Last visit was: 18 Nov 2025, 16:06 It is currently 18 Nov 2025, 16:06
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Rewards
Chat
My Profile
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
555-605 Level|   Weaken|         
User avatar
ssandeepan
User avatar
Joined: 09 Jul 2007
Last visit: 13 Jun 2010
Posts: 116
Own Kudos:
1,740
 [73]
Posts: 116
Kudos: 1,740
 [73]
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees suc Updated on: 07 Nov 2018, 04:40
Originally posted by ssandeepan on 19 Aug 2008, 06:24.
Last edited by Bunuel on 07 Nov 2018, 04:40, edited 1 time in total.
Renamed the topic and edited the question.
9
Kudos
Add Kudos
64
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
00:00
Start Timer
Pause Timer
Resume Timer
Show Answer
Hide
Show
History
D
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

Difficulty:

35% (medium)

Question Stats:

70% (01:32) correct 30% (01:50) wrong based on 3218 sessions

History

Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees such as the Douglas fir, which provide it with necessary sugars. The underground filaments of chanterelles, which extract the sugars, in turn provide nutrients and water for their hosts. Because of this mutually beneficial relationship, harvesting the chanterelles growing beneath a Douglas fir seriously endangers the tree.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the conclusion drawn above?


(A) The number of wild mushrooms harvested has increased in recent years.

(B) Chanterelles grow not only beneath Douglas firs but also beneath other host trees.

(C) Many types of wild mushrooms are found only in forests and cannot easily be grown elsewhere.

(D) The harvesting of wild mushrooms stimulates future growth of those mushrooms.

(E) Young Douglas fir seedlings die without the nutrients and water provided by chanterelle filaments.
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
D
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
ssandeepan
User avatar
Joined: 09 Jul 2007
Last visit: 13 Jun 2010
Posts: 116
Own Kudos:
1,740
 [15]
Posts: 116
Kudos: 1,740
 [15]
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees suc 20 Aug 2008, 16:23
15
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
OA is D.
harvesting means cutting the mushrooms. So the conslusion is cutting the mushrooms endangers the tree.
User avatar
nmohindru
User avatar
Joined: 06 Apr 2008
Last visit: 06 Jul 2013
Posts: 157
Own Kudos:
488
 [6]
Given Kudos: 1
Posts: 157
Kudos: 488
 [6]
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees suc 19 Aug 2008, 08:20
5
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ssandeepan
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees such as the Douglas fir, which provide it with necessary sugars. The underground filaments of chanterelles, which extract the sugars, in turn provide nutrients and water for their hosts. Because of this mutually beneficial relationship, harvesting the chanterelles growing beneath a Douglas fir seriously endangers the tree.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the conclusion drawn above?
(A) The number of wild mushrooms harvested has increased in recent years.
(B) Chanterelles grow not only beneath Douglas firs but also beneath other host trees.
(C) Many types of wild mushrooms are found only in forests and cannot easily be grown elsewhere.
(D) The harvesting of wild mushrooms stimulates future growth of those mushrooms.
(E) Young Douglas fir seedlings die without the nutrients and water provided by chanterelle filaments.
Show more

IMO D) .... since number of mushrooms keep on growing even when they are harvested it does not endager the tree.

E) actually supports the argument.
General Discussion
User avatar
abhijit_sen
User avatar
Joined: 10 Sep 2007
Last visit: 10 May 2015
Posts: 456
Own Kudos:
958
 [5]
GMAT 1: 690 Q50 V34
Posts: 456
Kudos: 958
 [5]
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees suc 19 Aug 2008, 14:51
4
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Premise1: C grows beneath D.
Premise2: D provides sugar to C.
Premise3: C provides water to D.
Premise4: Relationship is mutual.
Conclusion: C beneath D seriously endangers the D.

(A) The number of wild mushrooms harvested has increased in recent years.
Does not point what happens to D because of this phenomenon, so not relavant.

(B) Chanterelles grow not only beneath Douglas firs but also beneath other host trees.
Does not point why C beneath D is bad for D.

(C) Many types of wild mushrooms are found only in forests and cannot easily be grown elsewhere.
Environment in which C grows does not explains why for D it is bad.

