NEW HERE? LEARN MORE
closeclose
Last visit was: 24 Apr 2024, 04:16 It is currently 24 Apr 2024, 04:16
Decision Tracker
My Rewards
New posts
New comers' posts

Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel

Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indo

SORT BY:
Date
Kudos
Tags:
Find Similar Topics 
Show Tags
Hide Tags
User avatar
L
Bunuel
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 92901
Own Kudos [?]: 618701 [11]
Given Kudos: 81586
Send PM
CAT Tests Forum Quiz Mode
Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indo [#permalink] New post   27 Dec 2018, 13:07
11
Bookmarks
Expert Reply
00:00
A
B
C
D
E

Difficulty:

25% (medium)

Question Stats:

79% (01:42) correct 21% (01:50) wrong based on 1342 sessions
Hide Show timer Statistics
Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indoor air pollution at levels that are, on average, much higher than the levels found in older houses. The reason air-pollution levels are higher in the newer houses is that many such houses are built near the sites of old waste dumps or where automobile emissions are heavy.

Which of the following, if true, calls into question the explanation above?

(A) Many new houses are built with air-filtration systems that remove from the house pollutants that are generated indoors.

(B) The easing of standards for smokestack emissions has led to an increase in air-pollution levels in homes.

(C) New houses built in secluded rural areas are relatively free of air pollutants.

(D) Warm-weather conditions tend to slow down the movement of air, thus keeping pollution trapped near its source.

(E) Pressboard, an inexpensive new plywood substitute now often used in the construction of houses, emits the pollutant formaldehyde into the house.

ID 16806
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
E
User avatar
G
yash312
Manager
Manager
Joined: 28 Aug 2018
Posts: 174
Own Kudos [?]: 163 [0]
Given Kudos: 22
Send PM
Re: Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indo [#permalink] New post   27 Dec 2018, 13:30
IMO E
It gives the other reason for the increase of pollution in newer home
Thereby weakening the conclusion

Pressboard, an inexpensive new plywood substitute now often used in the construction of houses, emits the pollutant formaldehyde into the house.

Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
S
Ypsychotic
Manager
Manager
Joined: 24 Nov 2018
Posts: 85
Own Kudos [?]: 68 [2]
Given Kudos: 52
Location: India
GPA: 3.27
WE:General Management (Retail Banking)
Send PM
Re: Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indo [#permalink] New post   27 Dec 2018, 14:07
2
Kudos
Bunuel wrote:
Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indoor air pollution at levels that are, on average, much higher than the levels found in older houses. The reason air-pollution levels are higher in the newer houses is that many such houses are built near the sites of old waste dumps or where automobile emissions are heavy.

Which of the following, if true, calls into question the explanation above?


(A) Many new houses are built with air-filtration systems that remove from the house pollutants that are generated indoors.

(B) The easing of standards for smokestack emissions has led to an increase in air-pollution levels in homes.

(C) New houses built in secluded rural areas are relatively free of air pollutants.

(D) Warm-weather conditions tend to slow down the movement of air, thus keeping pollution trapped near its source.

(E) Pressboard, an inexpensive new plywood substitute now often used in the construction of houses, emits the pollutant formaldehyde into the house.


Conclusion:- Newer Houses contain more indoor air pollution than older houses.

Reason:- Newer houses are built near the site of dumps or where automobile emissions are heavy.

To find:- A statement, if true, refutes the reason for that conclusion. This could be an alternative reason that is responsible for the disparity observed between older and newer homes.

(A) Indoor Pollution is taken care of by the air filtration system, but what about the outdoor pollution? Nothing has been mentioned about the outdoor pollution. Out of Scope.

(B) Easing of standards would impact older and newer homes alike, leaving scope for the aforementioned reason to be plausible. Not refuting the reason. Eliminated.

(C) This actually strengthens the reason mentioned. For newer houses in secluded rural areas are free of air pollution implies that newer houses in busy industrial areas where air pollution is imminent is so because of external factors. Eliminated.

(D) This statement also somewhat strengthens the mentioned reason for if warm weather conditions keep air trapped at the source, then houses near the source would be affected. Eliminated.

