Underwater telephone cables have served for nearly a hundred

Question

Underwater telephone cables have served for nearly a hundred years to provide reliable and fast communication between the United States and Europe. However, breaks in underwater telephone cables can only be repaired by divers capable of diving several hundred feet below the surface. Without divers to maintain them, these telephone cables would have failed long ago. Therefore, it is necessary to continue to send divers to the ocean floor in order to repair these vital communications cables.
 
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument above?
 
 
(A) Underwater telephone cables are protected by thick waterproof sheathing that allows them to function for many years without difficulty.
(B) Although underwater telephone cables are still the primary conduit for telecommunications, satellite transmissions have become a significant means for transmitting telephone conversations over the past two decades.
(C) A string of recent accidents has forced the telecom industry to reevaluate the practicality of sending divers to the ocean floor to repair damaged cables.
(D) The repair of damaged deep sea cables can only be accomplished with the assistance of diving bells and submarines.
(E) As a result of technical innovations over the last two decades, the cost of laying improved fiber optic cables to replace damaged existing cables is significantly less than the cost repairing them.

Vithal · Answer

B would be the only one which gives an alternative
but the whole argument is not about telephone communication - it is about communication through telephone cables.

I will stick to B for the present

Supercat · Answer

(E) When it costs less to buy a new VCR than repair an old one, you don't need the VCR repairman anymore. Costs less to lay a new cable than to fix an old one, don't need divers.

MA · Answer

i think B is the answer. the passage is about to send the driver to repair the underwater cables.
I think E doesnot weaken the argument. it only talks about the replecement of current telephone cables with fibers. even if we have to replace the cables, we have to send the drivers into the ocen.

sonaketu · Answer

I'll prefer B to E.

E says the laying cost of Optical fibre < repairing cost or existing cable.
However it doesn't say about repairing or durability of optical fibre. 

the cost of  laying  improved fiber optic cables is significantly less than the cost repairing them(existing). 

It might happen that divers are again needed for repairing

B on the other wouldnot need divers.

Arsene_Wenger · Answer

hmmm, a tricky question. I almost chose (D) because i read the word 'only' as 'also'. I'll take (B) since it offers a solution to maintain telecoms without having to send divers to maintain marine cables.

christoph · Answer

E)...we have to undermine the conclusion that it is NOT necessary to continue to send divers to the ocean floor in order to repair these vital communications cables. why it is not necessary ? because as a result of technical innovations over the last two decades, the cost of laying improved fiber optic cables to replace damaged existing cables is significantly less than the cost repairing them. so the conlusion is undermined. the conclsuion is NOT undermined when we say that new ways of communication are invented, because the cables under water are still in use and the divers must still dive under water to repair them.

kamal_tejnani · Answer

I did not see any A...

. However, i think it is A, since the crux seems to be to the need for sending divers to the ocean floor on a regular basis. However if A were true then the above would not be necessary

ywilfred · Answer

(A) Underwater telephone cables are protected by thick waterproof sheathing that allows them to function for many years without difficulty. 
- Still have to send divers in for repairs.

(B) Although underwater telephone cables are still the primary conduit for telecommunications, satellite transmissions have become a significant means for transmitting telephone conversations over the past two decades. 
- Does not give a convincing enough reason not to send divers to repair underwater cables. There might still be people who use the phone cables, and so there is still a need to repair these cables. 

(C) A string of recent accidents has forced the telecom industry to reevaluate the practicality of sending divers to the ocean floor to repair damaged cables. 
- If that's the case, then divers should not be sent to repair the cables, and some other means should be considered.

(D) The repair of damaged deep sea cables can only be accomplished with the assistance of diving bells and submarines
- If it can be achieved via diving bells and submarine, then there is no need to send divers.

(E) As a result of technical innovations over the last two decades, the cost of laying improved fiber optic cables to replace damaged existing cables is significantly less than the cost repairing them.
- Out. Does not weaken the argument.

Between C and D, I'll go with D. C suggests that it's not practical to send divers to the deep sea to repair the faulty cables, but does not go on to say if there are other practical ways to do so. If there isn't, then they might still have to send divers. 

D states that there is actually other ways to do the repairs. Divers are not nescessarily needed since diving bells and submarines can be used.

rthothad · Answer

I am unable to eliminate eitther B or E conclusively, interested in the OA.

GMATT73 · Answer

OA is E

OE:

ID Question Type and Task
Weaken Question
Task: Find the assumptions in order to attack/undermine one of them. 
 
Read the Argument and Extract Necessary Information: 
On assumption-based questions find the assumption. 
 
General argument type(s): Causal, Chronological
An argument that offers a reason, cause, justification, etc for an event or action is causal.
 
An argument that bases its conclusion on a different time period than that in which the conclusion takes place is chronological and makes the associated assumptions.
 
General assumptions: 
No other cause for the observed effect.
Time periods are the same in all ways
 
Specific assumptions: 
No other way to maintain the cables. 
All things in the past and future are the same. 
 
Formulate an Answer to the Question
Introduce another possible means to maintain the cables.
Introduce differences between the past 100 years and future.
 
Eliminate Answer Choices:
 
(A) Irrelevant. This does not attack any of the assumptions in the argument. 
 
(B) Seems to weaken. Keep. This seems to provide another means, which does not require cables. It also seems to introduce a difference between the past and present. 
 
(C) Irrelevant. This choice says they are reevaluating how practical it is to use divers yet it lacks 
 
(D) Irrelevant. This does not attack any of the assumptions in the argument.
 
(E) Seems to weaken. Keep. This seems to introduce a difference between past and future. 
 
Compare the remaining choices.
(B) gives evidence about events and equipment in the present and past. 
(E) gives evidence about events and equipment that will be used in the future. 
 
Since the conclusion states will continue to send divers its assumptions are about the future not the present. (E) is the best answer.

Underwater telephone cables have served for nearly a hundred

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