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souvik101990
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26 Apr 2018, 01:57
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Offshore Oil Drilling Opponent: The closing of the Colton Bay offshore drilling rig is a triumph for those who oppose offshore drilling. Not only does this closure represent a great step towards better protecting our environment, but it also carries with it a symbolic victory for the entire anti-drilling movement.
Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the opponent's claim of symbolic victory for the anti-drilling movement?
A. Several other oil rigs have been closed in and immediately around Colton Bay.
B. Several new oil drilling regulations were recently passed as a result of the mounting pressure from offshore drilling opponents.
C. The economic incentive to leave the rig in service still existed at the time of the rig's closure.
D. Per barrel of oil drilled, the rig had a particularly high operating cost.
E. The Colton Bay rig was nearing the end of its projected service life at the time of its closure.
Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the opponent's claim of symbolic victory for the anti-drilling movement?
A. Several other oil rigs have been closed in and immediately around Colton Bay.
B. Several new oil drilling regulations were recently passed as a result of the mounting pressure from offshore drilling opponents.
C. The economic incentive to leave the rig in service still existed at the time of the rig's closure.
D. Per barrel of oil drilled, the rig had a particularly high operating cost.
E. The Colton Bay rig was nearing the end of its projected service life at the time of its closure.
souvik101990
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Alum
Joined: 19 Mar 2012
Last visit: 11 Nov 2025
Posts: 4,314
Given Kudos: 2,326
Location: United States (WA)
Concentration: Leadership, General Management
Schools: Ross '20 (M)
GMAT 1: 760 Q50 V42
GMAT 2: 740 Q49 V42 (Online)
GMAT 3: 760 Q50 V42 (Online)
GPA: 3.8
WE:Marketing (Non-Profit and Government)
Products:
Expert reply
26 Apr 2018, 01:57
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Official Solution:
Offshore Oil Drilling Opponent: The closing of the Colton Bay offshore drilling rig is a triumph for those who oppose offshore drilling. Not only does this closure represent a great step towards better protecting our environment, but it also carries with it a symbolic victory for the entire anti-drilling movement.
Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the opponent's claim of symbolic victory for the anti-drilling movement?
A. Several other oil rigs have been closed in and immediately around Colton Bay.
B. Several new oil drilling regulations were recently passed as a result of the mounting pressure from offshore drilling opponents.
C. The economic incentive to leave the rig in service still existed at the time of the rig's closure.
D. Per barrel of oil drilled, the rig had a particularly high operating cost.
E. The Colton Bay rig was nearing the end of its projected service life at the time of its closure.
Question Type: Strengthen
Boil It Down (Simplified & Abbreviated Summary of the Prompt): Rig closure = Symbolic victory
Missing Information (assumption): There were no other likely factors behind the rig's closure.
Goal: Find an option that supports the notion that there were no other key factors that led to the rig's closure. That could be in the form of ELIMINATING other obvious factors for the closure.
Let's see which option best achieves the goal:
Ⓐ This is a classic Out of Focus shift. Shifting to other rig closures doesn't strengthen the claim that the reason for the closures is symbolic. Maybe there is another reason why all of these rigs closed and it has nothing to do with any sort of symbolic reason.
Ⓑ Is there any way to know that the passage of new oil drilling regulation is symbolic? Not necessarily. Perhaps this regulation addressed some common-sense safety related issues. This option does not support the case that the CLOSURE of the rigs was symbolic.
Ⓒ Yes! By ruling out the most obvious of all reasons to close the rig (economic), it dramatically reinforces the notion that the cause of the closure was symbolic, and not just a business decision. If the rigs were still economically productive for the operators at the time of the closure, then that would provide considerable support for the notion that the closure was symbolic. In causal arguments, the conclusion is strengthened by eliminated other obvious causes or factors.
On the GMAT, a classic way to strengthen a cause is to eliminate a likely alternative cause, and that's EXACTLY what C) does, and hence it's correct.
Ⓓ This is a 180 option-the exact opposite of what we need. This option actually smacks the argument in the face by saying that there was another likely reason for the closure-this rig was less financially advantageous. That weakens the case that the closure was symbolic, and we need to strengthen it.
Ⓔ Just like D, this option flies in the face of the argument. If the plant were nearing the end of its service life anyway, would that really support that the closure was symbolic? This option shows that the operators were probably getting set to close the rig down anyhow.
Answer: C
Offshore Oil Drilling Opponent: The closing of the Colton Bay offshore drilling rig is a triumph for those who oppose offshore drilling. Not only does this closure represent a great step towards better protecting our environment, but it also carries with it a symbolic victory for the entire anti-drilling movement.
Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the opponent's claim of symbolic victory for the anti-drilling movement?
A. Several other oil rigs have been closed in and immediately around Colton Bay.
B. Several new oil drilling regulations were recently passed as a result of the mounting pressure from offshore drilling opponents.
C. The economic incentive to leave the rig in service still existed at the time of the rig's closure.
D. Per barrel of oil drilled, the rig had a particularly high operating cost.
E. The Colton Bay rig was nearing the end of its projected service life at the time of its closure.
Question Type: Strengthen
Boil It Down (Simplified & Abbreviated Summary of the Prompt): Rig closure = Symbolic victory
Missing Information (assumption): There were no other likely factors behind the rig's closure.
Goal: Find an option that supports the notion that there were no other key factors that led to the rig's closure. That could be in the form of ELIMINATING other obvious factors for the closure.
Let's see which option best achieves the goal:
Ⓐ This is a classic Out of Focus shift. Shifting to other rig closures doesn't strengthen the claim that the reason for the closures is symbolic. Maybe there is another reason why all of these rigs closed and it has nothing to do with any sort of symbolic reason.
Ⓑ Is there any way to know that the passage of new oil drilling regulation is symbolic? Not necessarily. Perhaps this regulation addressed some common-sense safety related issues. This option does not support the case that the CLOSURE of the rigs was symbolic.
Ⓒ Yes! By ruling out the most obvious of all reasons to close the rig (economic), it dramatically reinforces the notion that the cause of the closure was symbolic, and not just a business decision. If the rigs were still economically productive for the operators at the time of the closure, then that would provide considerable support for the notion that the closure was symbolic. In causal arguments, the conclusion is strengthened by eliminated other obvious causes or factors.
On the GMAT, a classic way to strengthen a cause is to eliminate a likely alternative cause, and that's EXACTLY what C) does, and hence it's correct.
Ⓓ This is a 180 option-the exact opposite of what we need. This option actually smacks the argument in the face by saying that there was another likely reason for the closure-this rig was less financially advantageous. That weakens the case that the closure was symbolic, and we need to strengthen it.
Ⓔ Just like D, this option flies in the face of the argument. If the plant were nearing the end of its service life anyway, would that really support that the closure was symbolic? This option shows that the operators were probably getting set to close the rig down anyhow.
Answer: C
