.

Now that the shadow answer is framed, let us proceed to the final step.

STEP #4 -> PROCESS OF ELIMINATION

(A) The funding allocated to air quality monitoring in the city will not decrease from its current level. - NOT A MATCH - The argument does not concern itself with any type of funding. - ELIMINATE

(B) The number of diesel vehicles currently used within the city will not increase from its current level. - MATCHES THE SHADOW ANSWER - If the imposing of fine does not deter people from opting for diesel vehicles, and if the number of diesel vehicles currently used within the city actually increases from its current level, the argument will fall flat. - KEEP

(C) The amount of industrial pollution in the city will not increase from its current level. - NOT A MATCH - The argument does not concern itself with industrial pollution. - ELIMINATE

(D) The number of vehicles entering the city from nearby areas will not significantly increase over the next year. - NOT A MATCH - Even if the number of vehicles entering the city from nearby areas significantly increases over the next year, the conclusion of the author that the fine will significantly reduce the level of air pollution in the city within one year will not be impacted. - ELIMINATE

(E) The overall traffic volume in the city will not increase from its current level. - NOT A MATCH - The argument does not concern itself with the overall traffic volume in the city. - ELIMINATE

Hence, B has to be the correct answer.

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09 Jul 2024, 20:39

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To answer this, we need to look for an option which helps the authority to reduce the number of diesel vehicles, and reduce the level of air pollution, within the span of one year.

Let's evaluate each option now:

A. Funds allocated to air pollution monitoring doesn't determine any of the three mentioned above. Eliminated.
B. This option doesn't tell us much about the reduction of diesel vehicles within the city. Eliminated.
C. Industrial pollution is completely out of scope. Eliminated.
D. Now this option tells us that there is an approx fixed no. of vehicles entering into the city from nearby areas, which helps us determine that the fine imposed will definitely reduce the no. of diesel vehicles in the city and the author's calculation of reducing the air pollution within the span of one year, stands undisturbed and the plan shall be successful.
E. This option talks about the general volume of traffic which includes other vehicles than diesel only. Eliminated.

Therefore, the answer is (D).

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09 Jul 2024, 21:01

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Quote:

(A) The funding allocated to air quality monitoring in the city will not decrease from its current level.--This is related to monitoring air quality, but it does not directly impact whether the fine on diesel vehicles will reduce pollution. It is not directly necessary for the claim.

(B) The number of diesel vehicles currently used within the city will not increase from its current level--If the number of diesel vehicles increases despite the fine, it could undermine the effectiveness of the fine in reducing pollution. This is a relevant assumption.

(C) The amount of industrial pollution in the city will not increase from its current level.--Industrial pollution is a separate issue from diesel vehicles. While important for overall air quality, it does not directly affect the claim about reducing pollution from diesel vehicles.

(D) The number of vehicles entering the city from nearby areas will not significantly increase over the next year.--This addresses vehicles entering the city, not those already within it using diesel. It's not directly relevant to the effectiveness of the fine on local diesel vehicles.

(E) The overall traffic volume in the city will not increase from its current level.--This assumes that traffic volume remains constant. However, it does not address specifically whether the fine on diesel vehicles will reduce pollution from those vehicles.

So ans is B

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09 Jul 2024, 21:35

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(A) The funding allocated to air quality monitoring in the city will not decrease from its current level.
Not relevant - even if funding for monitoring decreases, it does not affect actual pollution.

(B) The number of diesel vehicles currently used within the city will not increase from its current level.
The fine is to discourage people, so this is not an assumption for fine to work.

(C) The amount of industrial pollution in the city will not increase from its current level.
Not relevant, tangential.

(D) The number of vehicles entering the city from nearby areas will not significantly increase over the next year.
Doesn't matter where they enter from.

(E) The overall traffic volume in the city will not increase from its current level.
This is correct assumption since if overall traffic increases then just fining diesel vehicals wont be effective.

Answer (E)

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09 Jul 2024, 21:48

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Fine on diesel cehicles within city limits

Why? Fine will discourage vehicle user and bring down Air pollution

Assumptions : 1) No of vehicles in city of diesel should remain constant, option B satisfies

A) Funding : Irrelevant
C) Industrial pollution, Irrelevant and vague
D) No of vehicles entering : Passage is targeting within city limit vehicles so ruled out
E) Traffic Volume : Traffic Volume will also include other vehicles which are non diesel, hence invalid

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(A) The funding allocated to air quality monitoring in the city will not decrease from its current level.

