Last visit was: 22 Apr 2026, 12:04 It is currently 22 Apr 2026, 12:04
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.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
Sajjad1994
User avatar
GRE Forum Moderator
Joined: 02 Nov 2016
Last visit: 22 Apr 2026
Posts: 16,838
Own Kudos:
51,890
 [5]
Given Kudos: 6,333
GPA: 3.62
Products:
Posts: 16,838
Kudos: 51,890
 [5]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
4
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
VeritasPrepBrian
User avatar
Veritas Prep Representative
Joined: 26 Jul 2010
Last visit: 02 Mar 2022
Posts: 416
Own Kudos:
3,270
 [5]
Given Kudos: 63
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 416
Kudos: 3,270
 [5]
5
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
General Discussion
avatar
prashant6923
Joined: 21 Jul 2012
Last visit: 04 Feb 2019
Posts: 62
Own Kudos:
93
 [1]
Given Kudos: 52
Concentration: Leadership, Strategy
Posts: 62
Kudos: 93
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
avatar
guptakashish02
Joined: 28 May 2018
Last visit: 28 Jul 2019
Posts: 57
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 77
Posts: 57
Kudos: 28
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Can anyone please explain Q-3 .
From where it is inferred that option A is correct.
Thanks
User avatar
Diwakar003
Joined: 02 Aug 2015
Last visit: 04 Jul 2022
Posts: 118
Own Kudos:
174
 [2]
Given Kudos: 171
Posts: 118
Kudos: 174
 [2]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
prashant6923
Could someone provide explanation of Q4?IMO C.

Hi Prashant,

Quoting from the para

Some critics have used drug lag arguments in an attempt to prove that the 1962 Amendments have actually reduced the quality of healthcare in the United States and that, on balance, they have done more harm than good. These critics recommend that the effectiveness requirements be drastically modified or even scrapped. Most of the specific claims of the drug lag theoreticians, however, have been refuted. The drop in new drugs approved annually, for example, began at least as early as 1959. perhaps five years before the new law was fully effective, perhaps five years before the new law was fully effective

The author says that reduction in number of drugs was caused back in 1959 and not in 1962. Author is giving an alternate cause for the reduction in no.of drugs. Hence B.

Cheers!
User avatar
AdityaHongunti
Joined: 20 Sep 2016
Last visit: 31 Mar 2021
Posts: 533
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 632
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Operations
GPA: 3.6
WE:Operations (Consumer Packaged Goods)
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
VeritasKarishma GMATNinja GMATNinjaTwo DmitryFarber @mikemcgaryy broall

4. The author points out the drop in new drugs approved annually before 1959 in order to

(A) draw an analogy between two situations
(B) suggest an alternative causal explanation
(C) attack the credibility of an opponent
(D) justify the introduction of statistics
(E) show an opponent misquoted statistics

Only B and C are contenders ... Both seem credible to me.
B - It does look like an alternative explanation
C- as per the function of the paragraph in the passage as a whole, it seems like he is mentioning the stats to limit the credibility of the arguments made by the critics.

COuld you please explain the difference??
User avatar
AdityaHongunti
Joined: 20 Sep 2016
Last visit: 31 Mar 2021
Posts: 533
Own Kudos:
1,084
 [3]
Given Kudos: 632
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Operations
GPA: 3.6
WE:Operations (Consumer Packaged Goods)
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
VeritasPrepBrian
AdityaHongunti
as per the function of the paragraph in the passage as a whole, it seems like he is mentioning the stats to limit the credibility of the arguments made by the critics.

I think you nailed it there actually - the author is trying to undermine the credibility of one side of the argument...but that's not that same as <b>attacking</b> the credibility of an <b>opponent</b> (the person making that argument). C falls victim to that precise language...it's not about the opponent, it's about the argument.

And note on this - it's so easy for the testmaker to use our own personal biases against us. We kind of seek out drama (look at reality TV, Twitter trolls, etc.), so we'll gravitate toward "attack," "criticize," etc. in these Function questions (i.e. "the author does X in order to Y"). But that's really rare in the text itself...we get a little bored with the subject matter so we're looking for interpersonal drama, but more often than not the author stays within the scope of the argument and doesn't really attack or criticize the people who make it.


