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.
Thank you for using the timer!
We noticed you are actually not timing your practice. Click the START button first next time you use the timer.
There are many benefits to timing your practice, including:
Join a FREE live webinar with examPAL and Admissionado and learn how to master GMAT Critical Reasoning questions and the 6-pointed star of MBA application essay glory. Save your spot today!
We'll be posting questions in DS/PS/SC/CR in competition mode. Detailed and quickest solution will get kudos. Will be collecting new links to all questions in this topic. Here you can also check links to fresh questions posted.
Want to score 90 percentile or higher on GMAT CR? Attend this free webinar to learn how to pre-think assumptions and solve the most challenging questions in less than 2 minutes.
Want to solve 700+ level Algebra questions within 2 minutes? Attend this free webinar to learn how to master the most challenging Inequalities and Absolute Values questions in GMAT
The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class
[#permalink]
Show Tags
Updated on: 09 Aug 2019, 03:36
8
00:00
A
B
C
D
E
Difficulty:
95% (hard)
Question Stats:
27% (01:59) correct 73% (01:58) wrong based on 525 sessions
HideShow timer Statistics
The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class letter delivery cost only three cents. Since then, the price has increased nearly tenfold, with an actual decrease in the speed and reliability of service.
Each of the following statements, if true, would tend to weaken the argument above EXCEPT:
(A) The volume of mail handled by the postal service has increased dramatically over the last forty years. (B) Unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel for trucks and planes have put severe upward pressures on postal delivery costs. (C) Private delivery services usually charge more than does the postal service for comparable delivery charges. (D) The average delivery time for a first-class letter four decades ago was actually slightly longer than it is today. (E) The average level of consumer prices overall has increased more than 300 percent over the last forty years.
Re: The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class
[#permalink]
Show Tags
30 Jan 2008, 15:08
5
2
OA is E as explained below:
The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class letter delivery cost only three cents. Since then, the price has increased nearly tenfold, with an actual decrease in the speed and reliability of service. Each of the following statements, if true, would tend to weaken the argument above EXCEPT: (A) The volume of mail handled by the postal service has increased dramatically over the last forty years. weakens..it is volume of mail and not mismanagement (B) Unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel for trucks and planes have put severe upward pressures on postal delivery costs.weakens..it is fule cost and not mismanagement (C) Private delivery services usually charge more than does the postal service for comparable delivery charges.weakens (D) The average delivery time for a first-class letter four decades ago was actually slightly longer than it is today.weakens (E) The average level of consumer prices overall has increased more than 300 percent over the last forty years.strengthens..consumer prices only increased 300% whereas mail prices increased 10 fold..which is a 900% increase..thus it must be mismanagement
Re: The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class
[#permalink]
Show Tags
26 Jul 2009, 09:39
1
I'll vote for E
The question is asking for an option, which doesn't weaken the argument and its option E.
(A) The volume of mail handled by the postal service has increased dramatically over the last forty years. -Weakening the conclusion about mismanagement of postal services (B) Unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel for trucks and planes have put severe upward pressures on postal delivery costs. -providing reason for the "price has increased nearly tenfold", hence weakening this evidence. (C) Private delivery services usually charge more than does the postal service for comparable delivery charges.-weakening the claim that "price has increased nearly tenfold". If private sevices are charging even more, that means Postal services are still well-managed as compared to other private services (D) The average delivery time for a first-class letter four decades ago was actually slightly longer than it is today. -Directly hitting the claim that "with an actual decrease in the speed " (E) The average level of consumer prices overall has increased more than 300 percent over the last forty years. -Correct. The option says that other prices has increased by 3 times, whereas Postal service prices has increased by 10 times. Hence strengthening the conclusion that Postal services are badly managed. _________________
Re: The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class
[#permalink]
Show Tags
26 Jul 2009, 13:32
I agree with E.
E can strengthen or weaken. We cant say that it weakens for sure. Notice that "average level of consumer prices" have increased. We don't know whether 'postal service' prices specifically increased or decreased. If it increased then it weakens the argument, if it decreased then it strengthens the argument.
C definitely weakens the argument because it specifically mentions that for "comparable delivery charges" others charge more.
Re: The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class
[#permalink]
Show Tags
26 Jul 2009, 13:51
Economist wrote:
I agree with E.
E can strengthen or weaken. We cant say that it weakens for sure. Notice that "average level of consumer prices" have increased. We don't know whether 'postal service' prices specifically increased or decreased. If it increased then it weakens the argument, if it decreased then it strengthens the argument.
C definitely weakens the argument because it specifically mentions that for "comparable delivery charges" others charge more.
The argument says that the "postal service" prices has also increased. This is evident in line "Forty years ago, first-class letter delivery cost only three cents. Since then, the price has increased nearly tenfold," But the problem is that, the increase in postal service prices are at a much higher rate than the increase in average consumer prices.
_________________
Re: The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class
[#permalink]
Show Tags
05 Oct 2011, 00:12
OA is E.
I found the OA in the answer key download for CR1000 (reference: Test D qn 7). It would really be nice if original poster could post up OA together with the questions each time...
I chose C initially.
--- I figured this is how it should be - Conclusion: postal service badly managed. Premise: increased price by 10x; decreased efficiency and reliability
Answer should strengthen this.
A - weakens. Gives postal service an excuse to say it's not their fault for increased price n decreased efficiency/reliability B - weakens. again, not postal services' fault! It was circumstantial. C - weakens. Over here, it tells us, hey...comparatively, postal service charges less --> good management! D - weakens. Increased efficiency! --> good management! E - strengthens. Across the board, consumer prices increased only 3-folds. Postal service increased 10x!! Mismanagement!!
bholakc wrote:
The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class letter delivery cost only three cents. Since then, the price has increased nearly tenfold, with an actual decrease in the speed and reliability of service.
