We should accept the proposal to demolish the old train station

Question

We should accept the proposal to demolish the old train station, because the local historical society, which vehemently opposes this, is dominated by people who have no commitment to long-term economic well-being. Preserving old buildings creates an impediment to new development, which is critical to economic health.

The flawed reasoning exhibited by the argument above is most similar to that exhibited by which one of the following arguments?

The flawed reasoning exhibited by the argument above is most similar to that exhibited by which one of the following arguments?

(A) Our country should attempt to safeguard works of art that it deems to possess national cultural significance. These works might not be recognized as such by all taxpayers, or even all critics. Nevertheless, our country ought to expend whatever money is needed to procure all such works as they become available.

(B) Documents of importance to local heritage should be properly preserved and archived for the sake of future generations. For, if even one of these documents is damaged or lost, the integrity of the historical record as a whole will be damaged.

(C) You should have your hair cut no more than once a month. After all, beauticians suggest that their customers have their hair cut twice a month, and they do this as a way of generating more business for themselves.

(D) The committee should endorse the plan to postpone construction of the new expressway. Many residents of the neighborhoods that would be affected are fervently opposed to that construction, and the committee is obligated to avoid alienating those residents.

(E) One should not borrow even small amounts of money unless it is absolutely necessary. Once one borrows a few dollars, the interest starts to
accumulate. The longer one takes to repay, the more one ends up owing, and eventually a small debt has become a large one.

Saasingh · Accepted Answer

I chose C for the following reasons:

We should accept the proposal to demolish the old train station, because the local historical society, which vehemently opposes this, is dominated by people who have no commitment to long-term economic well-being. Preserving old buildings creates an impediment to new development, which is critical to economic health.

Argument says that:

Accept X (demolish) because critics do not care about Y (economic well being).
Also, NOT DOING X(preserving/ not demolishing) restricts Y(economic well being).

The flawed reasoning exhibited by the argument above is most similar to that exhibited by which one of the following arguments?

(A) Our country should attempt to safeguard works of art that it deems to possess national cultural significance. These works might not be recognized as such by all taxpayers, or even all critics. Nevertheless, our country ought to expend whatever money is needed to procure all such works as they become available.

Country should do X(safeguard).
Critics do not value doing X. But we must do X.
It missed the Y thing. Why should we do X ?

(B) Documents of importance to local heritage should be properly preserved and archived for the sake of future generations. For, if even one of these documents is damaged or lost, the integrity of the historical record as a whole will be damaged.
Documents to be X (preserved).
But this option misses the opposition/ critics remarks.

(C) You should have your hair cut no more than once a month. After all, beauticians suggest that their customers have their hair cut twice a month, and they do this as a way of generating more business for themselves.
Not perfect, but better than others as it shows the "i dont care" attitude of opposition.
You should do X (cut hair).
Critics = beauticians tell you NOT X.
But they do so to generate more business (as in they don't care about your hair).

(D) The committee should endorse the plan to postpone construction of the new expressway. Many residents of the neighborhoods that would be affected are fervently opposed to that construction, and the committee is obligated to avoid alienating those residents.
Committee should do X (endorse plan to postpone construction).
Opposition = residents but they do have a strong motive, unlike the "i dont care" attitude as in passage.

(E) One should not borrow even small amounts of money unless it is absolutely necessary. Once one borrows a few dollars, the interest starts to accumulate. The longer one takes to repay, the more one ends up owing, and eventually a small debt has become a large one.
No opposing agent at all.

Wouldn't mind KUDOS if it helps

TarPhi · Answer

(C) You should have your hair cut no more than once a month. After all, beauticians suggest that their customers have their hair cut twice a month, and they do this as a way of generating more business for themselves.

In the prompt, as in this answer, we are not even considering that there could be other benefits of leaving the buildings as is or cutting your hair 2 times a month.

We are looking at one perspective, economic development or in the case of this answer, the barber making money for us to not go ahead with their recommendation.

None of the options follows this logic if you read carefully!

Cheers & good luck!

bidskamikaze · Answer

The original argument has the following flaw:  It disregards all non economic aspects  and  gives, probably, an undue weight to economics.

Option C  comes the closest to the original argument. It doesn't discuss why beauticians recommend something ( thus, disregards all non economic factors ); it just says that beauticians are motivated by economic factors ( thus, gives undue weight to economics ).

C is correct.

Crytiocanalyst · Answer

(A) Our country should attempt to safeguard works of art that it deems to possess national cultural significance. These works might not be recognized as such by all taxpayers, or even all critics. Nevertheless, our country ought to expend whatever money is needed to procure all such works as they become available.
The reasoning should have a positive attribute for moving forward with a project which is absent in the above case therefore out

(B) Documents of importance to local heritage should be properly preserved and archived for the sake of future generations. For, if even one of these documents is damaged or lost, the integrity of the historical record as a whole will be damaged.
This is thoroughly out of context and we cannot draw any parallels therefore out

(C) You should have your hair cut no more than once a month. After all, beauticians suggest that their customers have their hair cut twice a month, and they do this as a way of generating more business for themselves.
This is definitely a opposition cited by the opposition for the economic prosperity of some other organisation therefore let us hang on to it

(D) The committee should endorse the plan to postpone construction of the new expressway. Many residents of the neighborhoods that would be affected are fervently opposed to that construction, and the committee is obligated to avoid alienating those residents.
This argument is in agreement with the opposion people or rather wnat to please them at least which is not committed by our reasoning therefore out

(E) One should not borrow even small amounts of money unless it is absolutely necessary. Once one borrows a few dollars, the interest starts to
accumulate. The longer one takes to repay, the more one ends up owing, and eventually a small debt has become a large one.
THis doesn't help us imagine who's opposing a action , even though it just presents a possibility anf not a project by itself this may or may not be carried out by individuals therefore out

THerefore IMO C

gullyboy09 · Answer

Hi  Bunuel , can we please mark this question to Similar reasoning also? I was practicing questions by excluding similar reasoning and it came (as similar reasoning is not relevant for GMAT).

Bunuel · Answer

________________________

Added the tag. Thank you!

Adit_ · Answer

Do something --> Because those who oppose are ppl who do something thats not favourable.

Option C  directly conveys the same message and others are either straightforward logic that makes sense or the opposite of what the stem says.

Read the thread above, is Similar Reasoning really not part of GMAT Focus?  Bunuel

gullyboy09 · Answer

Hi Adit, on various threads of Similar reasoning Qs I have seen this comment that this type of Q is not relevant for GMAT (even from experts). Even I just filtered OG questions on GMATClub and can see only 2 Qs on similar reasoning, out of ~800 Qs, and none in Focus edition.

Adit_ · Answer

Thanks for the info! I do however feel that similar reasoning questions test patience and they are really valuable in practising for GMAT Focus nonetheless.

We should accept the proposal to demolish the old train station

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GMAT Critical Reasoning (CR) Questions

We should accept the proposal to demolish the old train station

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