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Addiction to nicotine in cigarettes prevents many people from quitting
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18 Jan 2017, 10:46
18 Jan 2017, 10:46
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21%
(02:04)
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based on 1976
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This is a Gmat Exam Pack II question - Please do not attempt if you plan to buy it to access your GMAT score.
Addiction to nicotine in cigarettes prevents many people from quitting smoking. To make quitting easier, lawmakers in Tarnia passed legislation that will reduce the average quantity of nicotine per cigarette by half over the next five years. Since the lower a smoker's nicotine intake is, the easier it is for that person to quit, the proportion of Tarnians attempting to quit smoking who succeed in their efforts will probably increase significantly during these five years.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
a. The strength of a person's nicotine addiction depends only on the amount of nicotine that person regularly consumes.
b. Most of the cigarette smokers in Tarnia would quit smoking if they were not addicted to nicotine.
c. It is unlikely that many Tarnians who have not already become addicted to nicotine will become addicted to nicotine at some time over the next five years.
d. Tarnian smokers addicted to nicotine will not generally compensate for decrease in the amount of nicotine per cigarette by smoking more cigarettes.
e. All cigarettes currently sold in Tarnia contain the maximum amount of nicotine permitted by law.
Addiction to nicotine in cigarettes prevents many people from quitting smoking. To make quitting easier, lawmakers in Tarnia passed legislation that will reduce the average quantity of nicotine per cigarette by half over the next five years. Since the lower a smoker's nicotine intake is, the easier it is for that person to quit, the proportion of Tarnians attempting to quit smoking who succeed in their efforts will probably increase significantly during these five years.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
a. The strength of a person's nicotine addiction depends only on the amount of nicotine that person regularly consumes.
b. Most of the cigarette smokers in Tarnia would quit smoking if they were not addicted to nicotine.
c. It is unlikely that many Tarnians who have not already become addicted to nicotine will become addicted to nicotine at some time over the next five years.
d. Tarnian smokers addicted to nicotine will not generally compensate for decrease in the amount of nicotine per cigarette by smoking more cigarettes.
e. All cigarettes currently sold in Tarnia contain the maximum amount of nicotine permitted by law.
Re: Addiction to nicotine in cigarettes prevents many people from quitting
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17 Aug 2017, 08:00
17 Aug 2017, 08:00
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Expert Reply
Masshole wrote:
Why is A wrong?
Conclusion: the proportion of Tarnians attempting to quit smoking who succeed in their efforts will probably increase significantly during these five years.
Negating (A) gives: The strength of a person's nicotine addiction DOES NOT depend SOLELY on the amount of nicotine that person regularly consumes.
So, there might be other factors, phychological, for example. The conclusion is talking about Tarnians, who are attempting to quit. So, if there are other factors, the proportion who succed WILL NOT increase significantly because of these other factors.
(D), on the other side is concerned with Tarnian smokers, not with those who are trying to quit. We don't care about smokers, the conclusion is concerned with those WHO ARE TRYING to quit.
Smokers can compensate by smoking more, we don't care because the conclusion is about those who ARE TRYING TO QUIT.
IMHO, must be A
Conclusion: the proportion of Tarnians attempting to quit smoking who succeed in their efforts will probably increase significantly during these five years.
Negating (A) gives: The strength of a person's nicotine addiction DOES NOT depend SOLELY on the amount of nicotine that person regularly consumes.
So, there might be other factors, phychological, for example. The conclusion is talking about Tarnians, who are attempting to quit. So, if there are other factors, the proportion who succed WILL NOT increase significantly because of these other factors.
(D), on the other side is concerned with Tarnian smokers, not with those who are trying to quit. We don't care about smokers, the conclusion is concerned with those WHO ARE TRYING to quit.
Smokers can compensate by smoking more, we don't care because the conclusion is about those who ARE TRYING TO QUIT.
IMHO, must be A
It doesn't matter if there are other factors affecting the strength of a person's nicotine addiction. As long as the amount of nicotine that a person regularly consumes is ONE of the factors affecting the strength of a person's nicotine addiction, reducing a person's nicotine consumption should reduce the strength of a person's nicotine addiction (if all other factors are held equal). The amount of nicotine regularly consumed does not even have to be the MAIN factor. As long as it affects the strength of a person's nicotine addiction, the author's argument could hold.
However, the argument rests on the assumption that smokers will continue smoking roughly the same number of cigarettes even after the nicotine content has been reduced, thus reducing the smokers' average regular nicotine consumption. But if those smokers simply smoke more cigarettes to maintain the same levels of nicotine consumption, then the strength of their addictions will not be changed.
I hope that helps. And you have excellent taste in baseball teams, Masshole! :-D
Re: Addiction to nicotine in cigarettes prevents many people from quitting
[#permalink]
18 Jan 2017, 15:37
18 Jan 2017, 15:37
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Addiction prevents people to quit smoking.
Reduction in nicotine content per cigarette.
Lower the nicotine intake, easier to quit --> Proportion of people attempting to quit smoking will increase.
We have to find an option that must be true in order for the conclusion to hold true.
a. The strength of a person's nicotine addiction depends only on the amount of nicotine that person regularly consumes. - Incorrect. Negate A: Strength of person's nicotine addiction does not depend only on the amount of nicotine that person regularly consumes. Negating A does not have any effect on the conclusion.
b. Most of the cigarette smokers in Tarnia would quit smoking if they were not addicted to nicotine. - Incorrect. Out of context. Option presents info about people not addicted to nicotine.
c. It is unlikely that many Tarnians who have not already become addicted to nicotine will become addicted to nicotine at some time over the next five years. - Incorrect. Out of context. Same error as in B.
d. Tarnian smokers addicted to nicotine will not generally compensate for decrease in the amount of nicotine per cigarette by smoking more cigarettes. - Correct. Negate D, conclusion breaks down.
e. All cigarettes currently sold in Tarnia contain the maximum amount of nicotine permitted by law. - Incorrect. Irrelevant.
Answer: D
Reduction in nicotine content per cigarette.
Lower the nicotine intake, easier to quit --> Proportion of people attempting to quit smoking will increase.
We have to find an option that must be true in order for the conclusion to hold true.
a. The strength of a person's nicotine addiction depends only on the amount of nicotine that person regularly consumes. - Incorrect. Negate A: Strength of person's nicotine addiction does not depend only on the amount of nicotine that person regularly consumes. Negating A does not have any effect on the conclusion.
b. Most of the cigarette smokers in Tarnia would quit smoking if they were not addicted to nicotine. - Incorrect. Out of context. Option presents info about people not addicted to nicotine.
c. It is unlikely that many Tarnians who have not already become addicted to nicotine will become addicted to nicotine at some time over the next five years. - Incorrect. Out of context. Same error as in B.
d. Tarnian smokers addicted to nicotine will not generally compensate for decrease in the amount of nicotine per cigarette by smoking more cigarettes. - Correct. Negate D, conclusion breaks down.
e. All cigarettes currently sold in Tarnia contain the maximum amount of nicotine permitted by law. - Incorrect. Irrelevant.
Answer: D
