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Re: Veritas Prep CR Forum Expert - Karishma - Ask Me Anything about CR [#permalink]
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nitesh50 wrote:
Hi VeritasKarishma


Can you please explain my doubt on the following link?

https://gmatclub.com/forum/reviewing-hi ... l#p2171717

Regards
Nitesh


Here you go: https://gmatclub.com/forum/reviewing-hi ... l#p2173068
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vasuca10 wrote:
Hello VeritasKarishma mam
I have a doubt in this question with regards to Option E. Although you have explained this question in details, my doubt is how can we infer that " The book reviewer does not believe that she knows San Francisco better than Peter Lee does"

The reviewer only say Lee knows the city as well as she does. it can't be inferred that she knows the city less than Lee.

https://gmatclub.com/forum/when-i-read- ... 71538.html


Absolutely! We cannot say that she knows the city less than the author. But note that we can infer that she does not know the city better than the author.

In case of a city she knows well, she wants the author to know the city as well as she does. She then says that the author does not disappoint. So we can conclude that the author knows the city as much as she does. So she does not know the city better than the author.
(E) says that she does NOT believe that she knows the city better than Lee does.
This makes complete sense. Hence (E) is correct.
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Re: Veritas Prep CR Forum Expert - Karishma - Ask Me Anything about CR [#permalink]
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vasuca10 wrote:
VeritasKarishma mam another doubt in this question

https://gmatclub.com/forum/high-technol ... 34543.html

I am stuck in two answer choices in this question....C and D

I am unable to proceed further

Kindly guide further


There you go: https://gmatclub.com/forum/high-technol ... l#p2173557
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Re: Veritas Prep CR Forum Expert - Karishma - Ask Me Anything about CR [#permalink]
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vasuca10 wrote:
Thanks a lot VeritasKarishma mam for the detailed explanation to both the questions :)
Whatever CR questions I had solved on this GMAT club forum, For the detailed explanations I always look for your post as it is explained in a very lucid way and spot on.

Please keep enlightening us with your inputs...


Thank you vasuca10! Glad my inputs help!
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Re: Veritas Prep CR Forum Expert - Karishma - Ask Me Anything about CR [#permalink]
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Need your help on this.

Approximately two hundred brands of personal computers are being manufactured, but we currently limit our inventory to only the eight most popular brands. We plan to increase greatly the number of computers we sell by expanding our inventory to include the ten best-selling brands.

So plan is to increase the sales(no of computers sold) by add 2 more brands which are 9th and 10th in order of popularity.


Which of the following, if true, points out a major weakness of the plan above?


(A) The capabilities of three most popular personal computers add to be approximately equivalent, with no brand having consistent superiority in all respects.

(B) The seven most popular brands of personal computers account for almost all computers sold.

Almost all ,say 100 are sold and top 7 contribute for say 97(almost all)
now if i add brand 9th and 10th , and one each is sold ,so then also sales increased and plan is successful.How does this weaken?


(C) As the users of personal computers become more sophisticated, they are more willing to buy less well-known brands of computers.

Is this option incorrect just because it talks about future?(As the users of personal computers become more sophisticated)
otherwise this can be weakener.
See people anyhow are willing to buy less popular brand so adding 9th and 10th brand which are popular wont increase sales.

What is wrong with my reasoning?


(D) Less popular brands of computers often provide less profit to the retailer because prices must be discounted to attract customers.

(E) The leading brand of personal computer has been losing sales to less popular brands that offer similar capabilities for less money.

This can be a weakener.
The top most brands are anyhow selling less and we are adding top most brands (9th and 10th ) so they wont b sold so no increase in sales.

Please help me where i am going wrong?
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Re: Veritas Prep CR Forum Expert - Karishma - Ask Me Anything about CR [#permalink]
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There is an issue that you are facing while evaluating each option - you are not reading every word carefully. I will tell you what I mean.

The store currently sells only 8 most popular brands.
It plans to increase GREATLY the NUMBER of computers it sells.

So it will add 9th and 10th number brands too in its inventory.

(A) The capabilities of three most popular personal computers add to be approximately equivalent, with no brand having consistent superiority in all respects.
Top 3 computers are equivalent. This is irrelevant to our argument. All three are included anyway so there is no distinction we are making either.

(B) The seven most popular brands of personal computers account for almost all computers sold.
This is a problem for our plan. The top 7 brands are almost the only ones sold. So even if we add 9th and 10th number to our inventories, how will it GREATLY increase our number of computers sold. Hardly any computers of 9th and 10th brand are sold. So adding them will make barely any difference. Hence this jeopardises our plan and is the answer.

