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655-705 (Hard)|   Weaken|                           
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In the past, most children who went sledding in the winter snow in Ver 08 Mar 2024, 09:02
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GMATNinja
Since we are looking for an answer choice that most undermines the force of the evidence cited, let's start by identifying that evidence: "the number of children injured while sledding was much higher last winter than it was ten years ago."

According to the author, this evidence "clearly" leads to the concern that plastic sleds, which became more popular ten years ago, are more dangerous than wooden sleds. To recap the author's argument:

  • Wooden sleds, with runners and steering bars, were used in the past.
  • Ten years ago, plastic sleds became popular.
  • Plastic sleds are faster, harder to steer, and harder to slow down.
  • "The number of children injured while sledding was much higher last winter than it was ten years ago." Remember that ten years ago plastic sleds had just become popular, so it is likely that wooden sleds were still prevalent as well (it's possible to have more than one popular option). But we can infer that plastic sleds are probably more popular now than they were ten years ago.
  • The evidence in the last bullet clearly leads to the concern that plastic sleds are more dangerous than wooden sleds.

Now let's look for the answer choice that most undermines the force of the evidence cited:

Quote:
A. A few children still use traditional wooden sleds.
Again, the evidence cited is "that the number of children injured while sledding was much higher last winter than it was ten years ago." This evidence seems to suggest that plastic sleds are more dangerous than wooden sleds. Even if a few children still use traditional wooden sleds, if injuries have increased since plastic sleds became popular, this still seems to suggest that plastic sleds are more dangerous.

The evidence cited does not require that ALL children use plastic sleds, so (A) can be eliminated.

Quote:
B. Very few children wear any kind of protective gear, such as helmets, while sledding.
This statement might explain why sledding is dangerous regardless of the type of sled. However, it doesn't give us any reason to suspect that plastic sleds are safer than wooden sleds or vice versa. Thus, choice (B) has no impact on the evidence cited and can be eliminated.

Quote:
C. Plastic sleds can be used in a much wider variety of snow conditions than wooden sleds can.
Imagine that plastic sleds and wooden sleds were both equally safe. But if plastic sleds can be used in a much wider variety of snow conditions, then children last winter might have simply gone sledding more times, on average, than children ten years ago. In other words, the odds of getting injured while riding a plastic sled could be the same as the odds of getting injured while riding a wooden sled. But if you can go sledding more times with a plastic sled, then you will have more opportunities to injure yourself.

Answer choice (C) provides an alternative explanation for the evidence, and this explanation does not require that plastic sleds are more dangerous than wooden sleds. So (C) undermines the force of the evidence cited. Keep this one.

Quote:
 D. Most sledding injuries occur when a sled collides with a tree, a rock, or another sled.
As with choice (B), this is a general statement that presumably applies to sledding with both wooden and plastic sleds. It has no bearing on the evidence and can be eliminated.

Quote:
 E. Because the traditional wooden sled can carry more than one rider, an accident involving a wooden sled can result in several children being injured.
We are GIVEN the fact that "the number of children injured while sledding was much higher last winter than it was ten years ago." Maybe there are more injuries per accident with wooden sleds, but this does not change the fact that, overall, there were more injuries last winter than there were when wooden sleds were more prevalent. We are not trying to change the evidence; rather, we are trying to undermine the force of the evidence. Choice (E) has no impact on the evidence and can be eliminated.

Choice (C) is the best answer.
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GMATNinja
What if the AC below:
E. Because the traditional wooden sled can carry more than one rider, an accident involving a wooden sled can result in several children being injured.

had been actually chenged in the following way:
E. Because the plastic sled can cary more than one rider, an accident involving a plastic sled can result in several children being injured.

Would C. still have been the correct answer choice?

Thanks,
-Antonio.

 
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In the past, most children who went sledding in the winter snow in Ver 09 Mar 2024, 07:10
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(C) Plastic sleds can be used in a much wider variety of snow conditions than wooden sleds can.

This is clearly the correct answer choice as this supports the wider usage of plastic sleds as compared to wooden sleds. Wider usage of plastic sleds would show an increase in children taking up the activity and this increase would directly be proportional to the number of accidents, happening.
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In the past, most children who went sledding in the winter snow in Ver 05 Apr 2024, 11:22
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Amobnc

url=[https://gmatclub.com:443/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&un=GMATNinja]GMATNinja[/url]
What if the AC below:
E. Because the traditional wooden sled can carry more than one rider, an accident involving a wooden sled can result in several children being injured.

had been actually chenged in the following way:
E. Because the plastic sled can cary more than one rider, an accident involving a plastic sled can result in several children being injured.

Would C. still have been the correct answer choice?

Thanks,
-Antonio.
Show more
If (E) referred to plastic sleds rather than wooden ones, then it would provide an explanation for why the plastic sleds are more dangerous. The question is asking for an answer choice which undermines this claim. So (E) would still be wrong, and (C) would remain the best answer.

As a side note: it’s rarely worth your time to come up with non-official answer choices. That kind of thing just distracts you from the task of assessing the options that you’re given.

I hope that helps a bit! 
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In the past, most children who went sledding in the winter snow in Ver 22 Jun 2024, 01:13
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­Answer choice (C) introduces a factor that could explain the increase in injuries independent of the sled type. 

If plastic sleds can be used in a wider variety of snow conditions, it suggests they might be used more often overall compared to wooden sleds (limited by snow conditions). 

More frequent use, regardless of the sled type, could lead to more injuries statistically, even if the injury rate per use remains the same.
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In the past, most children who went sledding in the winter snow in Ver 11 Aug 2024, 06:38
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P1: In past most children slide with wooden sliders with runner and steering
P2: 10 years ago, some plastic sledge become popular as they are fast, but hard to control and steer
P3: Last year, no of children who got injured increase
C: this means plastic sledge are more dangerous

now we have to undermine the force of evidence (and force of evidence is saying means concluding that Plastic sledge are dangerous)

WE NEED TO UNDERMINE THAT ONLY! (MEANS UNDERMINE THE CONCLUSION)

A. if some few children use the wooden sledge that doesn't undermine the conclusion even it's somehow supporting that yeah plastic sledges are dangerous
B. Not Relevant as this is showing for sledging irrespective of sledge
C. yes, if the plastic sledges can be used in the variety of weather (means the sledging increased with this) (May be some using in the extreme weather where wooden sledges can't sledge), that means the frequency got increase of sledging in various weather conditions, so that's not the sledge fault, that is the weather fault
D. Not relevant we are not interested in finding how children got injured
E. That leaves like little impact on the conclusion, but if something it is doing it is strengthen the conclusion

so I will go with C
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In the past, most children who went sledding in the winter snow in Ver 13 Dec 2025, 06:19
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When the stem says:

“undermines the force of the evidence cited”

You are NOT asked to:

prove plastic sleds are safe

attack danger logically

propose alternatives

You are asked to:

Show that the comparison used as evidence is flawed.
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In the past, most children who went sledding in the winter snow in Ver 30 Dec 2025, 05:21
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Most students who get this wrong fall into one of two camps:


1. They miss what the conclusion actually claims. It's not saying plastic sleds are dangerous. It's saying plastic sleds are MORE dangerous than wooden sleds. That comparison matters.

2. They reject the correct choice because they don't draw the necessary inference. The choice doesn't explicitly state why it weakens the argument. You have to infer what it means for the comparison.


The key question: What kind of information could explain an increase in number of injuries without indicating that plastic sleds are more dangerous?

Check this video solution for detailed analysis of all five choices, including why two popular traps feel correct but fail:

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