This option is about monitoring air quality, not directly about the use of diesel vehicles or their impact on pollution. The claim is about reducing pollution, not monitoring it. Therefore, this is not a necessary assumption for the claim.

(B) The number of diesel vehicles currently used within the city will not increase from its current level.

This is critical. If the number of diesel vehicles increases, the fine may not effectively reduce pollution. The effectiveness of the fine relies on reducing the number of diesel vehicles or keeping it the same. This is a necessary assumption.

While an increase in industrial pollution could offset the benefits of reducing diesel vehicle pollution, the claim targets explicitly the impact of diesel vehicles. Therefore, this is not a direct assumption necessary for the claim about diesel vehicles.

(D) The number of vehicles entering the city from nearby areas will not significantly increase over the next year.

This could be relevant, but the focus of the claim is on vehicles within the city limits. If vehicles from nearby areas increase, it might impact the air quality, but it is not directly related to the current diesel vehicles within the city.

(E) The overall traffic volume in the city will not increase from its current level.

This is a broader consideration, but the claim specifically targets diesel vehicles. If traffic volume increases with non-diesel vehicles, the assumption may not directly impact the claim. It is more about the specific impact of diesel vehicles.

Conclusion

The best assumption that directly impacts the claim made by the environmental officer is:

(B) The number of diesel vehicles currently used within the city will not increase from its current level.

This assumption is crucial because the fine's effectiveness in reducing pollution relies on the number of diesel vehicles staying the same or decreasing, not increasing.

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(A) The funding allocated to air quality monitoring in the city will not decrease from its current level.
This affects the ability to measure the air quality. Hence is irrelevant to the conclusion about air quality.

(B) The number of diesel vehicles currently used within the city will not increase from its current level.
While it is true that increase in the number of diesel vehicles will lead to the increase in pollution, the claim is with regards to the fines imposed on the use of diesel vehicles and the decrease over the next year. Even with number of diesel vehicles increasing, the fine could have the desired effect.

(C) The amount of industrial pollution in the city will not increase from its current level.
To claim that the air pollution will reduce in the city, it has to be assumed that other factors will not increase air pollution. This gives us an alternate reason to believe that even with fines, the air pollution might not decrease. In this case, if with fines have the desired effect, the air pollution might not decrease.

(D) The number of vehicles entering the city from nearby areas will not significantly increase over the next year.
This does not specify which type of vehicles enter the city.

(E) The overall traffic volume in the city will not increase from its current level.
Overall traffic informatino does not tell us about number of diesel vehicles.

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09 Jul 2024, 22:18

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Option B is the best suited answer!

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Answer: We are looking for an assumption that will destroy the argument if it is not true. Therefore, we negate each choice and see if the negation will destroy the argument.

(A) Even if the funding for air quality monitoring decreases, the fine on diesel vehicles could still help to improve air quality. Perhaps the decrease in funding for air quality monitoring suggests better efficiency in that activity.

(B) This will destroy the argument. If the fine is imposed, but the number of diesel vehciles continues to climb, then the fine is useless in preventing more pollution from diesel vehicles.

(C) This is irrelevant because even if industrial pollution increases, this could be offset by the decrease in pollution by diesel vehicles after the fine is imposed.

(D) This is irrelevant because even if more cars come into the city, all of these cars could be electric cars that are not subject to the diesel-vehicle fine.

(E) This is also irrelevant because traffic volume could increase because there are more non-diesel vehicles that have nothing to do with the fine.

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09 Jul 2024, 23:09

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Bunuel

This question was provided by GMAT Club
for the GMAT Club Olympics Competition

Win over $30,000 in prizes such as Courses, Tests, Private Tutoring, and more

Falsification question: What could be the reason for not significant reduction in level of air polution within one year.

Falsification scenario:
1) Only few vehicles in the city are diesel vehicles.
2) At leasr one another source of air polution will increase from its current level within next year.

Pre-thought assumptions by negating falsification scenarios:
1) Most of the vehicles in the city are diesel vehicles.
2) No other source of air polution will increase from its current level.

(C) Correct: Alligns with the 2nd pre-thought assumption.

(A) Incorrect: Out of scope.
(B) Incorrect: As heavy duty is applied on diesel vehicles within city limits they will decrease.
(D) Incorrect: As within city limits heavy fine is imposed it will decrease.
(E) Incorrect: If most of the citizens will reduce use of desiel vehicles then traffic volume may not increase air polution.