Each of the following statements, if true, would tend to weaken the argument above EXCEPT:
(A) The volume of mail handled by the postal service has increased dramatically over the last forty years. (B) Unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel for trucks and planes have put severe upward pressures on postal delivery costs. (C) Private delivery services usually charge more than does the postal service for comparable delivery charges. (D) The average delivery time for a first-class letter four decades ago was actually slightly longer than it is today. (E) The average level of consumer prices overall has increased more than 300 percent over the last forty years.
_________________
"The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours - it is an amazing journey - and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins." - Bob Moawab
Re: The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class
[#permalink]
Show Tags
01 Jun 2013, 00:15
Quote:
The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class letter delivery cost only three cents. Since then, the price has increased nearly tenfold, with an actual decrease in the speed and reliability of service.
Each of the following statements, if true, would tend to weaken the argument above EXCEPT:
(A) The volume of mail handled by the postal service has increased dramatically over the last forty years. (B) Unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel for trucks and planes have put severe upward pressures on postal delivery costs. (C) Private delivery services usually charge more than does the postal service for comparable delivery charges. (D) The average delivery time for a first-class letter four decades ago was actually slightly longer than it is today. (E) The average level of consumer prices overall has increased more than 300 percent over the last forty years.
I think it is important to understand here whether to Strengthen or Weaken the Conclusion. Conclusion: The postal service is badly mismanaged Weaken: Not Mismanaged Except: It is mismanaged.
E does the job. Rest all weakens the mismanagement claim.
_________________
Re: The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class
[#permalink]
Show Tags
16 Jun 2014, 12:49
1
First of all always post the OA once the question is posted.
IMO the answer is "C". The answer would have been more clear if the words in the premise were twofold rather than tenfold. And I'll tell you why.
(A) The volume of mail handled by the postal service has increased dramatically over the last forty years. Weakens. Because the volume of the mails has increased to such an extent that postal services cannot be blamed for the mismanagement.
(B) Unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel for trucks and planes have put severe upward pressures on postal delivery costs. Weakens. Because cost is some other reason explaining why the postal services cannot be claimed as mismanaged.
(C) Private delivery services usually charge more than does the postal service for comparable delivery charges. Irrelevant. Because no comparison of delivery charges between Private and Postal services justifies the mismanagement of Postal services. It could be that Private delivery charges were greater forty years ago. Also, the word 'usually' suggests uncertainty. Thus this option could be our possible answer. But, lets go through other options as well.
(D) The average delivery time for a first-class letter four decades ago was actually slightly longer than it is today. Weakens. Because the timings of certain type of delivery was longer than what is it now. So slightly weaken the premise, but weakens.
(E) The average level of consumer prices overall has increased more than 300 percent over the last forty years. Weakens. Because average level of consumer price increasedmore than4 times(300% over the original value) in last forty years. Whereas the premise of the argument states that the price of postal services increased nearly tenfold(ten times). So the crucial word here is 'more than'. It could mean that increase in consumer price is either 1)<(less than tenfold) or 2) =(equal to tenfold) or 3) > (greater than tenfold). In the second and third cases the option could support the argument whereas in the first case the option is clearly weakening the argument. So the argument is partly Weakened.
So Clearly, the best answer choice we are left with is 'C'.
P.S. This question is not very clear in meaning and its lack a proper framework. In Fact it is from the group of questions that aren't good enough to be tagged as GMAT level question. In here we have to chose the best option among the worst.
Re: The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class
[#permalink]
Show Tags
26 Sep 2015, 03:29
The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class letter delivery cost only three cents. Since then, the price has increased nearly tenfold, with an actual decrease in the speed and reliability of service. Each of the following statements, if true, would tend to weaken the argument above EXCEPT:
(A) The volume of mail handled by the postal service has increased dramatically over the last forty years. - Wrong This choice Weakens the conclusion by saying Mismanagement is due to the dramatic increase in the volume of mails.
(B) Unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel for trucks and planes have put severe upward pressures on postal delivery costs. - Wrong This choice Weakens the conclusion by saying Transportation costs are the real reason for mismanagement.
(C) Private delivery services usually charge more than does the postal service for comparable delivery charges. - Wrong If the Private delivery services are more costly then mismanagement is due to some other reason in the postal service.
(D) The average delivery time for a first-class letter four decades ago was actually slightly longer than it is today. - Wrong Delivery time decades ago was not very very less compared to today's delivery time.
(E) The average level of consumer prices overall has increased more than 300 percent over the last forty years. - Correct This supports clearly the conclusion saying, prices have increased leaps and bounds and still the service is poor.
_________________
Re: The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class
[#permalink]
Show Tags
24 May 2017, 22:51
mkumar26 wrote:
why not option A ? anybody explain !
We need to find the answer which does not weaken the argument given. The argument given is 'Postal service is mismanaged.Why? Because apparently the cost has increased after 40 years and service is not that reliable' Now how can we weaken this argument? We can weaken it by pointing out an increase the postal service workload. Now as the volume has increased dramatically, postal service workload has increased dramatically so automatically cost will increase, service can be delayed because of this excess workload. So, it does not mean Postal service is mismanaged. Thus it weakens the argument.
I hope it clears. Sorry if it wasnt precise or concise explanation.
Re: The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class
[#permalink]
Show Tags
09 Aug 2019, 03:32
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.
_________________
close
27% (01:59) correct 