(D) The harvesting of wild mushrooms stimulates future growth of those mushrooms.
This may be true, however it does not attack conclusion at all on how this C and D relationship is bad for D.

(E) Young Douglas fir seedlings die without the nutrients and water provided by chanterelle filaments.
This destroys the conclusion. Conclusion says because of C and D relationship, D dies, however, this tells us because of relationship D infact survives because of relationship.

IMO E.
User avatar
LM
User avatar
Joined: 03 Sep 2006
Last visit: 04 Apr 2015
Posts: 444
Own Kudos:
7,670
 [1]
Given Kudos: 33
Posts: 444
Kudos: 7,670
 [1]
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees suc 25 Aug 2008, 21:51
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
If the harvesting of wild mushrooms stimulates future growth of those mushrooms then there is not reason to worry about the endangerement of the Douglas Fir! So "D" counters the conclusion drawn above.
User avatar
GMAT TIGER
User avatar
Joined: 29 Aug 2007
Last visit: 17 Aug 2011
Posts: 1,013
Own Kudos:
1,783
 [3]
Given Kudos: 19
Posts: 1,013
Kudos: 1,783
 [3]
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees suc 25 Aug 2008, 22:08
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ssandeepan
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees such as the Douglas fir, which provide it with necessary sugars. The underground filaments of chanterelles, which extract the sugars, in turn provide nutrients and water for their hosts. Because of this mutually beneficial relationship, harvesting the chanterelles growing beneath a Douglas fir seriously endangers the tree.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the conclusion drawn above?
(A) The number of wild mushrooms harvested has increased in recent years.
(B) Chanterelles grow not only beneath Douglas firs but also beneath other host trees.
(C) Many types of wild mushrooms are found only in forests and cannot easily be grown elsewhere.
(D) The harvesting of wild mushrooms stimulates future growth of those mushrooms.
(E) Young Douglas fir seedlings die without the nutrients and water provided by chanterelle filaments.
Show more

D. the passage says "harvesting mushroom endangers the tree's life". D says harvesting mushroom stimulates more mushrooms. So harvesting is not a problem.
avatar
Maryam787
avatar
Joined: 31 Aug 2012
Last visit: 18 Feb 2013
Posts: 15
Own Kudos:
10
Given Kudos: 52
GPA: 3.65
Posts: 15
Kudos: 10
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees suc 17 Oct 2012, 11:20
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
nmohindru
ssandeepan
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees such as the Douglas fir, which provide it with necessary sugars. The underground filaments of chanterelles, which extract the sugars, in turn provide nutrients and water for their hosts. Because of this mutually beneficial relationship, harvesting the chanterelles growing beneath a Douglas fir seriously endangers the tree.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the conclusion drawn above?
(A) The number of wild mushrooms harvested has increased in recent years.
(B) Chanterelles grow not only beneath Douglas firs but also beneath other host trees.
(C) Many types of wild mushrooms are found only in forests and cannot easily be grown elsewhere.
(D) The harvesting of wild mushrooms stimulates future growth of those mushrooms.
(E) Young Douglas fir seedlings die without the nutrients and water provided by chanterelle filaments.

IMO D) .... since number of mushrooms keep on growing even when they are harvested it does not endager the tree.

