Last visit was: 31 Aug 2026, 23:04 It is currently 31 Aug 2026, 23:04
Home
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
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.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 31 Aug 2026
Posts: 113,003
Own Kudos:
838,241
 [1]
Given Kudos: 111,243
Products:
GMAT Club Tests
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 113,003
Kudos: 838,241
 [1]
­Country X has the world's highest rate of skin cancer, a disease 18 Aug 2026, 19:00
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
00:00
Start Timer
Pause Timer
Resume Timer
Show Answer
Hide
Show
History
A
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

Difficulty:

35% (medium)

Question Stats:

72% (01:24) correct 28% (01:48) wrong based on 128 sessions

History

Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
­Country X has the world's highest rate of skin cancer, a disease caused mainly by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. There are three types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Every year, 2.7% of the population in Country X is diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, 1.3% with squamous cell carcinoma, and 0.8% with melanoma. The population of Country X buys more sun block than the population of any other country in the world.

Which of the following, if true, contributes most to a resolution of the above paradox?

(A) Ultraviolet radiation in Country X is stronger than anywhere else in the world.

(B) Awareness of the potential damage of exposure to the sun in Country X is high.

(C) Country X is the world leader in sunglasses and hat sales.

(D) The rate of cancer cases other than skin cancer in Country X is lower than the rate of skin cancer.

(E) 3.9% of the population in Country X are diagnosed with bowel cancer.


ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
A
User avatar
nammolestias
User avatar
Joined: 13 Jan 2026
Last visit: 31 Aug 2026
Posts: 65
Own Kudos:
10
 [3]
Given Kudos: 23
Location: India
Concentration: Finance, Strategy
Schools: ISB ISB Anderson (UCLA) LBS Bocconi NTU Yale '27 Haas '27 INSEAD Aug '27 CBS '27 Kellogg '27 IIM '27 Anderson '27 LBS '27
GPA: 8.38
WE:Analyst (Finance: Investment Management)
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: ISB ISB Anderson (UCLA) LBS Bocconi NTU Yale '27 Haas '27 INSEAD Aug '27 CBS '27 Kellogg '27 IIM '27 Anderson '27 LBS '27
Posts: 65
Kudos: 10
 [3]
­Country X has the world's highest rate of skin cancer, a disease 18 Aug 2026, 19:17
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I have selected option (A) and reason for selecting-if UV radiation is unusually strong, the population can use more sunblock than anywhere else and still have greater UV exposure and consequently higher skin-cancer rates.
Can someone help me if it is right
User avatar
Rishikesh113
User avatar
Joined: 09 Jun 2022
Last visit: 31 Aug 2026
Posts: 12
Own Kudos:
7
 [2]
Given Kudos: 205
Posts: 12
Kudos: 7
 [2]
­Country X has the world's highest rate of skin cancer, a disease 18 Aug 2026, 23:16
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
(A) Ultraviolet radiation in Country X is stronger than anywhere else in the world.

Explanation: If the UV intensity in Country X is significantly extreme, even high sunblock usage isn't enough to prevent damage
User avatar
dhart
User avatar
Joined: 02 Feb 2026
Last visit: 31 Aug 2026
Posts: 175
Own Kudos:
86
 [1]
Given Kudos: 34
Posts: 175
Kudos: 86
 [1]
­Country X has the world's highest rate of skin cancer, a disease 18 Aug 2026, 23:19
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Yes , since UV rays are unusually strong, the population can use more sunblock than anywhere else and still have greater UV exposure and consequently higher skin-cancer rates, so A qualifies
User avatar
Minka99
User avatar
Joined: 15 Jun 2026
Last visit: 31 Aug 2026
Posts: 35
Own Kudos:
25
 [1]
Given Kudos: 84
Location: Austria
Concentration: Accounting, Other
Products:
GMAT Club Tests
Posts: 35
Kudos: 25
 [1]
­Country X has the world's highest rate of skin cancer, a disease 19 Aug 2026, 03:19
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
A is the [b]correct answer.[/b] We are looking for to find out why the population of county X has such a high skin cancer rate despite often purchasing sun screen.
A) explains this paradox well. Even though people buy sunscreen, UV radiation is particularly strong there, thereby increasing risk of skin cancer.
B) this would weaken; if people have high awareness of skin cancer they would do more to protect themselves from UV rays
C) this would weaken; same principle as B
D) this would weaken; the country is only known for higher than average skin cancer rates, so the choice that cancer is more likely in general, is out!
E) irrelevant! The passage is concerned with only skin cancer and the 3 types that fall under it
User avatar
Vivek1707
User avatar
Joined: 22 May 2020
Last visit: 31 Aug 2026
Posts: 345
Own Kudos:
176
 [1]
Given Kudos: 150
Products:
GMAT Club Tests Forum Quiz
Posts: 345
Kudos: 176
 [1]
­Country X has the world's highest rate of skin cancer, a disease 19 Aug 2026, 04:34
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
A. Yup this explains. If UV radiation is much stronger in Country X, even heavy sunblock use may not be enough to prevent the unusually high cancer rate.
B. High awareness makes the high cancer rate more puzzling; it doesn't explain it.
C. More hats and sunglasses would make the high cancer rate even harder to explain.
D. Cancer other than skin cancer is irrelevant to the paradox.
E. Bowel cancer has nothing to do with the relationship between UV exposure, sunblock, and skin cancer.
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 31 Aug 2026
Posts: 113,003
Own Kudos:
838,241
Given Kudos: 111,243
Products:
GMAT Club Tests
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 113,003
Kudos: 838,241
­Country X has the world's highest rate of skin cancer, a disease 23 Aug 2026, 05:45
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel
­Country X has the world's highest rate of skin cancer, a disease caused mainly by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. There are three types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Every year, 2.7% of the population in Country X is diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, 1.3% with squamous cell carcinoma, and 0.8% with melanoma. The population of Country X buys more sun block than the population of any other country in the world.

