GMAT Club World Cup 2022 (DAY 1): A recent study of the reading habits

Question

A recent study of the reading habits of grade school students found that the great majority of young readers prefer books with relatable characters, humor, and fantasy elements, and that these readers were significantly more likely to finish reading a book if it possessed one or more of these preferred characteristics. However, awards for children’s literature are typically given to serious, realistic narratives, often featuring important historical persons and events. Therefore, since adults give preference to award-winning titles when selecting books to provide to children, awards for children’s literature have the unintended consequence of discouraging reading among school-age children.

In assessing the conclusion above, it would be useful to determine which of the following?

(A) Whether children who finish reading a book about historical persons and events are likely to find the characters relatable

(B) Whether children who begin reading a book with relatable characters, humor, and fantasy elements usually finish reading that book

(C) Whether awards for children's literature are intended to encourage reading among school-age children

(D) Whether award-winning books are typically labeled as such on the cover

(E) Whether award-winning books are less likely to include one or more of children’s preferred characteristics than are books that did not win awards

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

Manhattan Prep Official Explanation:

Step 1: Identify the Question

The words  useful to determine  in the question stem indicate that this is an Evaluate the Argument question.

Step 2: Deconstruct the Argument 
 
The first two sentences are premises that seem to draw a contrast between the kinds of books that children are likely to finish reading and the kinds of books that are likely to receive awards. In the final sentence, the author provides one more premise— adults give preference to award-winning titles —before concluding that awards discourage children from reading.

Step 3: Pause and State the Goal

For an Evaluate question, the goal is to find the answer that addresses an assumption of the argument. The answer to the question or consideration in the correct answer should help to strengthen or weaken the argument, so it’s important to identify the assumptions of the argument. This argument relies on two key, unstated assumptions:

1) Award-winning books are less likely to have the elements of relatable characters, humor, and fantasy.
2) If children are provided with books that they’re less likely to finish, that discourages reading.

For the first of these assumptions, who says that serious, realistic books can’t also be funny or have relatable characters? The author just assumes that the award-winning books are more lacking in these traits than average.

As for the second assumption, the author is trying to build a case that these awards discourage reading because they entice adults to buy books that kids are apparently less likely to finish. However, even if a kid doesn’t finish a book, does that automatically mean they are discouraged from reading?

Step 4: Work From Wrong to Right

(A) This choice addresses only children who do actually finish a book. It doesn’t address whether children actually  will  finish books about historical characters. Also, this choice doesn’t indicate whether the books it mentions are award-winners.

(B) The argument already says that children are more likely to finish books with a preferred trait. Beyond that, it isn’t helpful to know anything about completion rates for books with all three traits, especially since there is no information given on how common such books are among regular and award-winning books.

(C) This is tempting because the conclusion states that the awards have an  unintended consequence . The award doesn’t have to have the goal of encouraging reading in order for it to have the unintended consequence of discouraging reading. For example, the goal of the award could be to reward talented artists or to increase children’s awareness of historical events.

(D) The final premise establishes that adults are somehow able to give preference to these books, so it isn’t necessary to know that the award is indicated on the cover. As for kids, this might go either way. First, do they know that they are less likely to finish an award-winner? And if so, does this discourage them, or does it enable them to detect and avoid the books they don’t want to read? On its own, this choice does nothing to address the assumptions.

(E) CORRECT.  This choice addresses the first assumption. It isn’t clear from the premises that award winners are more likely to lack the three preferred traits. There is also no information about how often  non -award winners have these traits. If award-winning books are less likely to have the three preferred traits, then the author’s conclusion may be correct. If, on the other hand, award-winning books are just as likely as other books to have at least one trait from the list, then the author’s conclusion is less likely to be correct.

rxb266 · Answer

Lets untangle the stimulus:

Premise 1:    A recent study of the reading habits of grade school students found that the great majority of young readers prefer books with relatable characters, humor, and fantasy elements, and that these readers were significantly more likely to finish reading a book if it possessed one or more of these preferred characteristics.

