Kim: In northern Europe during the eighteenth century a change of atti

Question

Kim: In northern Europe during the eighteenth century a change of attitude occurred that found expression both in the adoption of less solemn and elaborate death rites by the population at large and in a more optimistic view of the human condition as articulated by philosophers. This change can be explained as the result of a dramatic increase in life expectancy that occurred in northern Europe early in the eighteenth century.

Lee: Your explanation seems unlikely, because it could not be correct unless the people of the time were aware that their life expectancy had increased.

Which one of the following, if true, provides the strongest defense of Kim’s explanation against Lee’s criticism?

(A) An increase in life expectancy in a population often gives rise to economic changes that, in turn, directly influence people’s attitudes.

(B) Present day psychologists have noted that people’s attitude toward life can change in response to information about their life expectancy.

(C) Philosophers in northern Europe during the eighteenth century made many conjectures that did not affect the ideas of the population at large.

(D) The concept of life expectancy is based on statistical theories that had not been developed in the eighteenth century.

(E) Before the eighteen century the attitudes of northern Europeans were more likely to be determined by religious teaching than by demographic phenomena.

yashikaaggarwal · Answer

Kim: In northern Europe during the eighteenth century a change of attitude occurred that found expression both in the adoption of less solemn and elaborate death rites by the population at large and   in a more optimistic view of the human condition as articulated by philosophers.   This change can be explained as the result of a dramatic increase in life expectancy that occurred in northern Europe early in the eighteenth century.

Answer is probably E as the above highlighted phrase stated that the life expectancy rate of European is probably increased after having those philosophical teachings during the 18th century.

(E) Before the eighteen century the attitudes of northern Europeans were more likely to be determined by religious teaching than by demographic phenomena.

IOC is E.

Posted from my mobile device

ArunSharma12 · Answer

Ans: D

(A) An increase in life expectancy in a population often gives rise to economic changes that, in turn, directly influence people’s attitudes. 
 this is not relevant to reasoning provided by Kim. Argument is not concerned with economic changes

(B) Present day psychologists have noted that people’s attitude toward life can change in response to information about their life expectancy. 
 change in attitude in the passage is towards less solemn and elaborate death rites. This reasoning do not weaken Lee's criticism

(C) Philosophers in northern Europe during the eighteenth century made many conjectures that did not affect the ideas of the population at large. 
 Opinions of Philosophers are not relevant.

(D) The concept of life expectancy is based on statistical theories that had not been developed in the eighteenth century. 
 This weakens the Lee's criticism that concept of Life expectancy was not developed and hence not required to be understood by the people in eighteenth century

(E) Before the eighteen century the attitudes of northern Europeans were more likely to be determined by religious teaching than by demographic phenomena. 
 attitudes of people before eighteen century are not relevant.

exc4libur · Answer

argument
k= 18th chg attitude occurred
= caused by inc in life expect
l= unlikely since they didn't know life exp inc

strengthen K
ans (A) life expectancy caused an impact w/o their explicit knowledge

randomavoidplease · Answer

I pick "A"
A: This is in direct correlation to the effects that were being felt by the public thus strengthening Kim's argument.
B: Its about present day concerning about information, but we don't know if they had information or not. 
C: This isn't about philosophers
D: This seems counter-intuitive. 
E: This could have been the answer and I was confused between it, but we are not told about life before 18th century or whether or not there weren't religious leaders during the 18th century. On basis of incomplete information I skipped it.

AkashM · Answer

+1 A.

This strengthen question asks for the  defense of Kim's explanation against Lee's criticism .

Kim's explanation: Change is the result of rise in life expectancy. 
Lee's criticism: Rise in life expectancy cannot be the reason unless those people knew that their life expectancy had increased.

Pre-thinking: Look for a choice that would prove that those people did know that they were going to live longer.

A fits the bill, none of the others do.

Hope that's useful to someone.

Cheers!

my55 · Answer

Official explanation pasted below:
--------------------------------------------------------------

Strengthen-CE. The correct answer choice is (A)

Kim claims that a dramatic increase in life expectancy in northern Europe during the eighteenth century caused a change of attitude. Lee argues that this is unlikely since people of the time were not aware that their life expectancy had increased.

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice.  Lee argues that it is unlikely that an increase in life expectancy caused the change of attitude since people were not aware that their life expectancy had increased. This answer choice suggests that attitudes could change without people being aware of increases in life expectancy, since the increases could give rise to economic changes, which would in turn influence attitudes.

