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HMMM..Option A is a classic wrong answer type. when the argument talks about something, this choice looks as if it's talking about the same thing but not.
Answer_option E
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Hi GMATNinja,

I’m not sure why E is the answer. Should it not be (A)?
The conclusion mentions “practical problems that affect people’s quality of life”.

(E) helps to understand the structure of proteins that cause disease - do disease not have an impact on life’s quality?

(A) the university denies research on a mathematical puzzle with no relation to practical concerns - although it is openly stated, I think this doesn’t have any repercussion on people’s life; hence it should be the answer.

(B) could also be a contender, but since A provides a clear statement on the relation to practical problems, I think it’s a stronger choice

Please let me know where I’m making the wrong reasoning.

Thanks,
T

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T-bezz
Hi GMATNinja,

I’m not sure why E is the answer. Should it not be (A)?

The conclusion mentions “practical problems that affect people’s quality of life”.

(E) helps to understand the structure of proteins that cause disease - do disease not have an impact on life’s quality?

(A) the university denies research on a mathematical puzzle with no relation to practical concerns - although it is openly stated, I think this doesn’t have any repercussion on people’s life; hence it should be the answer.

(B) could also be a contender, but since A provides a clear statement on the relation to practical problems, I think it’s a stronger choice

Please let me know where I’m making the wrong reasoning.

Thanks,

T

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The university president states that research institutions have an obligation to promote research that meets a certain criteria (showing some promise of yielding insights into the causes of practical problems that affect people's quality of life).

But notice that the president does NOT specify what research institutions should do if the research does NOT meet that criteria. Maybe research that meets some other criteria should also be promoted?

In other words, we DO know what the president wants research institutions to do if the answer is "yes" (yes, the research shows some promise of yielding...), but we do NOT know what the president wants if the answer is "no" (no, the research does NOT show some promise of yielding...). We're missing the "no" part of the flow chart, so we aren't sure whether the principle justifies choice (A).

This is an example of necessary vs. sufficient conditions. Showing "some promise of yielding..." is sufficient -- if this condition is met, that's enough to justify promoting that research. But does that make it a NECESSARY condition? Maybe not.

For more on necessary vs. sufficient conditions, check out this post or this thread.

I hope that helps!
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Quote:
University president: Research institutions have an obligation to promote research in any field of theoretical investigation if that research shows some promise of yielding insights into the causes of practical problems that affect people's quality of life.

The principle stated by the university president, if valid, most helps to justify which one of the following actions?

(A) A university denies a grant application from a faculty member for work on a solution to a famous mathematical puzzle that has no relation to practical concerns. - WRONG. If  it is about denying then we aren't sure about that. We are sure about the positive side of the result not about when denying leads to other results.

(B) A government agency funds a research project in astrophysics designed to determine whether there are theoretical limits on the magnitude of planets in distant solar systems. - WRONG. Not affecting people's life.

(C) A university funds a research position in the physics department that involves no teaching but has the responsibility for managing all the grant applications by members of the physics faculty. - WRONG. In general it does not affect people's life overall but a certain set(faculty) of people only.

(D) A foundation decides not to fund a research proposal in applied mathematics that sought to model certain poorly understood aspects of economic behavior. - WRONG. Is it affecting people's life? certainly not but helpful to a small number of people if funded. Also, Not funding case is not certain for our case.

(E) A research institute funds an investigation into the mathematical properties of folded structures that is likely to aid in understanding the structure of proteins that cause disease. - CORRECT. To the point of what passage says. Leads to posiitve impact.
The principle is basically about bringing(sort of) positive change in people's life.
Which one of the choice does that is our answer.

Answer E.
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