MartyTargetTestPrep wrote:
shabuzen102 wrote:
Dear Expert,
I have a hard time accepting E as the answer because it makes too many assumptions - too many bridges. First of all, consumption is different from purchasing. E points to the fact that coffee is purchased less than before, but that doesn't necessarily mean coffee is consumed less. Second of all, another bridge is that higher price will lead to lower buy - this is not necessarily true, either. Sometimes, some products' increase in their prices can lead to higher demand because of the perceived luxuriousness of the product.
Because too many assumptions have to be made, I got rid of this choice pretty early on. From other questions in CR, I've learned that I cannot make too many assumptions, but this question seems to want me to do just the opposite. Would you please explain when assumptions are acceptable and when they are just too far? Thanks!
This question is a Weaken question. It asks the test-taker to find a choice that "most seriously calls into question the explanation" provided.
Notice, we don't have to PROVE WITH CERTAINTY that the explanation is incorrect. We have merely to CALL IT INTO QUESTION. So, our line of thinking can involve making some assumptions or leaps.
Regarding the fact that consumption is different from purchasing, if this question were an Inference question, and its answer therefore had to be one that MUST BE TRUE, then it might make sense to be concerned about the difference between purchasing and consumption. However, since this is a Weaken question, and we have merely to find information that calls the conclusion into question, we can use common sense thinking and take into consideration the rather high probability that a decline in purchasing of coffee will lead to a decline in consumption.
Regarding the fact that higher prices don't necessarily lead to decreased purchasing, since higher prices usually lead to decreased purchasing, choice (E) does provide a reason to question the validity of the explanation stated in the argument. Choice (E) does not tell us with certainty that the explanation is incorrect, but by providing a plausible alternative cause for the decrease in consumption, choice (E) provides a good reason to question the validity of the conclusion.
Woah thank you very much. That was super clear. I keep getting hung up on what kind of assumptions I can/ cannot make. While we're at it, may I ask another question that also seems to be fuzzy with assumptions:
Images from ground-based telescopes are invariably distorted by the Earth's atmosphere. Orbiting space telescopes, however, operating above Earth's atmosphere, should provide superbly detailed images. Therefore, ground-based telescopes will soon become obsolete for advanced astronomical research purposes.
Which of the following statements, if true, would cast the most doubt on the conclusion drawn above?
A. An orbiting space telescope due to be launched this year is far behind schedule and over budget, whereas the largest ground-based telescope was both within budget and on schedule.
B. Ground-based telescopes located on mountain summits are not subject to the kinds of atmospheric distortion which, at low altitudes, make stars appear to twinkle.
C. By careful choice of observatory location, it is possible for large-aperture telescopes to avoid most of the kind of wind turbulence that can distort image quality.
D. When large-aperture telescopes are located at high altitudes near the equator, they permit the best Earth-based observations of the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, a prime target of astronomical research.
E. Detailed spectral analyses, upon which astronomers rely for determining the chemical composition and evolutionary history of stars, require telescopes with more light-gathering capacity than space telescopes can provide.
The answer is E. However, it requires that I have to assume that the telescopes with more light-gathering capacity is the ground-based one. We have to assume that there are only two types, either ground-based telescope or space telescope, and this makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. Would you please explain why it's ok to make that assumption in this one? Thanks!