(E) This statement presents an alternate reason filling in on the disparity between older and newer homes and thus, is the answer.

IMO, Option E.
avatar
B
Blackhawks32
Intern
Intern
Joined: 04 Jun 2014
Posts: 16
Own Kudos [?]: 7 [2]
Given Kudos: 4
Location: United States
GPA: 3.31
WE:Other (Military & Defense)
Send PM
Re: Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indo [#permalink] New post   27 Dec 2018, 20:47
2
Kudos
Ypsychotic wrote:
Bunuel wrote:
Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indoor air pollution at levels that are, on average, much higher than the levels found in older houses. The reason air-pollution levels are higher in the newer houses is that many such houses are built near the sites of old waste dumps or where automobile emissions are heavy.

Which of the following, if true, calls into question the explanation above?


(A) Many new houses are built with air-filtration systems that remove from the house pollutants that are generated indoors. This strengthens the argument.

(B) The easing of standards for smokestack emissions has led to an increase in air-pollution levels in homes. This answer gives a reason why pollutants may have increased but doesn't compare a relationship between old and newer houses.

(C) New houses built in secluded rural areas are relatively free of air pollutants. Similar to A, this answer choice strengthens.

(D) Warm-weather conditions tend to slow down the movement of air, thus keeping pollution trapped near its source. We are comparing old houses and newer houses within the last 10 years. We are not concerned with warm weather conditions.

(E) Pressboard, an inexpensive new plywood substitute now often used in the construction of houses, emits the pollutant formaldehyde into the house.


Answer E is the best choice. This answer choice makes it clear that there is an alternative reason to poulltion besides auto emissions and waste dumps.
User avatar
B
Gmat2Cracker
Manager
Manager
Joined: 30 Oct 2018
Posts: 53
Own Kudos [?]: 14 [0]
Given Kudos: 84
Location: India
Concentration: General Management, Entrepreneurship
Schools: IE '22 (A)
WE:Information Technology (Computer Software)
Send PM
Re: Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indo [#permalink] New post   28 Dec 2018, 00:26
Option (E) explains the alternate cause of the indoor air pollution.
avatar
B
arihantjn93
Intern
Intern
Joined: 12 Sep 2016
Posts: 8
Own Kudos [?]: 2 [1]
Given Kudos: 56
Send PM
Re: Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indo [#permalink] New post   28 Dec 2018, 01:21
1
Kudos
(A) Many new houses are built with air-filtration systems that remove from the house pollutants that are generated indoors.
Incorrect. These filters may be used in older houses too, we don't know.

(B) The easing of standards for smokestack emissions has led to an increase in air-pollution levels in homes.
Incorrect. The pollution should increase in older houses too, same as A we don't know

(C) New houses built in secluded rural areas are relatively free of air pollutants.
Incorrect. This is irrelevant to the argument. We only have to contrast older houses and newer houses.

(D) Warm-weather conditions tend to slow down the movement of air, thus keeping pollution trapped near its source.
Incorrect. This must also apply to the older houses, no contrast with newer houses.

(E) Pressboard, an inexpensive new plywood substitute now often used in the construction of houses, emits the pollutant formaldehyde into the house.
Correct. This is a new material used in houses and this new material emits pollutants. This is a third reason, hence calling into question the other 2 explanations.
User avatar
D
Gladiator59
Director
Director
Joined: 16 Sep 2016
Status:It always seems impossible until it's done.
Posts: 645
Own Kudos [?]: 2053 [1]
Given Kudos: 174
GMAT 1: 740 Q50 V40
GMAT 2: 770 Q51 V42
Send PM
GMAT ToolKit User Reviews Badge
Re: Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indo [#permalink] New post   28 Dec 2018, 01:36
1
Bookmarks
An almost perfect explanation arihantjn93. Just wanted to point out that option (C) here is not irrelevant to the argument.

It actually strengthens the argument "which says that the reason new houses are polluted is that they are near waste dump areas and not because something is wrong with the new houses as compared to the old ones"

So option (C) - stating that new houses in secluded rural areas are relatively pollution free strengthens the argument's claim and is opposite of what we are looking for - that something is wrong with the new houses themselves.