(C) As the users of personal computers become more sophisticated, they are more willing to buy less well-known brands of computers.
This suits our plan. It seems the sale of lesser known brands (say 9th and 10th since they are lower ranked than top 8) will be improving.
So it improves the possibility of our plan succeeding.

(D) Less popular brands of computers often provide less profit to the retailer because prices must be discounted to attract customers.
Note that our argument is all about number of computers sold. Profit is irrelevant. Move on.

(E) The leading brand of personal computer has been losing sales to less popular brands that offer similar capabilities for less money.
This suits our plan. It seems the sale of less popular brands (say 9th and 10th) will be improving since the top brand (note it talks about the 1st number brand only). So it improves the possibility of our plan succeeding.

Answer(B)




vanam52923 wrote:
Need your help on this.

Approximately two hundred brands of personal computers are being manufactured, but we currently limit our inventory to only the eight most popular brands. We plan to increase greatly the number of computers we sell by expanding our inventory to include the ten best-selling brands.

So plan is to increase the sales(no of computers sold) by add 2 more brands which are 9th and 10th in order of popularity.


Which of the following, if true, points out a major weakness of the plan above?


(A) The capabilities of three most popular personal computers add to be approximately equivalent, with no brand having consistent superiority in all respects.

(B) The seven most popular brands of personal computers account for almost all computers sold.

Almost all ,say 100 are sold and top 7 contribute for say 97(almost all)
now if i add brand 9th and 10th , and one each is sold ,so then also sales increased and plan is successful.How does this weaken?


(C) As the users of personal computers become more sophisticated, they are more willing to buy less well-known brands of computers.

Is this option incorrect just because it talks about future?(As the users of personal computers become more sophisticated)
otherwise this can be weakener.
See people anyhow are willing to buy less popular brand so adding 9th and 10th brand which are popular wont increase sales.

What is wrong with my reasoning?


(D) Less popular brands of computers often provide less profit to the retailer because prices must be discounted to attract customers.

(E) The leading brand of personal computer has been losing sales to less popular brands that offer similar capabilities for less money.

This can be a weakener.
The top most brands are anyhow selling less and we are adding top most brands (9th and 10th ) so they wont b sold so no increase in sales.

Please help me where i am going wrong?
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Re: Veritas Prep CR Forum Expert - Karishma - Ask Me Anything about CR [#permalink]
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Wolves, when hunting in packs, factor in many conditions that will affect the hunt and that can tip the scales in their favor. In snow-fed winters, the wolf pack trails the herd of caribous for days till one of the animals realizes the fact, panics, tries to run and falls prey in the attempt. In warm weathers, the same pack changes its tactics; they start chasing the prey over the hard ground as soon as they spot them. It is likely that the weather-induced changes in the terrain bring about the changes in the hunting tactics of the wolves.


Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest support for the explanation offered?


A.Cold winters make wolves hungrier than usual as they need more energy to keep themselves warm under those harsh conditions.

B.The number of wolves in a pack is typically lower during the warm weather.

C.The cold air during winters is denser and harsher on the eyes, possibly slowing down the aggressive nature of the predators.

D.A herd of caribous is typically quite cautious of any possible wolf packs that could be trailing them with the intent to hunt.

E.The wolves have wide round paws that have evolved to perform like snowshoes whereas the caribous with their hoofed feet can outrun even the fastest wolf over wide plains if they have a good start.


Hi VeritasKarishma.
I am quite confused on the OA for this question.
I feel the answer should be C.
THe OA is E.

My reasoning:
Weather induced changes in terrain causes changes in tactics of wolves.

C.The cold air during winters is denser and harsher on the eyes, possibly slowing down the aggressive nature of the predators.

In winters they are not aggressive because of the difficult terrain, whereas we can infer that in warm weathers, they will be aggressive.
Hence in Warm weather, they start catching the prey as soon as they see one.
whereas in winter, due to harsh conditions, they patiently wait and follow their prey.

E.The wolves have wide round paws that have evolved to perform like snowshoes whereas the caribous with their hoofed feet can outrun even the fastest wolf over wide plains if they have a good start.

This option tells me that the wolves and the prey have evolved in accordance with the weather to survive.
Now from this point on I can't make the connection between how the weather induced changes in the TERRAIN affect the hunting patterns?

Looking forward to your reply.
Regards
Nitesh
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AdityaHongunti wrote:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/per-a-recent-survey-carried-out-in-rambo-city-capital-of-papula-count-147427.html

please explain how the ans choice is relevant ?

