NEW HERE? LEARN MORE
closeclose
Last visit was: 25 Apr 2024, 06:09 It is currently 25 Apr 2024, 06:09
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

In animal shelters there is an excess of cats and dogs that need homes

SORT BY:
Date
Kudos
Tags:
Find Similar Topics 
Show Tags
Hide Tags
User avatar
G
Tan2017
Current Student
Joined: 18 Jan 2017
Posts: 68
Own Kudos [?]: 223 [36]
Given Kudos: 378
Location: India
Concentration: Finance, Economics
GMAT 1: 700 Q50 V34
Send PM
GMAT ToolKit User
In animal shelters there is an excess of cats and dogs that need homes [#permalink] New post   Updated on: 02 Sep 2017, 10:42
2
Kudos
34
Bookmarks
00:00
A
B
C
D
E

Difficulty:

95% (hard)

Question Stats:

21% (02:04) correct 79% (02:04) wrong based on 954 sessions
Hide Show timer Statistics
In animal shelters there is an excess of cats and dogs that need homes. Meanwhile, there are also many senior citizens who live alone and experience more health problems than those who live with spouses or family members. A solution to these problems, which would benefit both animals and seniors, is to place these homeless animals with senior citizens who wish to own pets, and to provide assistance to those senior citizens who might not be able to take care of the pet on there own. Animals have been known to respond favorably to living with older people, who are more often able to provide more attention than younger people with families.

In evaluating the proposed solution, it would be most useful to have data regarding:-

A. whether most of the animals currently at the shelter would be suitable for adoption by the senior citizens

B. what the costs would be of instituting the program

C. whether senior citizens are capable of taking care of pet without assistance

D. whether family members and spouses who live with senior citizens tend to provide nursing care

E. whether there are other forms of companionship that might provide the same health benefit to the senior citizens

Source: 800score
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
D

Originally posted by Tan2017 on 02 Sep 2017, 09:18.
Last edited by Tan2017 on 02 Sep 2017, 10:42, edited 2 times in total.
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
G
KanishkM
Director
Director
Joined: 09 Mar 2018
Posts: 783
Own Kudos [?]: 453 [8]
Given Kudos: 123
Location: India
Schools: DeGroote'21 Desautels '21 NUS '21
Send PM
In animal shelters there is an excess of cats and dogs that need homes [#permalink] New post   22 Jan 2019, 21:56
7
Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Tan2017 wrote:
In animal shelters there is an excess of cats and dogs that need homes. Meanwhile, there are also many senior citizens who live alone and experience more health problems than those who live with spouses or family members. A solution to these problems, which would benefit both animals and seniors, is to place these homeless animals with senior citizens who wish to own pets, and to provide assistance to those senior citizens who might not be able to take care of the pet on there own. Animals have been known to respond favorably to living with older people, who are more often able to provide more attention than younger people with families.

In evaluating the proposed solution, it would be most useful to have data regarding:-

A. whether most of the animals currently at the shelter would be suitable for adoption by the senior citizens

B. what the costs would be of instituting the program

C. whether senior citizens are capable of taking care of pet without assistance

D. whether family members and spouses who live with senior citizens tend to provide nursing care

E. whether there are other forms of companionship that might provide the same health benefit to the senior citizens

Source: 800score


Would like to know if my reasoning for eliminating answer A and accepting D is correct or not

A. whether most of the animals currently at the shelter would be suitable for adoption by the senior citizens

B. what the costs would be of instituting the program
Costs is not as per the scope of the argument -> Out

C. whether senior citizens are capable of taking care of pet without assistance
This is going against the scope of the argument, they are considering pets for people's help.

D. whether family members and spouses who live with senior citizens tend to provide nursing care

E whether there are other forms of companionship that might provide the same health benefit to the senior citizens
OOS, as this talking about other forms of companionship, not relevant to this argument

Now lets go over A and D
A. whether most of the animals currently at the shelter would be suitable for adoption by the senior citizens
Yes most of the animals currently at the shelter would be suitable for adoption by the senior citizens
This strengthens the conclusion.

No most of the animals currently at the shelter would not be suitable for adoption by the senior citizens
This means some will still be suitable, this again strengthens the argument, that felines should be given to senior citizens

D. whether family members and spouses who live with senior citizens tend to provide nursing care
Are my questions relevant
Initially i thought, why are we considering the family members in this scope??
Didn't we say that we are considering cats for helping the senior citizens ???

But now when i do the Yes No test on this

Yes family members and spouses who live with senior citizens tend to provide nursing care
This weakens the plan, by saying they are not required.

No family members and spouses who live with senior citizens tend to provide nursing care
This strengthens the plan, by saying they are required.

