Musical composers have generally made their most significant

Question

Musical composers have generally made their most significant contributions to the musical canon before they reached the age of thirty. It is commonly believed that  this is the case because aging brings about a loss of cognitive ability and creative capacity . However, a study pointed out that a disproportionately large number of those composers who made their most significant contributions to the canon after the age of thirty became musicians at an older age than is generally the case. Since  by the age of thirty many composers have been engaged as musicians for a decade or more , these findings suggest that the real reason why musicians over thirty rarely make significant contributions to the musical canon is not that they have aged but rather that they have spent too much time as musicians.

In the argument above, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

(A) The first is an explanation that is challenged by the argument; the second is a finding used to support that explanation.

(B) The first is an explanation that the argument opposes; the second is an objection raised against the alternative explanation advocated by the argument.

(C) The first is a claim advanced in support of a position; the second is a finding that clarifies that position.

(D) The first is an explanation advocated by the argument; the second is a finding used to challenge that explanation.

(E) The first is an explanation that the argument challenges; the second is a finding on which that challenge is based.

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raymondholt · Answer

Is it E? because the first sentence is challenged by "but rather that they have spent too much time as musicians" which the second bold faces serves as a support.

rosyln · Answer

Option E 
It is commonly believed that  this is the case because aging brings about a loss of cognitive ability and creative capacity 
 The first is an explanation that the argument challenges  
(The commonly held belief about cognitive decline)

Since  by the age of thirty many composers have been engages as musicians for a decade or more , these findings...
 The second is a finding on which that challenge is based  
(Against the belief above, providing an alternative reason for the decline in contributions)

Aakarsh567 · Answer

E is the king of all the options as it serves the premise and conclusion well.

Bunuel · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

This question is an Analyze the Argument Structure question; the best approach is to identify the conclusion, and then check each boldface portion of the question for how it relates to the conclusion, and eliminate incorrect answer choices on that basis. Here, the conclusion of the argument appears in the last sentence, that “these findings suggest that the real reason why musicians over thirty rarely make significant contributions to the musical canon is not that they have aged but rather that they have spent too much time as musicians.” This conclusion is drawn in contrast to the conventional explanation that age erodes creative ability, which appears in the first boldface. The second boldface is a description of the findings that are used to support the argument’s conclusion.

(A) The description of the first boldface is accurate, as it does present an explanation that is challenged by the argument. However, the second boldface is not a finding that supports the challenged explanation. Rather, the second boldface is a finding that supports a different explanation altogether, and is the primary evidence for the challenge as opposed to the explanation itself.

(B) The description of the first boldface is accurate, as it does present an explanation that is opposed by the argument. However, the second boldface is not an objection raised against the alternative explanation advocated by the argument, but the primary evidence in support of the alternative explanation.

(C) The first boldface is not a claim advanced in support of a position, but is itself a position or explanation. Additionally, the second boldface does not serve to clarify the position proposed by the first boldface.

(D) The first boldface is not an explanation advocated by the argument, as the argument advocates an alternative explanation. The description of the second boldface is accurate.

(E) CORRECT.  The first boldface does present an explanation that the argument challenges. The second is a finding that provides the basis for the challenge to the conventional explanation.

The correct answer is E.

Musical composers have generally made their most significant

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GMAT Critical Reasoning (CR) Questions

Musical composers have generally made their most significant

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

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