Events & Promotions
|
|
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
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Apr 2711:00 AM EDT
-12:00 PM EDT
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors
Apr 2808:00 AM PDT
-11:00 AM PDT
Whether you are just beginning your MBA journey or fine-tuning your path to a 700+ score, GMAT Day is designed to give you a competitive edge.
16 Mar 2024, 11:01
Kudos
Bookmarks
A
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
65%
(hard)
Question Stats:
62% (02:02) correct
38%
(02:30)
wrong
based on 1489
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Editorial: Five years ago, Merryvale closed its municipal garbage-collection department and recieved several proposals for garbage-collection work from private contractors. Now the city pays less for garbage collection, the private contractor doing the work shows a profit, and residents say they are more satisifed with the garbage-collection service. This increase in effeciency constitutes a clear example of the benefits that result when competition motivates people to do high quality work at lower cost.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the editorials interpretation of the outcome of the change in Merryvale's garbage collection?
(a) The company that now holds the garbage-collection contract consists entirely of former managers and employees of the municipal garbage-collection department.
(b) Over the last few years, changes in the types of industry located in Merryvale, have greatly changed industrial garbage-disposal work.
(c) At the time that Merryvale closed its municipal garbage-collection department, opponents of the move argued that it would result in reduced wages and poorer benefits for the garbage-collection workers.
(d) Garbage from Merryvale can now be dumped at a landfill in a neighbouring county at a much lower cost than formerly.
(e) Many neighbouring towns followed Merryvale's example even before it was clear that the initial benefits from Merryvale's action would be sustainable
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the editorials interpretation of the outcome of the change in Merryvale's garbage collection?
(a) The company that now holds the garbage-collection contract consists entirely of former managers and employees of the municipal garbage-collection department.
(b) Over the last few years, changes in the types of industry located in Merryvale, have greatly changed industrial garbage-disposal work.
(c) At the time that Merryvale closed its municipal garbage-collection department, opponents of the move argued that it would result in reduced wages and poorer benefits for the garbage-collection workers.
(d) Garbage from Merryvale can now be dumped at a landfill in a neighbouring county at a much lower cost than formerly.
(e) Many neighbouring towns followed Merryvale's example even before it was clear that the initial benefits from Merryvale's action would be sustainable
Using official mocks already?
Add GMAT Club Tests for harder practice, analytics, and explanations without overlapping Official Guide or official mock questions.
Try it now →
16 Mar 2024, 12:31
Kudos
Bookmarks
Editorial: Five years ago, Merryvale closed its municipal garbage-collection department and received several proposals for garbage-collection work from private contractors. Now the city pays less for garbage collection, the private contractor doing the work shows a profit, and residents say they are more satisifed with the garbage-collection service. This increase in effeciency constitutes a clear example of the benefits that result when competition motivates people to do high quality work at lower cost.
The conclusion of the editorial is the following:
This increase in effeciency constitutes a clear example of the benefits that result when competition motivates people to do high quality work at lower cost.
The editorial includes no statements that directly support the conclusion. After all, the passage does not directly mention "competition."
At the same time, the fact that the city "received several proposals for garbage-collection work from private contractors" does tend to indicate that competition between private contractors was involved in the process that led to the improved outcome described. So, the fact that it appears that a process involving some competition led to the outcome provides some support for the conclusion.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the editorials interpretation of the outcome of the change in Merryvale's garbage collection?
The correct answer will somehow strengthen the support for the conclusion.
(a) The company that now holds the garbage-collection contract consists entirely of former managers and employees of the municipal garbage-collection department.
My initial thought about this choice was that it might weaken the argument by showing that there was not competiition for the garbage-collection work since former city employees got the contract. I figured that it could be that they got the contract, not through competition, but rather by using their connections with the city.
However, the truth is that this choice does strengthen the argument by eliminating a variable. Here's how.
The information provided by this choice indicates that the same people who were doing the work before the town made the switch were doing the work afterward. Thus, this choice serves to rule out the possibility that what caused the improved outcome was a change in the people handling garbage collection.
By serving to rule out that possibility, this choice makes it more likely that what really caused improvement was competition motivating people to do higher quality work at lower cost.
So, this choice strengthens the support for the conclusion.
Keep.
(b) Over the last few years, changes in the types of industry located in Merryvale, have greatly changed industrial garbage-disposal work.
If anything, this choice weakens rather than strengthens the argument.
After all, if this choice is true, then it could be that the changes in garbage-disposal work it mentions, rather than the city's use of a private contractor, were the cause of the city paying less, the contractor showing a profit, and residents saying they are more satisfied.
That information would cast doubt on the conclusion by indicating that something other than increased efficiency resulting from competiition may have caused the improved outcome.
Eliminate.
(c) At the time that Merryvale closed its municipal garbage-collection department, opponents of the move argued that it would result in reduced wages and poorer benefits for the garbage-collection workers.
That fact that opponents of the move thought it would have a negative effect on garbage-collection workers doesn't mean that it resulted in beneficial increased efficiency. After all, the fact that someone thought that something would have negative effects clearly does not mean that it had positive effects.
Eliminate.
(d) Garbage from Merryvale can now be dumped at a landfill in a neighbouring county at a much lower cost than formerly.
This choice weakens the argument rather than strengthens it.