Answer indeed is D.
General Discussion
User avatar
G
Tan2017
Current Student
Joined: 18 Jan 2017
Posts: 68
Own Kudos [?]: 223 [2]
Given Kudos: 378
Location: India
Concentration: Finance, Economics
GMAT 1: 700 Q50 V34
Send PM
GMAT ToolKit User
Re: In animal shelters there is an excess of cats and dogs that need homes [#permalink] New post   02 Sep 2017, 11:21
2
Bookmarks
Official Explanation by 800score is as follows:-

The author makes an assumption that the connection between living with others and the health problems is a causal one and that it is the companionship of living with others, specifically, that provides the health benefits. If instead the benefit comes from those family members providing nursing care, then it is less likely living with pets would provide the same benefits as living with another person."

While this the official explanation I would still like an expert view for better clarity !
avatar
B
Aiasha
Intern
Intern
Joined: 17 Mar 2018
Posts: 1
Own Kudos [?]: 2 [2]
Given Kudos: 37
Send PM
In animal shelters there is an excess of cats and dogs that need homes [#permalink] New post   05 Aug 2018, 08:52
2
Kudos
Tan2017 wrote:
In animal shelters there is an excess of cats and dogs that need homes. Meanwhile, there are also many senior citizens who live alone and experience more health problems than those who live with spouses or family members. A solution to these problems, which would benefit both animals and seniors, is to place these homeless animals with senior citizens who wish to own pets, and to provide assistance to those senior citizens who might not be able to take care of the pet on there own. Animals have been known to respond favorably to living with older people, who are more often able to provide more attention than younger people with families.

In evaluating the proposed solution, it would be most useful to have data regarding:-

A. whether most of the animals currently at the shelter would be suitable for adoption by the senior citizens

B. what the costs would be of instituting the program

C. whether senior citizens are capable of taking care of pet without assistance

D. whether family members and spouses who live with senior citizens tend to provide nursing care

E. whether there are other forms of companionship that might provide the same health benefit to the senior citizens

Source: 800score


The correct answer is option D.
Living alone Vs living with a companion is being considered here. The argument suggests that living alone causes health problems and that companionship causes less health problems. The missing info. here is that humans are the reason for better health. Therefore, simply substituting the need for humans with dogs will not help in reducing the health problems.
User avatar
L
unraveled
CEO
CEO
Joined: 07 Mar 2019
Posts: 2553
Own Kudos [?]: 1813 [1]
Given Kudos: 763
Location: India
WE:Sales (Energy and Utilities)
Send PM
Re: In animal shelters there is an excess of cats and dogs that need homes [#permalink] New post   09 Apr 2020, 03:59
1
Kudos
OE: (D) The author is arguing that placing homeless animals with senior citizens would help reduce the number of pets and bolster the health of their owners. The support for this solution is twofold; that seniors who live with others have fewer health problems, and that animals are frequently happier with older owners. The author makes the assumption that the connection between living with others and health problems is a causal one, and that it is the companionship of living with others, specifically, that provides the health benefits. If, instead, the benefit comes from those family members providing nursing care, then it is less likely that living with a pet would provide the same health benefits as living with another person. Knowing the reason for the health benefits is important to evaluating whether the proposed solution would actually benefit humans.

Choice (A) is incorrect because it addresses the feasibility of the solution and how widely it can be implemented. Whether or not most of the animals would be suitable is irrelevant, as long as those animals that are suitable are the ones that are placed with senior citizens.

Choice (B) is even further outside of the realm of the argument; the costs of the program are not at issue.

Choice (C) raises a potential concern about placing animals with seniors, but this concern is eliminated by the information that part of the solution would include providing assistance in caring for the adopted animals.

Choice (E) is incorrect because the author is not suggesting that the proposed solution is the only one, or the best one; merely that this solution would be of benefit to animals and people.
User avatar
S
krndatta
Senior Manager
Senior Manager
Joined: 09 Feb 2020
Posts: 385
Own Kudos [?]: 41 [0]
Given Kudos: 433
Location: India
Send PM
Re: In animal shelters there is an excess of cats and dogs that need homes [#permalink] New post   13 Mar 2022, 21:17
ParamjitDasGMAT,

Can you throw some light on your reasoning for options A and D.

Thanks
User avatar
VerbalBot
Non-Human User
Joined: 01 Oct 2013
Posts: 17221
Own Kudos [?]: 848 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
Re: In animal shelters there is an excess of cats and dogs that need homes [#permalink] New post   17 Aug 2023, 03:31
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: In animal shelters there is an excess of cats and dogs that need homes [#permalink]
17 Aug 2023, 03:31
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
6920 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