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05 May 2019, 11:05
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egmat, GMATNinja, GMATNinjaTwo
Hi,
I'm struggling with the application of a assumption concept that I got from PowerScore CR Bible book on CR causal questions.
In the book, it states that: "When a GMAT speaker concludes that one occurence caused another, that speaker also assumes that the stated cause is the ONLY possible cause of the effect and that consequently the stated cause will always produce the effect." --> Does this mean that the "stated cause" is considered as both NECESSARY & SUFFICIENT to result in the effect? In my opinion, if it is the only possible cause, then that means the cause is Necessary & Sufficient.
But then, in many CR questions, such as the below one, the cause in the causal relationship is only sufficient, not necessary:
"In humans, ingested protein is broken down into amino acids, all of which must compete to enter the brain. Subsequent ingestion of sugars leads to the production of insulin, a hormone that breaks down the sugars and also rids the bloodstream of residual amino acids, except for tryptophan, Tryptophan then slips into the brain uncontested and is transformed into the chemical serotonin, increasing the brain's serotonin level. Thus sugars can play a major role in mood elevation, helping one to feel relaxed and anxiety-free.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
(A) Elevation of mood and freedom from anxiety require increasing the level of serotonin the brain.
(D) Increasing the level of serotonin in the brain promotes relaxation and freedom from anxiety."
For this particular question, if I follow the PowerScore Bible reasoning, both option A and D will be correct because the "increasing level of serotonin" is necessary & sufficient. But the correct answer is D because the "increasing level of serotonin" is only sufficient condition.
Could you help advise if I'm understanding the PowerScore CR Bible book correctly or not? And whether its assumption that the cause in the causal relationship is THE ONLY POSSIBLE cause is correct or not? Given the above example.
Thank you
Hi,
I'm struggling with the application of a assumption concept that I got from PowerScore CR Bible book on CR causal questions.
In the book, it states that: "When a GMAT speaker concludes that one occurence caused another, that speaker also assumes that the stated cause is the ONLY possible cause of the effect and that consequently the stated cause will always produce the effect." --> Does this mean that the "stated cause" is considered as both NECESSARY & SUFFICIENT to result in the effect? In my opinion, if it is the only possible cause, then that means the cause is Necessary & Sufficient.
But then, in many CR questions, such as the below one, the cause in the causal relationship is only sufficient, not necessary:
"In humans, ingested protein is broken down into amino acids, all of which must compete to enter the brain. Subsequent ingestion of sugars leads to the production of insulin, a hormone that breaks down the sugars and also rids the bloodstream of residual amino acids, except for tryptophan, Tryptophan then slips into the brain uncontested and is transformed into the chemical serotonin, increasing the brain's serotonin level. Thus sugars can play a major role in mood elevation, helping one to feel relaxed and anxiety-free.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
(A) Elevation of mood and freedom from anxiety require increasing the level of serotonin the brain.
(D) Increasing the level of serotonin in the brain promotes relaxation and freedom from anxiety."
For this particular question, if I follow the PowerScore Bible reasoning, both option A and D will be correct because the "increasing level of serotonin" is necessary & sufficient. But the correct answer is D because the "increasing level of serotonin" is only sufficient condition.
Could you help advise if I'm understanding the PowerScore CR Bible book correctly or not? And whether its assumption that the cause in the causal relationship is THE ONLY POSSIBLE cause is correct or not? Given the above example.
Thank you
16 Jun 2019, 12:47
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duybachhpvn
I assume (ha) that the book was referring to instances when the author concludes that X was caused by Y. For example, "I wore a red shirt today. The Red Sox won. Therefore, the Red Sox won because I wore a red shirt today." This example adheres to the concept explained in the book.
However, as you can see from the protein example, context is everything. Instead of trying to learn and apply various CR rules and concepts, make sure you understand EXACTLY what the author is trying to say in each unique passage. As explained in the our little CR guide for beginners, little words/phrases can drastically impact meaning. If you are caught up in trying to simplifying and categorize each passage, you might blow right past those important details.
I hope that helps!