So basically, option C can mean that the author is criticizing the critics themselves and not their arguments... By saying "attacking the credibility of the opponent" , the author is instead trying to criticise the character of the opponent rather than the argument he makes...

Got it... Thank you so much for pointing this out... Ambiguity can be a ..... (You know)

Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
VeritasPrepBrian
User avatar
Veritas Prep Representative
Joined: 26 Jul 2010
Last visit: 02 Mar 2022
Posts: 416
Own Kudos:
3,270
 [2]
Given Kudos: 63
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 416
Kudos: 3,270
 [2]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Yep, exactly - and really when it says "opponent" that's talking about the person (or people) and not the argument itself.

I'm always super skeptical about answers that say the author's reason for doing something is to criticize/attack a person (or opponent, scientist, whatever). It's just so rarely justified by the text (and kind of hard to fit in a dense passage that also allows for specific detail questions) but it's so tempting to us when we're non-experts on a subject.

Anyway...you're right that ambiguity can be a ***** but here "opponent" I'd say is pretty specific that it's attacking a person, and that's something to look out for (not that it appears a ton, but when it does it should stand out as a likely trap).
User avatar
bpdulog
Joined: 14 Aug 2012
Last visit: 19 Aug 2020
Posts: 43
Own Kudos:
19
 [1]
Given Kudos: 221
Location: United States
GMAT 1: 620 Q43 V33
GMAT 2: 690 Q47 V38
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
2. The passage states that the phrase “drug lag” has been used to refer to all of the following situations EXCEPT

(A) a lag between the time when a new drug becomes available in a foreign country and its availability in the United States
(B) the time period between which a new drug would be marketed if no effectiveness research were required and the time it is actually marketed
(C) the increased cost of drugs to the consumer and the decreased profit margins of the pharmaceutical industry
(D) the difference between the number of drugs introduced annually before 1962 and the number introduced after 1962
(E) the difference between the number of new drugs introduced in a foreign country and the number introduced in the United States

E is the wrong answer. The passage is comparing new drugs in the US and those same drugs in foreign countries and is not comparing number vs number.
avatar
MayankDimri
Joined: 24 Nov 2019
Last visit: 07 Feb 2022
Posts: 19
Own Kudos:
8
 [1]
Given Kudos: 77
Posts: 19
Kudos: 8
 [1]
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Can someone explain Q1? I chose 'Discussing the law' as the answer. In the first paragraph the author introduces the topic and in the subsequent paragraphs shares the perspectives of critics and his very own (refutes the claims sighting reasons). 'Countering arguments' (right answer) is only described in the third paragraph and does not cover the pointers discussed in the first and second paragraphs.
User avatar
MBAB123
Joined: 05 Jul 2020
Last visit: 30 Jul 2023
Posts: 529
Own Kudos:
319
 [1]
Given Kudos: 150
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V38
WE:Accounting (Accounting)
Products:
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V38
Posts: 529
Kudos: 319
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
MayankDimri
Can someone explain Q1? I chose 'Discussing the law' as the answer. In the first paragraph the author introduces the topic and in the subsequent paragraphs shares the perspectives of critics and his very own (refutes the claims sighting reasons). 'Countering arguments' (right answer) is only described in the third paragraph and does not cover the pointers discussed in the first and second paragraphs.

Even I was kind of debating between the 2 but this is what led me to D -

1. If the Author was just discussing the law - it would have probably been more about it's origin, why it was enacted, reaction of the public, some stats about it,etc
2. I understand that the Countering arguments is only really given in the 3rd paragraph but if an author is presenting counter arguments, he would have first have to introduce the topic and the arguments of his opponents.
3. The overall tone of the author is pretty defensive and the passage is not really explanatory in nature.

I know this might not be an exact justification but hope this helps.
User avatar
VerbalBot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 01 Oct 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 19,418
Own Kudos:
Posts: 19,418
Kudos: 1,009
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Automated notice from GMAT Club VerbalBot:

A member just gave Kudos to this thread, showing it’s still useful. I’ve bumped it to the top so more people can benefit. Feel free to add your own questions or solutions.

This post was generated automatically.
Moderators:
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7391 posts
499 posts
358 posts