Quote:
Per a recent survey carried out in Rambo City, capital of Papula country, an average middle-aged person drives his or her car for two thousand miles in a year and 99% of these people own a gasoline-run car. In addition, the survey suggested that if offered an economical option to switch to electric cars, most of these people would change their gasoline-run cars. The government of Papula is impressed with the environmental considerations shown by the citizens of Papula and is planning to implement a plan that would allow all the current owners of gasoline-run cars to switch to electric cars at a minimal cost.

Which of the following statements casts the most doubt on the ability of the plan to meet its required objective of significantly reducing air pollution in Papula in the next 5 years?


A. Though some of the citizens are concerned about the negative environmental impact of air pollution, they will not spend any extra money to protect the environment.

B. The budget deficit of the government of Papula is already at alarming levels, and any further increase in the deficit could lead to the bankruptcy of the country.

C. Since Papula is an aging country, with more than half its population near retirement age, the chief consideration for a large number of its citizens is the convenience to drive rather than the costs to do so.

D. In the last two decades, Papula has emerged as a major economic hub, leading to an increase in the living standard of its citizens and in the number of cars in the region.

E. Since people who don’t own gasoline cars would not be benefitted from the proposed plan, they may strongly oppose the use of taxpayer money on such a plan.


https://e-gmat.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Celebrating-Milestones1.png


Argument:

As per a recent survey, an average middle-aged person drives his or her car for two thousand miles in a year and 99% of these people own a gasoline-run car.
In addition, the survey suggested that if offered an economical option to switch to electric cars, most of these people would change their gasoline-run cars.

Plan: Implement a plan that would allow all the current owners of gasoline-run cars to switch to electric cars at a minimal cost.

Note that the survey is talking about average middle aged people only. We don't know what part of the population they represent. But the plan is being made for "all current owners".

Objective: Significantly reducing air pollution in Papula in the next 5 years

Find the option that casts doubt on the plan:

A. Though some of the citizens are concerned about the negative environmental impact of air pollution, they will not spend any extra money to protect the environment.
Some citizens could mean very few citizens. Also, are these "some citizens" gasoline car owners - we don't know. So this doesn't directly impact our plan.

B. The budget deficit of the government of Papula is already at alarming levels, and any further increase in the deficit could lead to the bankruptcy of the country.
Irrelevant to our argument.

C. Since Papula is an aging country, with more than half its population near retirement age, the chief consideration for a large number of its citizens is the convenience to drive rather than the costs to do so.
Here is the twist. More than half the population of Papula is near retirement. So the middle age people we talked about forms a smaller part of the population. This casts a doubt on our plan - we don't know what the older people feel about switching. For this older generation, convenience is more important than cost. The parameter on which the older generation judges is different than the one on which the middle aged people judge. The plan is being made keeping the parameter of middle aged people in mind. This again casts doubt on the success of the plan.

D. In the last two decades, Papula has emerged as a major economic hub, leading to an increase in the living standard of its citizens and in the number of cars in the region.
In the last two decades, number of cars has increased. But we are planning to replace all gasoline run cars so it doesn't matter what the actual number of cars is.

E. Since people who don’t own gasoline cars would not be benefitted from the proposed plan, they may strongly oppose the use of taxpayer money on such a plan.
Irrelevant to our argument.

Answer (C)
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Clarita – an electronic-chip manufacturer conducting a thorough quality testing for its chips including a Shape Assurance test (SA) - plans to increase its revenue by increasing its production. Accordingly, a manager has reasoned that the SA test can be done away with, ensuring savings to double the production capacity. The company reasons that its chips are embedded inside radios, and so the shape won’t matter for a functional chip. However, the CEO disagrees with this proposal and says that implementing the proposal would harm the company’s plans for increasing revenue.


Which of the following statements, if true, provides the best support for the CEO’s stance?

A.Some of the chips found defective in the Shape Test may be identified as functionally defective without the need to send them for the Functional Test.

B.Leading radio manufacturers use an intricate internal design for their radios in which the design and form factor of each component is predecided and any deviation in the specifications of the supplied products would lead to an immediate termination of all relations with the supplier

C.When any kind of quality assurance test is removed in an organisation, workers tend to become lenient in their adherence to the work processes.

D.On a typical day, the overlap between the group of chips found defective in a shape assurance test and the chips found defective in a functional test is hardly considerable.

E.A rival chip manufacturing company has reported a slight increase in the number of chips it could produce in any given day after the removal of the Shape Test from its batch of Quality Assurance tests.