E) actually supports the argument.
Show more


I agree that E supports the argument,,As conclusion is cutting the trees would endanger the tree,,,,We have find option which doesn't endanger the tree how come the option D is applicable??? The harvesting of wild mushrooms stimulates future growth of those mushrooms. Kindly brief it, thank you
User avatar
MacFauz
User avatar
Joined: 02 Jul 2012
Last visit: 19 Mar 2022
Posts: 996
Own Kudos:
3,359
 [1]
Given Kudos: 116
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy
Schools: Ross '16 (D) McCombs '16 (D) Kenan-Flagler '16 (WA) Olin '16 (M$) Tepper '16 (D)
GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V42
GPA: 3.8
WE:Engineering (Energy)
Schools: Ross '16 (D) McCombs '16 (D) Kenan-Flagler '16 (WA) Olin '16 (M$) Tepper '16 (D)
GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V42
Posts: 996
Kudos: 3,359
 [1]
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees suc 18 Oct 2012, 05:07
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Maryam787
nmohindru
ssandeepan
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees such as the Douglas fir, which provide it with necessary sugars. The underground filaments of chanterelles, which extract the sugars, in turn provide nutrients and water for their hosts. Because of this mutually beneficial relationship, harvesting the chanterelles growing beneath a Douglas fir seriously endangers the tree.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the conclusion drawn above?
(A) The number of wild mushrooms harvested has increased in recent years.
(B) Chanterelles grow not only beneath Douglas firs but also beneath other host trees.
(C) Many types of wild mushrooms are found only in forests and cannot easily be grown elsewhere.
(D) The harvesting of wild mushrooms stimulates future growth of those mushrooms.
(E) Young Douglas fir seedlings die without the nutrients and water provided by chanterelle filaments.

IMO D) .... since number of mushrooms keep on growing even when they are harvested it does not endager the tree.

E) actually supports the argument.


I agree that E supports the argument,,As conclusion is cutting the trees would endanger the tree,,,,We have find option which doesn't endanger the tree how come the option D is applicable??? The harvesting of wild mushrooms stimulates future growth of those mushrooms. Kindly brief it, thank you
Show more

The argument says that harvesting the mushrooms will endanger the tree because after being harvested, there wont be any mushrooms to provide the tree with nutrients.

Choice D says that harvesting the mushrooms would lead to further growth of mushrooms. Hence the argument's conclusion is rendered incorrect.
User avatar
KarishmaB
User avatar
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 16,265
Own Kudos:
76,982
 [4]
Given Kudos: 482
Location: Pune, India
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 16,265
Kudos: 76,982
 [4]
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees suc 17 Sep 2013, 23:40
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
mba1382
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees such as the Douglas fir, which provide it with necessary sugars. The underground filaments of chanterelles, which extract the sugars, in turn provide nutrients and water for their hosts. Because of this mutually beneficial relationship, harvesting the chanterelles growing beneath a Douglas fir seriously endangers the tree.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the conclusion drawn above?

(A) The number of wild mushrooms harvested has increased in recent years.
(B) Chanterelles grow not only beneath Douglas firs but also beneath other host trees.
(C) Many types of wild mushrooms are found only in forests and cannot easily be grown elsewhere.
(D) The harvesting of wild mushrooms stimulates future growth of those mushrooms.
(E) Young Douglas fir seedlings die without the nutrients and water provided by chanterelle filaments

Please explain your reasoning for the answers provided.

Thanks.
Show more

What is the conclusion?
"harvesting the mushroom seriously endangers these trees"

To weaken it we need to provide an explanation why harvesting the mushroom may not endanger these trees.
We know that mushrooms and trees benefit each other.
Option (D) tells us that harvesting of wild mushrooms stimulates future growth of those mushrooms. This means that even if you harvest the mushrooms, they will grow back and hence the beneficial relation will continue or perhaps even become better since harvesting stimulates future growth.
This weakens the statement that harvesting the mushrooms endangers these trees.

None of the other options weaken our conclusion.
User avatar
KarishmaB
User avatar
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Last visit: 18 Nov 2025
Posts: 16,265
Own Kudos:
76,982
 [1]
Given Kudos: 482
Location: Pune, India
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 16,265
Kudos: 76,982
 [1]
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees suc 18 Sep 2013, 23:41
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
mdeepaks
VeritasPrepKarishma
mba1382
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees such as the Douglas fir, which provide it with necessary sugars. The underground filaments of chanterelles, which extract the sugars, in turn provide nutrients and water for their hosts. Because of this mutually beneficial relationship, harvesting the chanterelles growing beneath a Douglas fir seriously endangers the tree.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the conclusion drawn above?

(A) The number of wild mushrooms harvested has increased in recent years.
(B) Chanterelles grow not only beneath Douglas firs but also beneath other host trees.
(C) Many types of wild mushrooms are found only in forests and cannot easily be grown elsewhere.
(D) The harvesting of wild mushrooms stimulates future growth of those mushrooms.
(E) Young Douglas fir seedlings die without the nutrients and water provided by chanterelle filaments

Please explain your reasoning for the answers provided.

