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Well I got it right, but it isnt a 500-level question AT ALL. The main trick here is that A,B and E seem to be good contenders for the answer, but A and E are informations rather than an assumption.
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If we negate the option B then the whole argument falls. If final decision is not of the CEO then the new covers could be used or could not be. Hence the Option B is correct . Hope this helps.
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i m not convinced with the explanation. please help
i think conclusion clearly says CEO is more interested in margins rather than heritage value. It is about interest of CEO not the final decision of CEO. in case of B if we negate it says "Final say in choosing the seat cover colours for the cars "NOT" lies with the CEO" but still it cannot refute conclusion. CEO still can be interested.

Please help and correct me, if i m wrong
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Explanations given for this question does not appear to be convincing.

Negation is a good method to find assumption.Similarly, stated option truth ,if the option is assumption, should make the conclusion more believable.

What i mean here that if i assume CEO holds the final say of choosing seat cover colors, this fact does not make the conclusion believable that CEO is interested in boosting sales.
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well for people who kept E as a contender, i think E doesnt stand as an assumption. An assumption always strengthens an argument, if we consider E;

Automobile company’s cars with silver and gold coloured seat covers are purchased at a rate more than three times greater than is the case with cars with heritage white seat covers. : this is sort of a weakener, if the prices are 3 times more than the heritage covers, maybe the CEO is looking to add more luxury to the car segment. maybe as the manufacturing cost of the car goes up, he still prices the car at an affordable rate. maybe he might price the car so high, that people automatically get deterred from buying the car thereby reducing the sales. where there are so many "maybes" within an option, that does not stand a chance as a contender.

In fact, A and B are the only contenders. But again B wins over A, thats my take on it. Hope that was helpful.
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gabriel87
Hi,

Can someone please help me with this question. Though it's 500 level question, i am little confused here.

After the new CEO took over the position, an automobile company’s car’s seat covers were changed to only silver and gold colours. Previously, the seats were displayed only in their heritage white seat covers. An acclaimed automobile journalist mentioned that the changes made by the automobile company are relevant again. However, many car magazine editorials, automobile journalist’s opponents, did not agree and pointed out that the new CEO is more interested in boosting sales than in maintaining car’s heritage feature.

Which of the following is an assumption that has to be made for the argument made by the acclaimed automobile journalist’s opponents?

a. The shiny lustre of silver and gold coloured seat covers often attracts public attention and motivates them to buy new cars.

b. Final say in choosing the seat cover colours for the cars lies with the CEO.

c. An automobile company can boost sales while highlighting the seat covers of grey and crimson colours.

d. The silver and gold coloured seat covers are featured in the new international automobile expo.

e. Automobile company’s cars with silver and gold coloured seat covers are purchased at a rate more than three times greater than is the case with cars with heritage white seat covers.


Source: GMAT Club test


Thanks in advance.

Although I chose ‘E’ at first, but after reading the argument again I realised that ‘B’ is the right option.

Well, argument says that new CEO has taken a decision to change White coloured seats to silver and gold colours. White seat covers were the manufacturer’s heritage colour.
Based on this information, it concluded that CEO is interested in increasing the sales instead of sticking to the heritage.

We have to find a link between the CEO’s decision and his interest in increasing the sales.
1) While giving his joining speech, CEO mentioned that he will change few existing things to increase the sales.
2) He can take the decision
3) From his point of view few changes should be done to increase the sales.

a. The shiny lustre of silver and gold coloured seat covers often attracts public attention and motivates them to buy new cars. The proposed seat cover colours motivate the consumers, but this doesn’t tell us anything about the relation between CEO’s decision and his interest

b. Final say in choosing the seat cover colours for the cars lies with the CEO. He can make the final decision. This is same assumption as we concluded above

c. An automobile company can boost sales while highlighting the seat covers of grey and crimson colours. we are not concerned about other colours

d. The silver and gold coloured seat covers are featured in the new international automobile expo. Featuring in automobile expo doesn’t tell anything about CEO’s interests

e. Automobile company’s cars with silver and gold coloured seat covers are purchased at a rate more than three times greater than is the case with cars with heritage white seat covers. The given data doesn’t tell us that CEO is interested in executing the change. This option doesn’t say that three times greater sales has attracted CEO’s attention and he showed his interest in gaining some market share in this sales.

