Verbal Question of the Day Chat Group

CR Questions December - 24 :

Q1. A local department store hires college students for one month every spring to audit its unsold inventory. It costs the department store 20 percent less to pay wages to students than it would cost to hire outside auditors from a temporary service. Even after factoring in the costs of training and insuring the students against work-related injury, the department store spends less money by hiring the student auditors than it would by hiring auditors from the temporary service.

The statements above, if true, best support which of the following assertions?


(A) The amount spent on insurance for college-student auditors is more than 20 percent of the cost of paying the college students’ basic wages.

(B) It takes 20 percent less time for the college students to audit the unsold inventory than it does for the outside auditors.

(C) The department store pays its college-student auditors 20 percent less than the temporary service pays its auditors.

(D) By hiring college students, the department store will cause 20 percent of the auditors at the temporary service to lose their jobs.

(E) The cost of training its own college-student auditors is less than 20 percent of the cost of hiring auditors from the temporary service.

Q2. Those influenced by modern Western science take it for granted that a genuine belief in astrology is proof of a credulous and unscientific mind. Yet, in the past, people of indisputable intellectual and scientific brilliance accepted astrology as a fact. Therefore, there is no scientific basis for rejecting astrology.

The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds?


(A) A belief can be consistent with the available evidence and accepted scientific theories at one time but not with the accepted evidence and theories of a later time.

(B) Since it is controversial whether astrology has a scientific basis, any argument that attempts to prove that it has will be specious.

(C) Although the conclusion is intended to hold in all cultures, the evidence advanced in its support is drawn only from those cultures strongly influenced by modern Western science.

(D) The implicit assumption that all practitioners of Western science believe in astrology is false.

(E) The fact that there might be legitimate nonscientific reasons for rejecting astrology has been overlooked.

This type of CR argument can be easily worked out if we assume some logical number. So let the dollar amount the department store normally pays to hire outside auditors be= 100 $ So the amount store pays to hire college students would be 20% lesser = 80$ Now by logical deductions, training and insuring the students has to be less than 20 $, otherwise we will dispute the premise. It means that the cost of training college students is less than 20% of the cost of hiring auditors. That’s exactly what option E says

Argument says : Because in the past people with scientific knowledge have accepted astrology as a fact, we must conclude there are no scientific bases for rejecting astrology. Now to weaken this argument ask yourself what if there is a scientific basis for rejecting the astrology even if early scientists had a belief in astrology? Simple deduction: As we go towards later future and find latest evidences even some of the scientific theories could be rejected as well, so how can you guarantee a solid basis for astrology? This is exactly what option A says here. So A is our answer. My thinking just for fun: You can believe in astrology or not, I find its convincing though! Cosmos is something that humans are far away from even imagining, even if we have several billion times powerful telescope than James Webb, I don’t think we would even be closer. These are all something beyond our imagination.

In a strengthen ques we always look for the options that would add new information which is not explicitly mentioned in the passage. So, IMO option E will qualifies it.

Strengthen question doesn’t necessarily mean new information. Many of the times assumptions would be the answers. It’s always best to identify the assumption first, so that your life will be much easier.

But in my opinion, in weakner questions, we always attack the assumption. Though I am not a verbal expert but my instructors have taught me to always look for new information that is not mentioned in the passage when we find support for a conclusion. Sorry, there would be a disagreement in our thoughts.

You just repeated my words if you look carefully. To attack the assumption, you need to find the assumption first. So finding the assumption first makes your life much easier rather than to jumping to find a new information.

And many times you no need to find new information, answer will be hidden in assumption

Hey, I didn’t repeat your words. So, pls don’t use false allegations against me. All I can gather from your name is that you are a non-native speaker so before you comment on anything just remember that. It would be good for you.

Sorry to say that you are not a verbal expert. Always keep this in your mind.

By the way you are repeating what I have just mentioned above.

I don’t want to waste my energy on you.

BottomJee, I was just want to give my opinion but Sathvik tried to let me down. I don’t understand the good reason for it.

Guys just chill, take a break
Leave the topic

Sorry, my intention was never to hurt someone. I thought we are just discussing and exchanging what we have already learnt. No offense

Side note, I love and hate the truth of this. But thanks for contributing.
An important CR point that unfortunately is hard to put into practices.

That’s ok. I can understand. Yesterday, I saw you posted in the chat about your bad experience with classic Gmat. So all are in the same boat. No worries. I am perfectly fine.

Also, ya’ll are all good people. Lets get back to saving one another from GMAT’s challenges.
Loveee the sharing here.

I agree with you. Thank you for participating in it and sharing your thoughts.

Yep, I fought for almost 6+ months (full time) to be mediocre in finding assumption. I used to spend 3-4 hours on each questions on EGMAT. Finding assumption I would say one of the toughest qualities needed to excel in CR.

But heyyy, we have a new and good Verbal and Quant coach and someone to ask the Q’s most of us fail to ask.
Thank you both