Thanks.

What is the conclusion?
"harvesting the mushroom seriously endangers these trees"

To weaken it we need to provide an explanation why harvesting the mushroom may not endanger these trees.
We know that mushrooms and trees benefit each other.
Option (D) tells us that harvesting of wild mushrooms stimulates future growth of those mushrooms. This means that even if you harvest the mushrooms, they will grow back and hence the beneficial relation will continue or perhaps even become better since harvesting stimulates future growth.
This weakens the statement that harvesting the mushrooms endangers these trees.

None of the other options weaken our conclusion.


Could you please explain what is wrong with the option E?
Show more

(E) strengthens the conclusion, not weakens it.
The conclusion is "harvesting the mushroom seriously endangers these trees". You could easily follow it up with option (E): "Young Douglas fir seedlings die without the nutrients and water provided by chanterelle filaments". It provides support to my conclusion that yes, harvesting the mushroom might endanger the Douglas fir trees because there seedlings will die. We need to weaken the conclusion so (E) doesn't work at all.
User avatar
pkshankar
User avatar
Joined: 20 Jun 2017
Last visit: 25 Apr 2019
Posts: 64
Own Kudos:
51
Given Kudos: 42
GMAT 1: 570 Q49 V19
GMAT 1: 570 Q49 V19
Posts: 64
Kudos: 51
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees suc 01 Sep 2018, 00:32
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Conclusion - Harvesting the chanterelles growing beneath a Douglas fir seriously endangers the tree.

We need to find a weakener i.e. something which should say that harvesting the chanterelles would in turn do greater good to the host tree by more than compensating for the loss of nutrients and water OR something which should say that even though chanterelles are providing water and nutrients but in turn are committing greater harm to the host tree. Any answer along any of these 2 lines of reasoning would be apt.
Option 'D' is the correct answer as it says that harvesting is necessary as it stimulates the growth of more such mushrooms and this is along the lines of reasoning of the 1st statement made above.
User avatar
dcummins
User avatar
Joined: 14 Feb 2017
Last visit: 08 Oct 2025
Posts: 1,064
Own Kudos:
2,323
Given Kudos: 368
Location: Australia
Concentration: Technology, Strategy
Schools: INSEAD Sept'21 Intake (WA$$$) Melbourne (A$$$$) AGSM (A$$$$) Kellogg '23 (WL) Said '22 (A$$$$) CBS '23 (D) Booth '23 (WA) Anderson '23 (WA) Cambridge '22 (WL) LBS '23 (D) Stern '24 (WA)
GMAT 1: 560 Q41 V26
GMAT 2: 550 Q43 V23
GMAT 3: 650 Q47 V33
GMAT 4: 650 Q44 V36
GMAT 5: 600 Q38 V35
GMAT 6: 710 Q47 V41
WE:Management Consulting (Consulting)
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: INSEAD Sept'21 Intake (WA$$$) Melbourne (A$$$$) AGSM (A$$$$) Kellogg '23 (WL) Said '22 (A$$$$) CBS '23 (D) Booth '23 (WA) Anderson '23 (WA) Cambridge '22 (WL) LBS '23 (D) Stern '24 (WA)
GMAT 6: 710 Q47 V41
Posts: 1,064
Kudos: 2,323
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees suc 10 Oct 2019, 17:32
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
The argument assumes that the tree is dependent on the mushrooms.

The logic of D is this - if you stop harvesting the mushrooms the mushrooms will not grow thus endangering the tree, so you need to keep harvesting the mushrooms to sustain the tree.

E is a strengthener- E validates the assumption that the trees are dependent on the mushrooms for survival, solidifying the argument. E is then obviously incorrect.
User avatar
VerbalBot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 01 Oct 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 18,835
Own Kudos:
986
Posts: 18,835
Kudos: 986
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees suc 29 Mar 2025, 09:59
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7445 posts
GMATNinjaTwo
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
234 posts
miag
188 posts