Hope it is clear. Please share if somebody has any other view because I am learning with all of you :)
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After the new CEO took over the position, an automobile company’s car’s seat covers were changed to only silver and gold colours. Previously, the seats were displayed only in their heritage white seat covers. An acclaimed automobile journalist mentioned that the changes made by the automobile company are relevant again. However, many car magazine editorials, automobile journalist’s opponents, did not agree and pointed out that the new CEO is more interested in boosting sales than in maintaining car’s heritage feature.

Which of the following is an assumption that has to be made for the argument made by the acclaimed automobile journalist’s opponents?

a. The shiny lustre of silver and gold coloured seat covers often attracts public attention and motivates them to buy new cars. -Colors are meant to attract people. "often"things happen.
b. Final say in choosing the seat cover colours for the cars lies with the CEO. -Correct. If the CEO is not the final authority then the changes are not being made by the CEO for his interest.
c. An automobile company can boost sales while highlighting the seat covers of grey and crimson colours. -This is out of scope. We are talking only about silver and gold.
d. The silver and gold coloured seat covers are featured in the new international automobile expo. -Out of scope
e. Automobile company’s cars with silver and gold coloured seat covers are purchased at a rate more than three times greater than is the case with cars with heritage white seat covers. -Even if the new seats were purchased at a rate twice that of purchase of previous seats the argument holds. Thus this is not an assumption
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B is the correct answer.

A introduces additional information, in “shiny lusture”. The lusture is not mentioned in the passage. C also brings in new information, the possibility of boosting sales with grey and crimson colors. D is entirely irrelevant information, that the colours were featured in the automobile expo does not relate at all to the journalist’s argument. E also introduces a lot of new information.



B is the right answer.
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gabriel87
After the new CEO took over the position, an automobile company’s car’s seat covers were changed to only silver and gold colours. Previously, the seats were displayed only in their heritage white seat covers. An acclaimed automobile journalist mentioned that the changes made by the automobile company are relevant again. However, many car magazine editorials, automobile journalist’s opponents, did not agree and pointed out that the new CEO is more interested in boosting sales than in maintaining car’s heritage feature.

Which of the following is an assumption that has to be made for the argument made by the acclaimed automobile journalist’s opponents?

a. The shiny lustre of silver and gold coloured seat covers often attracts public attention and motivates them to buy new cars.

b. Final say in choosing the seat cover colours for the cars lies with the CEO.

c. An automobile company can boost sales while highlighting the seat covers of grey and crimson colours.

d. The silver and gold coloured seat covers are featured in the new international automobile expo.

e. Automobile company’s cars with silver and gold coloured seat covers are purchased at a rate more than three times greater than is the case with cars with heritage white seat covers.


Source: GMAT Club test

Hello GMATNinja, can you please explain this question.
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sudhirmadaan
i m not convinced with the explanation. please help
i think conclusion clearly says CEO is more interested in margins rather than heritage value. It is about interest of CEO not the final decision of CEO. in case of B if we negate it says "Final say in choosing the seat cover colours for the cars "NOT" lies with the CEO" but still it cannot refute conclusion. CEO still can be interested.

Please help and correct me, if i m wrong

Hey Sudhir,
Here is the thing - Acclaimed journalist's opponents are talking about CEO (new CEO is more interested in boosting sales than in maintaining car’s heritage feature). Of all the options, only B talks about CEO whereas A & E are just additional information.
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a. The shiny lustre of silver and gold coloured seat covers often attracts public attention and motivates them to buy new cars.
This we cannot protest whether was done in line with keeping the heritage since there is no compelling evidence that this in avoidance of keeping the family heritage

b. Final say in choosing the seat cover colours for the cars lies with the CEO.
This will definitely pin the consequences of the decision made in getting the seat cover of the cars to be biased for heritage or sales

c. An automobile company can boost sales while highlighting the seat covers of grey and crimson colours.
This is thoroughly out of context

d. The silver and gold coloured seat covers are featured in the new international automobile expo.
Similar reasoning as C

e. Automobile company’s cars with silver and gold coloured seat covers are purchased at a rate more than three times greater than is the case with cars with heritage white seat covers
This was a close runner up however doesn't help us understand whether this was against the heritage of the company hence out

Hence IMO B
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