Premise 2:    However, awards for children’s literature are typically given to serious, realistic narratives, often featuring important historical persons and events.

Conclusion:   Therefore, since adults give preference to award-winning titles when selecting books to provide to children, awards for children’s literature have the unintended consequence of discouraging reading among school-age children.

Clearly by stating the conclusion, the author of the argument thinks that books that won awards are less likely to include one or more of children’s preferred characteristics in comparison to those books that did not. In this case the conclusion becomes  strong.

If the books that did not win awards are also less likely to include one or more of children’s preferred characteristics then our conclusion becomes  weak.

Therefore  Option E  is the correct answer.

gmatophobia · Answer

Conclusion of the passage  -

awards for children’s literature have the unintended consequence of discouraging reading among school-age children

(A) Whether children who finish reading a book about historical persons and events are likely to find the characters relatable

The conclusion is around discouraging reading among school children, while this option focuses on children who finish reading the book. Hence not in scope.

(B) Whether children who begin reading a book with relatable characters, humor, and fantasy elements usually finish reading that book

We are not concerned if the children finish he book. The conclusion is centered around unintended consequence of discouraging reading among school-age children

(C) Whether awards for children's literature are intended to encourage reading among school-age children

Not in scope for the argument.

(D) Whether award-winning books are typically labeled as such on the cover

Not in scope for the argument.

(E) Whether award-winning books are less likely to include one or more of children’s preferred characteristics than are books that did not win awards

This seems relevant. If the award-winning books are less likely to include one or more children's preferred character then it is likely to discourage reading, otherwise not.

IMO E

Kushchokhani · Answer

B, C and D are easy to eliminate. Between A and E- A touches upon relatable characters only, whereas E touches upon all characteristics. So E is preferred to A.

bb · Answer

Hi shubh103,
This is not what I would say is a helpful or clear explanation. Unfortunately we can't award kudos and points for this "explanation" 
Thank you for your understanding and good luck tomorrow!

bb · Answer

Hi  Kushchokhani ,
Please take a look at some of the other explanations and answers. The reason for B, C, and D to be wrong as "easy to eliminate" could be said about anything but it does not actually explain why something is incorrect. Please note that spartan and laconic answers is a risky move. We are giving points today for some of these but please invest more time into the explanations and addressing why some of the answer choices are incorrect to receive bonus points for explanations tomorrow.

Good luck!

Monishka · Answer

' However, awards for children’s literature are typically given to serious, realistic narratives, often featuring important historical persons and events. ' This is mentioned... so how can you base your answer upon an option the information about which is already present?????

egmat · Answer

Monishka  The key is recognizing the difference between what's stated and what option (E) actually tells us:

What the passage states:  Awards go to "serious, realistic narratives, often featuring important historical persons and events"

What the passage does NOT state:  Whether these award-winning books lack the preferred characteristics (relatable characters, humor, fantasy elements)

Here's the critical insight: A book can be BOTH:
 
 A serious, realistic narrative about historical persons AND 
 Have relatable characters, humor, or fantasy elements

The argument  ASSUMES  that "serious, realistic, historical" = "lacks preferred characteristics," but this assumption hasn't been established. That's exactly the gap option  (E)  addresses.

Strategic Guidance

For CR Evaluate/Assess questions:  Always identify what the argument ASSUMES but hasn't proven. The correct answer typically addresses this assumption by asking for information that would help verify whether the assumption is valid.

Hope this answers your doubt! I'd recommend practicing more of these questions so that you understand how to think about these questions and draw a logical chain before even getting to the answer choices. You can find a  ton of questions here for practice  as well - just select "Evaluate" under Critical Reasoning and further filter as per difficulty/source etc.

GMAT Club World Cup 2022 (DAY 1): A recent study of the reading habits

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