Which of the following, if true, contributes most to a resolution of the above paradox?

(A) Ultraviolet radiation in Country X is stronger than anywhere else in the world.

(B) Awareness of the potential damage of exposure to the sun in Country X is high.

(C) Country X is the world leader in sunglasses and hat sales.

(D) The rate of cancer cases other than skin cancer in Country X is lower than the rate of skin cancer.

(E) 3.9% of the population in Country X are diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Show more

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Country X has the world's highest rate of skin cancer, a disease caused mainly by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. There are three types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Every year, 2.7% of the population in Country X is diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, 1.3% with squamous cell carcinoma, and 0.8% with melanoma. The population of Country X buys more sun block than the population of any other country in the world.

Which of the following, if true, contributes most to a resolution of the above paradox?

(A) Ultraviolet radiation in Country X is stronger than anywhere else in the world.

This is a Paradox question, so it is made up of premises only; you need to find a new premise which best resolves the apparent discrepancy between the existing premises:

Premise A: Country X has the world's highest rate of skin cancer, which is caused by UV radiation
+
Premise B: there are 3 types of cancer...
+
Premise C: every year that many people are diagnosed with having one of the 3 kinds
✖
Premise C: the people of Country X buy a lot of sun block

Resolving Premise: ?

This answer choice explains why the premises in the argument do not contradict each other. Even though the people of Country X use a lot of sun block, the UV radiation is so strong that a lot of them still get skin cancer.

(B) Awareness of the potential damage of exposure to the sun in Country X is high.

Incorrect.

This is a Paradox question, so it is made up of premises only; you need to find a new premise which best resolves the apparent discrepancy between the existing premises:

Premise A: Country X has the world's highest rate of skin cancer, which is caused by UV radiation
+
Premise B: there are 3 types of cancer...
+
Premise C: every year that many people are diagnosed with having one of the 3 kinds
✖
Premise C: the people of Country X buy a lot of sun block

Resolving Premise: ?

This answer choice lends support to the premise presented in the last sentence of the argument. In doing so, it actually emphasizes the paradox rather than resolve it. If the people of Country X are so aware, then why are they getting skin cancer?

(C) Country X is the world leader in sunglasses and hat sales.

Incorrect.

This answer choice lends support to the premise presented in the last sentence of the argument. In doing so, it actually emphasizes the paradox rather than resolve it. If many of the people of Country X wear hats and sunglasses, which also provide some protection from the sun, then why are they getting skin cancer?

(D) The rate of cancer cases other than skin cancer in Country X is lower than the rate of skin cancer.

Incorrect.

Cancer types other than skin cancer are outside the scope of this argument. Therefore, this statement cannot help us resolve the paradox.

(E) 3.9% of the population in Country X are diagnosed with bowel cancer.

Incorrect.

Cancer types other than skin cancer are outside the scope of this argument. Therefore, this statement cannot help us resolve the paradox.­­
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7399 posts
AbhishekP220108
Verbal Forum Moderator
704 posts