selene wrote:
It is true of both men and women that those who marry as young adults live longer than those who never marry. This does not show that marriage causes people to live longer, since, as compared with other people of the same age, young adults who are about to get married have fewer of the unhealthy habits that can cause a person to have a shorter life, most notably smoking and immoderate drinking of alcohol.
Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument above?
(A) Marriage tends to cause people to engage less regularly in sports that involve risk of bodily harm.
(B) A married person who has an unhealthy habit is more likely to give up that habit than a person with the same habit who is unmarried.
(C) A person who smokes is much more likely than a nonsmoker to marry a person who smokes at the time of marriage, and the same is true for people who drink alcohol immoderately.
(D) Among people who marry as young adults, most of those who give up an unhealthy habit after marriage do not resume the habit later in life.
(E) Among people who as young adults neither drink alcohol immoderately nor smoke, those who never marry live as long as those who marry.
The Official Guide for GMAT Review 13th Edition, 2012Practice QuestionQuestion No.: CR 118
Those who marry as young adults live longer than those who don't marry.
Young adults about to get married (not married already so marriage not responsible) have fewer unhealthy habits.
Conclusion - Marriage doesn't give you longer life, fewer unhealthy habits does.
(A) Marriage tends to cause people to engage less regularly in sports that involve risk of bodily harm.
Marriage makes people safer. Doesn't help our argument.
(B) A married person who has an unhealthy habit is more likely to give up that habit than a person with the same habit who is unmarried.
Marriage causes a person to have a healthier life. Doesn't help our argument.
(C) A person who smokes is much more likely than a nonsmoker to marry a person who smokes at the time of marriage, and the same is true for people who drink alcohol immoderately.
Irrelevant
(D) Among people who marry as young adults, most of those who give up an unhealthy habit after marriage do not resume the habit later in life.
We don't know how married people who give up compare with unmarried people who give up. We don't know whether unmarried people resume bad habits later in life after giving them up once.
If marriage causes people to give up and not resume, marriage is responsible for healthier life.
Doesn't strengthen our case.
(E) Among people who as young adults neither drink alcohol immoderately nor smoke, those who never marry live as long as those who marry.
Exactly. Tells us that marriage or no marriage has no impact on longevity. Those who don't have bad habits live longer than those who have bad habits.
Answer (E)
(D) Among people who marry as young adults, most of those who give up an unhealthy habit after marriage do not resume the habit later in life.
We don't know how married people who give up compare with unmarried people who give up. We don't know whether unmarried people resume bad habits later in life after giving them up once.
If marriage causes people to give up and not resume, marriage is responsible for healthier life.
Doesn't strengthen our case.
I was not able to interpret the intended meaning as highlighted in Red.
... Hence , I went with OPTION D.
What should be done to think in the right way , the way author wants us to interpret OPTION D?