This is why we discard option (C).

Best,
Gladi

arihantjn93 wrote:
(C) New houses built in secluded rural areas are relatively free of air pollutants.
Incorrect. This is irrelevant to the argument. We only have to contrast older houses and newer houses.
avatar
B
NitinGMAT19
Intern
Intern
Joined: 11 May 2019
Posts: 39
Own Kudos [?]: 15 [0]
Given Kudos: 127
Location: India
Schools: Cranfield (A$) Anderson '24 (D) BU (A$$$) McCombs '24 (D) Tepper '24 Smith (WA) Stern '24 Kenan-Flagler '24 Marshall '24 (D) Babson (A$) Johnson '24 Kelley '24 Goizueta '24 McDonough '24
GMAT 1: 720 Q47 V41
GMAT 2: 710 Q49 V38
GPA: 3.32
Send PM
Re: Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indo [#permalink] New post   20 Aug 2020, 23:43
The argument says outdoor pollutants are responsible
The counter-argument would say that actually indoor pollutants have increased
(A): This means in new houses all pollutants that were generated inside the homes are eliminated
=> the increased indoor air pollution is due to pollutants generated outside homes
=> Strengthens the explanation that outside factors such as 'waste dumps' and 'automobile emissions' are responsible.
--- Eliminate

(B) Would be same for both old and new houses.
--- Eliminate

(C), (D): strengthen the stem that outdoor pollutants are responsible.
--- Eliminate

(E) weakens stem and strengthen the counter argument that infact indoor pollutants have increased.
--- CORRECT
User avatar
B
ahujaparth10
Intern
Intern
Joined: 05 Jun 2020
Posts: 25
Own Kudos [?]: 3 [0]
Given Kudos: 27
GMAT 1: 700 Q49 V37
GPA: 3.3
Send PM
Reviews Badge CAT Tests
Re: Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indo [#permalink] New post   24 Aug 2020, 11:50
The argument is based on the comparison between Indoor pollution levels between
1. Houses built during the last 10 years (Newer Houses as referred to in the final sentence of the line)
2. Houses built pre-10 year period (Older houses)

Option (A) clearly highlights that many new houses are built with Indoor air filtration system, which does not provide with alternate reasoning, but rightly calls into question the authors conclusion.
However, option (E) which is strangely the OA, mentions that the new plywood is "Now" often used. If it is often used now, how does it provide alternate reasoning for houses built during the previous 10 years? It surely does provide an alternative reasoning for the pollutants in the newer houses built in the present or currently building, but refutes nothing about the houses built during the previous 10 years.

Could an expert help me out with this?

Thank you!
avatar
B
gmat102021
Intern
Intern
Joined: 30 Jun 2021
Posts: 18
Own Kudos [?]: 6 [0]
Given Kudos: 16
Location: India
Concentration: Technology, Strategy
Schools: Babson
GMAT 1: 610 Q45 V28
WE:Consulting (Computer Software)
Send PM
Re: Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indo [#permalink] New post   14 Sep 2021, 10:55
Hello all,

Can't we say that
Quote:
To find:- A statement, if true, refutes the reason for that conclusion. This could be an alternative reason that is responsible for the disparity observed between older and newer homes.


OR

newer houses have less pollution than older houses?

Applying this logic, I selected "C"


Kindly explain.


Thanks & regards,
User avatar
VerbalBot
Non-Human User
Joined: 01 Oct 2013
Posts: 17210
Own Kudos [?]: 848 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
Re: Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indo [#permalink] New post   22 Nov 2022, 11:46
Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
GMAT Club Bot
gmatclubot
Re: Houses built during the last ten years have been found to contain indo [#permalink]
22 Nov 2022, 11:46
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
6917 posts
GMATNinjaTwo
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
238 posts
mysterymanrog
CR Forum Moderator
832 posts

Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group | Emoji artwork provided by EmojiOne
Main navigation
GMAT Resources
Partners
MBA Resources
www.gmac.com|www.mba.com | | GMAT Club Rules | Terms and Conditions