GMATPrep CR Question - For Magoosh Experts

Question

Hi Magoosh Experts,

I need a help in the following GMATPrep CR question:

Heavy rains during Centralia’s corn planting season prevented some farmers there from planting corn. It is now the planting season for soybeans, another of Centralia’s principal crops, and those fields originally intended for corn are dry enough for planting. Nonetheless, even though soybean prices are unusually high at present, the farmers will leave most of these fields empty rather than plant them with soybeans, since ___________.

A. the extensive rains have led to an increase in the price of corn 
B. some Centralian farmers anticipate serious financial losses due to the extremely wet spring planting season
 C. chemicals that were used to prepare the fields for corn planting would stunt the growth of soybeans (Correct Answer) 
D. the majority of Centralia’s corn farmers were able to plant corn as they had intended, despite the wet planting season
E. many Centralian farmers grow both corn and soybeans

I chose letter B on the basis of the following line of reasoning:  If some farmers anticipated serious financial losses, then they would not have the budget/conditions to plant soy at present. Moreover, since the same farmes didn't plant corn at all, then letter C would be "out of scope". 
Can you help me understand where is the flaw in this reasoning?

chetan2u · Answer

Hi,
i will try it till some Magoosh expert too gives in his bit..
Why C is correct?
you are correct that some farmers didn't plant corn at all, but had the crop been planted  the chemicals spread would have been utilized by eh crop and the field would have been ready for soy....
 
WE are told that rains wer during planting season, meaning that the fields were prepared with chemicals and since the corn could not be planted, the chemicals are still present in fields which are harmful for plant soya...
Thus it is better to leave fields unutilized..

As for B.. If they were anticipating huge financial losses, they would rather plant more crop of soya to cover up some losses..

Hugoba · Answer

Hi,

I see the problem with letter B. It could be a reason for  not planting  (in case that they will not have money to invest) or it could be a reason  for planting  (they don't have money and so they need to plant to get some!). This is definitely not good.
Nevertheless, I'm having a really hard time trying to estabilish the connection between "Heavy rains during Centralia’s corn planting season prevented some farmers there from planting corn" and what you say "that rains wer during planting season, meaning that the fields were prepared with chemicals and since the corn could not be planted, the chemicals are still present in fields". If the season prevented farmers from planting why they put chemicals? Aren't this too things "planting" and "put chemicals" simultaneous? Why I have to assume this two thing aren't? Another question: What do you think about this question? I did the gmat twice and didn't see anything similar to this. I've heard that some old gmat questions are not good.

chetan2u · Answer

Hi,
rains prevented some farmers from planting corn...
two situations...
1) prepare the field:- Its given that chemicals that were put to prepare the field are harmful for soya. We can take that the chemicals were used prior to planting and would most likely be to make fields WEED-free and for making the soil fertile. But this chemical although not harmful to corn can damage soya plants.
2) Even if we talk of the fertilizers and chemicals during the growth of corp, it may be possible that the chemicals still remains as the corn plants could not grow and consume these chemicals..

GMATPrep CR Question - For Magoosh Experts

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