After all, if this choice is true, then it could be that the reason the city pays less, the contractor shows a profit, and the residents are more satisfied is simply that the cost of handling the garbage has decreased as a result of the use of the landfill in the neighbouring county.
Of course, that information would cast doubt on the conclusion by indicating the improve outcome mentioned in the editorial may have resulted not from competition resulting in greater efficiency but from reduced landfill costs.
Eliminate.
(e) Many neighbouring towns followed Merryvale's example even before it was clear that the initial benefits from Merryvale's action would be sustainable.
The fact that neighboring towns followed Merryvale's example doesn't mean that the editorial is correct about why things went better after the city switched to working with a private contractor. It merely indicates that neighboring towns had the impression that the strategy is beneficial, regardless of whether it really is.
Eliminate.
Correct answer: A
The conclusion of the editorial is the following:
This increase in effeciency constitutes a clear example of the benefits that result when competition motivates people to do high quality work at lower cost.
The editorial includes no statements that directly support the conclusion. After all, the passage does not directly mention "competition."
At the same time, the fact that the city "received several proposals for garbage-collection work from private contractors" does tend to indicate that competition between private contractors was involved in the process that led to the improved outcome described. So, the fact that it appears that a process involving some competition led to the outcome provides some support for the conclusion.
Which of the following, if true, most strongly supports the editorials interpretation of the outcome of the change in Merryvale's garbage collection?
The correct answer will somehow strengthen the support for the conclusion.
(a) The company that now holds the garbage-collection contract consists entirely of former managers and employees of the municipal garbage-collection department.
My initial thought about this choice was that it might weaken the argument by showing that there was not competiition for the garbage-collection work since former city employees got the contract. I figured that it could be that they got the contract, not through competition, but rather by using their connections with the city.
However, the truth is that this choice does strengthen the argument by eliminating a variable. Here's how.
The information provided by this choice indicates that the same people who were doing the work before the town made the switch were doing the work afterward. Thus, this choice serves to rule out the possibility that what caused the improved outcome was a change in the people handling garbage collection.
By serving to rule out that possibility, this choice makes it more likely that what really caused improvement was competition motivating people to do higher quality work at lower cost.
So, this choice strengthens the support for the conclusion.
Keep.
(b) Over the last few years, changes in the types of industry located in Merryvale, have greatly changed industrial garbage-disposal work.
If anything, this choice weakens rather than strengthens the argument.
After all, if this choice is true, then it could be that the changes in garbage-disposal work it mentions, rather than the city's use of a private contractor, were the cause of the city paying less, the contractor showing a profit, and residents saying they are more satisfied.
That information would cast doubt on the conclusion by indicating that something other than increased efficiency resulting from competiition may have caused the improved outcome.
Eliminate.
(c) At the time that Merryvale closed its municipal garbage-collection department, opponents of the move argued that it would result in reduced wages and poorer benefits for the garbage-collection workers.
That fact that opponents of the move thought it would have a negative effect on garbage-collection workers doesn't mean that it resulted in beneficial increased efficiency. After all, the fact that someone thought that something would have negative effects clearly does not mean that it had positive effects.
Eliminate.
(d) Garbage from Merryvale can now be dumped at a landfill in a neighbouring county at a much lower cost than formerly.
This choice weakens the argument rather than strengthens it.
After all, if this choice is true, then it could be that the reason the city pays less, the contractor shows a profit, and the residents are more satisfied is simply that the cost of handling the garbage has decreased as a result of the use of the landfill in the neighbouring county.
Of course, that information would cast doubt on the conclusion by indicating the improve outcome mentioned in the editorial may have resulted not from competition resulting in greater efficiency but from reduced landfill costs.
Eliminate.
(e) Many neighbouring towns followed Merryvale's example even before it was clear that the initial benefits from Merryvale's action would be sustainable.
The fact that neighboring towns followed Merryvale's example doesn't mean that the editorial is correct about why things went better after the city switched to working with a private contractor. It merely indicates that neighboring towns had the impression that the strategy is beneficial, regardless of whether it really is.
Eliminate.
Correct answer: A
General Discussion
Fish181
Joined: 13 Dec 2023
Last visit: 22 Jan 2025
Posts: 133
Given Kudos: 53
Status:Applying in R1 of 2024 to t15
Affiliations: University of Tennessee
Location: United States (CO)
Concentration: Strategy, Finance
GMAT Focus 1: 605 Q76 V84 DI80 
GMAT Focus 2: 615 Q78 V86 DI78
GPA: 3.62
WE:Analyst (Consumer Packaged Goods)
GMAT Focus 2: 615 Q78 V86 DI78
Posts: 133
19 Mar 2024, 08:59
Kudos
Bookmarks
Marty really helped me here. I eliminated the correct answer because I thought it was a weakener. I think an important thing to point out is that the claim is "This increase in efficiency constitutes a clear example of the benefits that result when competition motivates people to do high quality work at lower cost."
The claim does not mention anything about a new business doing better than the old or that a group of people are superior garbagemen over the others. The claim is stating that competition makes people more efficient. If you evaluate the answer choices with this in mind you will get answer A.
The claim does not mention anything about a new business doing better than the old or that a group of people are superior garbagemen over the others. The claim is stating that competition makes people more efficient. If you evaluate the answer choices with this in mind you will get answer A.