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Among the options, option (B) directly addresses the assumption needed for the environmental officer's claim.

Negate: If the number of diesel vehicles increases, the fine might not have the intended impact.

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Conclusion- "this fine will significantly reduce the level of air pollution in the city within one year."

(A) The funding allocated to air quality monitoring in the city will not decrease from its current level.- Argument depends on fine collection and not on state funding.

(B) The number of diesel vehicles currently used within the city will not increase from its current level. - If the diesel vechiles increased despite the fine than there will not be any significant reduction in the city.

(C) The amount of industrial pollution in the city will not increase from its current level. - Argument is about air polution. Industrial pollution is the superset of this. But its increase may also lead to reduction in air pollution.

(D) The number of vehicles entering the city from nearby areas will not significantly increase over the next year. - Argument is about the diesel vechiles within city limits.

(E) The overall traffic volume in the city will not increase from its current level. - Overall traffic can be increased from vechiles other than diesel.

IMO B.

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To improve air quality, the city council of a metropolitan area is considering imposing a heavy fine on the use of diesel vehicles within city limits. The city's environmental officer claims that this fine will significantly reduce the level of air pollution in the city within one year.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the environmental officer's claim depends?The officer's claim is based on the idea that the fine will lead to fewer diesel vehicles operating within the city, thus reducing air pollution. The assumption must ensure that the reduction in diesel vehicle use will indeed lead to a significant drop in air pollution.

=16px(A) The funding allocated to air quality monitoring in the city will not decrease from its current level.

Explanation: This is not directly related to the reduction in diesel vehicles or air pollution. Monitoring air quality does not affect the level of pollution itself. INCORRECT

(B) The number of diesel vehicles currently used within the city will not increase from its current level.
Explanation: This assumption is directly related to the claim. If the number of diesel vehicles increases, the fine may not reduce overall diesel vehicle use, thus not reducing pollution as claimed. CORRECT

(C) The amount of industrial pollution in the city will not increase from its current level.
Explanation: Industrial pollution might be relevant to overall air quality but it is not necessarily the sole or major reason for contributing to air pollution. Industrial pollution may very well be contributing to air, soil, water, and other types of pollution. The argument focuses specifically on the impact of reducing diesel vehicle use. An increase in industrial pollution would not necessarily undermine the specific claim about diesel vehicles. INCORRECT

(D) The number of vehicles entering the city from nearby areas will not significantly increase over the next year.
Explanation: This could affect overall traffic but does not directly challenge the reduction of diesel vehicles within the city. The new vehicles may not be diesel vehicles at all and may not be contributing to air pollution. It's less directly related to the claim about diesel vehicle fines. INCORRECT

(E) The overall traffic volume in the city will not increase from its current level.
Explanation: Similar to option D, the overall traffic volume may not be contributing to the increase in air pollution and hence doesn't relate to the claim. INCORRECT

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Updated on: 11 Jul 2024, 01:24

Originally posted by SKDEV on 10 Jul 2024, 01:01.
Last edited by SKDEV on 11 Jul 2024, 01:24, edited 1 time in total.

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IMO C) *EDIT - This is a wrong choice

I fell for the trap here!!
this options is not related to the author's plan. he is talking about the pollution from diesel vehicles, and assumes that deisel vehicles wont increase!

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10 Jul 2024, 01:03

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Environmental officer's claim will hold only if there is no increase in pollution from any other source during the period. Hence, option C is correct

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10 Jul 2024, 01:07

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Bunuel

This question was provided by GMAT Club
for the GMAT Club Olympics Competition

Win over $30,000 in prizes such as Courses, Tests, Private Tutoring, and more

The city's environmental officer claims that this fine will significantly reduce the level of air pollution in the city within one year.

(A) Funding for monitoring doesn't impact diesel pollution reduction.
(B) Not increasing diesel vehicle numbers does not ensure the reduction of the level of air pollution. Maybe the pollution level will stay the same instead of decreasing.
(C) Industrial pollution must stay the same to see a net reduction in air pollution. The officer assumes that while the pollution level from other sources at least stays the same, the air pollution level will significantly reduce because of the decrease in pollution-emitting diesel vehicles due to heavy taxes. CORRECT
(D) Incoming vehicle increase isn't directly related to existing diesel vehicle reduction.
(E) Overall traffic volume isn't directly tied to diesel vehicle reduction.