gmatt1476 wrote:
A country's Aeronautics Board (AB) employs inspectors who make routine annual inspections of all aircraft. On inspecting Azura Airlines' airplanes in December, they reported considerably more violations of AB rules this year, compared to a year ago. This fact explains why Azura had more accidents this year, compared to last year.
Which of the following, if true, would cast most doubt on the conclusion in the passage?
A. Some aviation experts in other countries consider certain AB rules to be too lax and too easy to get around.
B. Azura's routes are no more dangerous than are those of most other airlines.
C. The AB increased the length and rigor of its inspections this year, compared to last year.
D. Prior to last year Azura had an excellent safety record with very few accidents.
E. In both years the AB report on Azura did not include violations on airplanes owned by Azura but leased by another airline.
CR60661.01
What's the heart of this question?
Well, inspections were conducted. As a result, considerably more violations were detected. And because of more violations, Azura had more accidents this year, compared to last year.
Our goal is to attack the premise: the inspections part.
A is eliminated because it gives us info about some (1 percent ) of the considerations of the aviation experts of other countries, which are out of the scope of this question.
What about the remaining 99 percent of the info?
Moreover, if the rules are too lax and too easy to get around then a considerable number of violations should not have been detected by the inspections in the first place.
Inconclusive evidence. Gone!
B is eliminated because all it tells us is that the routes are equally dangerous for almost all the airlines.
And if the routes are equally dangerous for almost all the airlines then almost all the airlines should have had more accidents this year, compared to last year.
Why did only Azura have more accidents this year, compared to last year?
Plus, it doesn't discuss the inspections, the premise.
Keep C because it tells us that the length and the rigor of inspection increased this year.
For example, let's assume that last year, the length of the inspection was 100 hours.
But, this year, the length of the inspection is 200 hours.
The more the number of hours of inspection, the more the number of detected violations. This is a possible scenario.
Moreover, let's suppose that the rigor of the inspection last year consisted of 100 tests.
But the rigor of the inspection this year is 200 tests.
The greater the rigor, the more the number of detected violations. This is a possible scenario.
Essentially, because the length and the rigor of the inspection increased this year, more violations were unraveled.
However, it might be true that the same violations existed when the inspection was conducted last year but they couldn't emerge because the length and the rigor of the inspection last year were not so great as those of the inspection this year.
The inspections changed. Hence, the results also changed.
We have attacked the premise, the inspections. Goal achieved!
D is eliminated because how the airline's safety record prior to last year was is immaterial.
The question clearly states that Azura had more accidents this year, compared to last year because the inspections reported considerably more violations of AB rules this year.
Plus, it doesn't discuss the inspections, the premise.
E is eliminated because whether the planes were owned or leased is insignificant. The question clearly states that Azura had more accidents this year, compared to last year because the inspections reported considerably more violations of AB rules this year.
Plus, it doesn't discuss the inspections, the premise.
Thus, C, if true, would cast most doubt on the conclusion in the passage.
I hope I'm crystal-clear 🙏
Posted from my mobile device