Answer choice (B): This answer does not offer a defense of Kim’s explanation since Lee’s criticism is precisely that people of the time did not have information about their life expectancy.

Answer choice (C): This answer does not respond to Lee’s criticism about people being unaware of increases in their life expectancy.

Answer choice (D): This answer strengthens Lee’s criticism that people could not have been aware of increases in their life expectancy.

Answer choice (E): What happened before the eighteenth century does not affect Lee’s criticism that people of the eighteenth century were not aware of increases in their life expectancy

Coxy4972 · Answer

IMO - A

In this question we are looking to strength Kim and Weaken Lee. In the passage we can see that Kim's argument is that attitudes have changed due to life expectancy increases, but Lee retorts that this is not possible as the population would never know if life expectancy really did increase. Therefore we just need to find an answer which provides some form of evidence which would suggest that people in the 18th century would be aware of life expectancy changes.

(A) An increase in life expectancy in a population often gives rise to economic changes that, in turn, directly influence people’s attitudes.
 - Provides evidence to WHY people would be aware of increases in life expectancy (Due to economic changes), therefore strengthening Kim's response and weakening Kims. Correct

(B) Present day psychologists have noted that people’s attitude toward life can change in response to information about their life expectancy.
 Warped answer - we know that attitudes change in response to information, but we are not told how 18th century people received that information. Incorrect.

(C) Philosophers in northern Europe during the eighteenth century made many conjectures that did not affect the ideas of the population at large.
 This does not answer the question of how individuals learn about life expectancy - incorrect.

(D) The concept of life expectancy is based on statistical theories that had not been developed in the eighteenth century.
 If the statistical theories have not been developed in the 18th century, then how would people in the 18th century know about them and change their attitudes? Incorrect.

(E) Before the eighteen century the attitudes of northern Europeans were more likely to be determined by religious teaching than by demographic phenomena.
 We don't care about what happened before the 18th century. This answer is just out of scope. Incorrect

eaat · Answer

Kim: during 18th cent, change of attitude - less solemn and elaborate death rites and more optimistic view of human condition (articulated by philosophers)
This change explained as result of dramatic increase in life expectancy that happened

Lee: Not correct unless people were aware that their life expectancy increased

Q: strongest defense of Kim against Lee’s criticism

A - increase in life expectancy directly influences people’s attitude - yes this is in line with what Kim is saying
B - yes but Lee is still saying that they didn’t know about the increase in life expectancy 
C - irrelevant 
D -this would strengthen Lee and not Kim
E - irrelevant

guddo · Answer

Kim: In northern Europe during the eighteenth century a change of attitude occurred that found expression both in the adoption of less solemn and elaborate death rites by the population at large and in a more optimistic view of the human condition as articulated by philosophers. This change can be explained as the result of a dramatic increase in life expectancy that occurred in northern Europe early in the eighteenth century.

Lee: Your explanation seems unlikely, because it could not be correct unless the people of the time were aware that their life expectancy had increased.

Which one of the following, if true, provides the strongest defense of Kim’s explanation against Lee’s criticism?

Kim says: life expectancy rose, and that caused a more optimistic outlook and less elaborate death rites. Lee objects: that only works if people knew life expectancy had increased.

(A) An increase in life expectancy in a population often gives rise to economic changes that, in turn, directly influence people’s attitudes.

Best defense.  It shows a way Kim’s cause can work without people explicitly knowing life expectancy stats: longer lives can trigger economic and social changes that then shift attitudes.

(B) Present day psychologists have noted that people’s attitude toward life can change in response to information about their life expectancy.

This supports Lee more than Kim. It says attitudes change when people get information about life expectancy, which reinforces Lee’s “awareness” requirement.

(C) Philosophers in northern Europe during the eighteenth century made many conjectures that did not affect the ideas of the population at large.

Irrelevant to Lee’s point. It is about philosophers not influencing the public, not about whether life expectancy could affect attitudes without awareness.

(D) The concept of life expectancy is based on statistical theories that had not been developed in the eighteenth century.

This actually helps Lee. If the concept of life expectancy did not exist, people could not be aware of it in Lee’s sense.

(E) Before the eighteen century the attitudes of northern Europeans were more likely to be determined by religious teaching than by demographic phenomena.

Not a defense. It suggests religion used to drive attitudes, but it does not show that a demographic change could drive attitudes without awareness.

Answer: (A)

Kim: In northern Europe during the eighteenth century a change of atti

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Critical Reasoning (CR) Questions

Kim: In northern Europe during the eighteenth century a change of atti

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards