V26-17

Question

Lena: Single-use plastic bags should be banned in our state’s coastal towns. Over the last several years, the number of dead sea turtles found on local beaches has risen sharply.  This increase is probably attributable, at least in part, to plastic bag litter . The use of plastic bags by shoppers has been growing steadily.  Plastic bags often end up in the ocean, where turtles mistake them for jellyfish and ingest them .
 
In Lena’s argument, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A. The first is a conclusion for which support is offered, and itself is offered to support the second; the second is the main conclusion drawn in the argument.
B. The first is a premise offered to support the second; the second is a conclusion drawn in the argument but not the main conclusion.
C. The first is a premise offered to support the only conclusion drawn in the argument; so is the second.
D. The first is the main conclusion drawn in the argument; the second is another conclusion for which support is offered, and itself is offered to support the first.
E. The first is a conclusion drawn in the argument but not the main conclusion; the second is a premise offered to support the first.

bb · Answer

Official Solution:

Lena: Single-use plastic bags should be banned in our state’s coastal towns. Over the last several years, the number of dead sea turtles found on local beaches has risen sharply.  This increase is probably attributable, at least in part, to plastic bag litter . The use of plastic bags by shoppers has been growing steadily.  Plastic bags often end up in the ocean, where turtles mistake them for jellyfish and ingest them .
 
In Lena’s argument, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A. The first is a conclusion for which support is offered, and itself is offered to support the second; the second is the main conclusion drawn in the argument.
B. The first is a premise offered to support the second; the second is a conclusion drawn in the argument but not the main conclusion.
C. The first is a premise offered to support the only conclusion drawn in the argument; so is the second.
D. The first is the main conclusion drawn in the argument; the second is another conclusion for which support is offered, and itself is offered to support the first.
E. The first is a conclusion drawn in the argument but not the main conclusion; the second is a premise offered to support the first.

Lena’s main conclusion is that single-use plastic bags should be banned in coastal towns. To support that policy recommendation, she points to a rise in dead sea turtles and to increasing plastic-bag use.
 
The first boldface statement:  “This increase is probably attributable, at least in part, to plastic bag litter”  is not the main conclusion. It is an intermediate conclusion: Lena is inferring a causal link between plastic bags and turtle deaths.
 
The second boldface statement:  “Plastic bags often end up in the ocean, where turtles mistake them for jellyfish and ingest them”  is a premise that provides a mechanism explaining how plastic bags could cause turtle deaths, thus supporting the intermediate causal conclusion.
 
(A) Incorrect. The second boldface is not the main conclusion; the main conclusion is the call to ban bags.
 
(B) Incorrect. The second boldface is not a conclusion; it is support.
 
(C) Incorrect. The first boldface is not a premise; it’s an inference.
 
(D) Incorrect. The first boldface is not the main conclusion.
 
 (E) Correct.  The first boldface is a conclusion drawn in the argument but not the main conclusion; the second boldface is a premise offered to support the first.

Answer: E

Manosij010 · Answer

I did not quite understand the solution. I am not able to distinguish between the premise exactly and the inference. Please help me understand the questioning better

aditya_01 · Answer

When ever we try to find conclusion we try to find one line which the author wants us to understand or do.

For the above passage the author is asking us to ban Single use plastic bag (this is the main conclusion).

Any statement which shows the reasons of why the conclusion is correct is a premise.

Note: Anywhere i am using BF1,BF2 it means first/second Bold Faced Statement. MC means Main Conclusion.

If we see both BF1 & BF2 are kind of reasons why we should think the main conclusion is correct. If we see closely then BF2 is a reason why BF1 is true. So we can say BF1 is a intermediate conclusion and BF2 is its premise.

So till now we have figured out
Main Conclusion : Stop using the single use plastic.
Intermediate conclusion (BF1) : This increase is probably attributable, at least in part, to plastic bag litter
Premise for the intemediate conclusion (BF2) : Plastic bags often end up in the ocean, where turtles mistake them for jellyfish and ingest them.

Now lets check the options.
A. BF2 is a premise and not MC.
B. Opposite as discussed above BF2 is a premise for BF1 not vice-versa.
C. E is more better as it is highlighting that BF2 is a premise of BF1.
D. BF1 is not MC.
E. Correct.

I am also atttaching a prompt for ChatGPT project which can be used to get even more detailed reply from Chatgpt for these kind of questions (the prompt was made for CAT exam but it works for GMAT CR/RC Questions also)

### Role & Persona
You are an expert VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) Mentor for the CAT exam, adhering strictly to the Career Launcher (CL) pedagogical framework. Your goal is to move the student from confusion to clarity using precise, tested strategies.

### Core Operational Guidelines
– **Tone:** Warm, direct, and mentor-like. Never casual, overly enthusiastic, or motivational. No fluff.
– **Language:** Use British English conventions only.
– **Identity:** Speak as the course creator/expert mentor. Do not use robotic transitions like "Here is the answer." Dive straight into the analysis.
– **Format:** Use **only** hyphens (-) for lists. Do not use bullet points (•) or emojis. Use Bold for emphasis on keywords.
– **Scope Restriction:** You answer **only** VARC-related queries. If a user asks about Quant, DI-LR, GK, or unrelated topics, refuse politely using this exact phrase: "I specialise in Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension. Could you please share a passage or verbal question so we can work through it together?"

### 1. Pedagogical Framework (The "How")
– **Doodle before Decode:** Explicitly encourage students to create visual maps or logical sketches before reading dense text.
– **Pre-session Analysis:** Before solving, guide the student to identify Tone (Analytical, Critical, etc.), Structure (Argument flow), and Purpose.
– **Time Discipline:**
-– Learning Phase: No time cap; focus on insight.
-– Practice Phase: Moderate cap; focus on review.
-– Testing Phase: Strict cap; focus on error analysis.

### 2. The B.E.A.S.T. Elimination Framework
Apply this rigorously to every MCQ to eliminate options:
– **B – Broad/Narrow:** Misrepresents the author’s scope (too wide or too specific).
– **E – Extreme:** Uses absolute, exaggerated, or definitive phrasing not supported by text.
– **A – Alien:** Introduces ideas or information not discussed in the passage.
– **S – Sidetrack:** Factually true based on real-world knowledge but irrelevant to the specific question.
– **T – Tone Mismatch:** Emotionally inconsistent with the author (e.g., an optimistic option for a critical passage).

### 3. Task-Specific Methodologies

**Reading Comprehension (RC)**
– Grasp tone, structure, and argument flow first.
– Clarify what the question actually tests (Inference vs. Fact vs. Main Idea).
– Apply BEAST to eliminate.

**Para Summaries**
– Extract the primary purpose/essence, not just the details.
– Eliminate options that miss the main argument or distort the scope.

**Para Jumbles (PJ)**
– Track subject continuity and connector links (However, Therefore, Also).
– Trace tone progression (Negative to Positive, General to Specific).

**Odd One Out (OOO)**
– Identify the **Central Theme** shared by the majority of sentences.
– Select the sentence that shifts the topic or introduces an **Alien** concept.
– **Critical Rule:** Do not pick a sentence merely because it adds a detail or example, provided it stays on theme.
– **Tie-Breaker:** If stuck, choose the sentence with the lowest semantic overlap or distinct subject focus.

**Sentence Placement**
– Identify pronoun references (It, They, This) and logical connectives.
– If multiple positions seem possible, test which placement *prevents* a coherent paragraph from forming elsewhere. Prioritize thematic continuity.

### 4. Answer Evaluation Logic
When explaining the correct answer or analyzing a student's doubt:
– **Step 1:** Isolate the Author’s Main Argument + Tone.
– **Step 2:** Evaluate the Options.
-– Reject options that are Alien, Extreme, or Sidetracks.
-– Reject options that capture content but miss the *stance* (Tone Mismatch).
– **Step 3:** The Selection.
-– If two options are close, ask: Which one reflects the author’s *conclusion/recommendation* rather than just a premise?
-– Prefer the option that balances causes and solutions if the passage does both.
-– If still tied, the option with the "cleanest" elimination of the alternative wins.

### Response Structure
1. **Analysis:** Briefly diagnose the passage/question type and core argument.
2. **Elimination:** Systematically apply BEAST to the wrong options. Explain *why* they fail (e.g., "Option A is incorrect because it is 'Alien'—the passage never mentions X").
3. **Conclusion:** Validate the correct answer by showing how it aligns with the author's main point and tone.
4. **Next Step:** End with a focused question or advice to deepen the student's understanding.

AbhishekP220108 · Answer

Hi  aditya_01  thanks for the detailed response

Manosij010  Here is the detailed explanation of the argument and how to arrive at the correct choice

Lena: Single-use plastic bags should be banned in our state’s coastal towns- Proposed by Lena- Its a main conclusion. Now ask, why Lena Proposed this

Over the last several years, the number of dead sea turtles found on local beaches has risen sharply.- This is the fact, and Now Lena is trying to justify her proposal by presenting the fact and this has some relation to conclusion stated, but we dont know how it is connected. Lets look ahead.

This increase is probably attributable, at least in part, to plastic bag litter .- Ok, now the intermediate conclusion is provided, and it also makes the connection of the 1st and 2nd lines visible. It gave us the reason for what led to the increase in dead sea turtles and how it is connected to plastic bag.

The use of plastic bags by shoppers has been growing steadily.- Again its a fact and to show the relation of plastic bags and citizens

Plastic bags often end up in the ocean, where turtles mistake them for jellyfish and ingest them .- This is again a premise which makes us understand how turtles are getting affected by plastic Bag

Now the structure is clear Assign Role and direction of Boldface statement with the Main conclusion

BF1- Role- Intermediate Conclusion, Direction in line with Main conclusion 
 BF 2- Role- Premise, Direction in line with Main conclusion 
 
 In Lena’s argument, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

I am highlighting the part of the choices by  RED  that is making us recognise why the choices are incorrect. And in  GREEN,   why that option is correct and in line with our understanding

A. The first is a conclusion for which support is offered, and itself is offered to support the second; the second is the   main conclusion   drawn in the argument. 
 B. The first is a premise offered to support the second; the second is a   conclusion   drawn in the argument but not the main conclusion. 
 C. The first is a premise offered to support the   only conclusion   drawn in the argument; so is the second. 
 D. The first is the   main conclusion   drawn in the argument; the second is another conclusion for which support is offered, and itself is offered to support the first. 
 E. The first is   a conclusion   drawn in the argument but   not the main conclusion  ; the second is   a premise   offered to   support the first  .

Hope this helps

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