HI VeritasKarishma

Can you please help me with this question?
The OA is B.

but in order for it to be a strengthener we have to make significant assumptions such as the chips were used in the radios and the company was trading with the the LEADING manufacturers.

But when I look on Option C, it seems more of a direct strengthener.
If the workers become more lenient in work processes, the quality of the chips may suffer and hence the company may not be able to increase its revenue.


Looking forward to your reply.

Regards
Nitesh
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nitesh50 wrote:
Clarita – an electronic-chip manufacturer conducting a thorough quality testing for its chips including a Shape Assurance test (SA) - plans to increase its revenue by increasing its production. Accordingly, a manager has reasoned that the SA test can be done away with, ensuring savings to double the production capacity. The company reasons that its chips are embedded inside radios, and so the shape won’t matter for a functional chip. However, the CEO disagrees with this proposal and says that implementing the proposal would harm the company’s plans for increasing revenue.


Which of the following statements, if true, provides the best support for the CEO’s stance?

A.Some of the chips found defective in the Shape Test may be identified as functionally defective without the need to send them for the Functional Test.

B.Leading radio manufacturers use an intricate internal design for their radios in which the design and form factor of each component is predecided and any deviation in the specifications of the supplied products would lead to an immediate termination of all relations with the supplier

C.When any kind of quality assurance test is removed in an organisation, workers tend to become lenient in their adherence to the work processes.

D.On a typical day, the overlap between the group of chips found defective in a shape assurance test and the chips found defective in a functional test is hardly considerable.

E.A rival chip manufacturing company has reported a slight increase in the number of chips it could produce in any given day after the removal of the Shape Test from its batch of Quality Assurance tests.


HI VeritasKarishma

Can you please help me with this question?
The OA is B.

but in order for it to be a strengthener we have to make significant assumptions such as the chips were used in the radios and the company was trading with the the LEADING manufacturers.

But when I look on Option C, it seems more of a direct strengthener.
If the workers become more lenient in work processes, the quality of the chips may suffer and hence the company may not be able to increase its revenue.


Looking forward to your reply.

Regards
Nitesh


Clarita manufactures and tests its chips.
A manager has suggested to do away from Shape test ensuring savings to increase capacity.
The company says that since chips are put inside radios, shape doesn't matter as long as the chip functions
CEO says that implementing the proposal would harm the company’s plans for increasing revenue.

We need to support the CEO's stance.

B.Leading radio manufacturers use an intricate internal design for their radios in which the design and form factor of each component is predecided and any deviation in the specifications of the supplied products would lead to an immediate termination of all relations with the supplier

This directly supports the CEO's stance. The big names in radio manufacturers use exact shaped chips so shape test is needed. Any deviation will lead to termination of all relations. So the revenue could suffer or may not increase since the company's chips are used in radios (given in the argument). Even if the company is not dealing with leading manufacturers right now, it plans to expand and it's logical that it will look at business with big names.

C.When any kind of quality assurance test is removed in an organisation, workers tend to become lenient in their adherence to the work processes.

We don't know what non-adherence to work processes would do. Will it impact revenue? we can't say. We need the option to impact revenue. Option (B) certainly does a much better job of showing us how revenue will be impacted.

Answer (B)
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nitesh50 wrote:
Waste management companies, which collect waste for disposal in landfills and incineration plants, report that disposable plastics make up an ever-increasing percentage of the waste they handle. It is clear that attempts to decrease the amount of plastic that people throw away in the garbage are failing.

Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
(A) Because plastics create harmful pollutants when burned, an increasing percentage of the plastics handled by waste management companies are being disposed of in landfills.
(B) Although many plastics are recyclable, most of the plastics disposed of by waste management companies are not.
(C) People are more likely to save and reuse plastic containers than containers made of heavier materials like glass or metal.
(D) An increasing proportion of the paper, glass, and metal cans that waste management companies used to handle is now being recycled.
(E) While the percentage of products using plastic packaging is increasing, the total amount of plastic being manufactured has remained unchanged


Hi VeritasKarishma

Conclusion: The amount of plastic that people throw is increasing.
Premise: The proportion of plastic is increasing.

Pre thinking:
What if the total amount of the waste has decreased.
Assumption: The total waste has not decreased.

Challenges to this assumption:
the amount of other waste has reduced.
the amount of total waste has reduced.


The OA is D in this question.

But in order for this option to weaken the argument we have to assume that the the amount of other waste materials is not increasing.
Just because the proportion is increasing we cant say that the amount is also increasing.

For eg:
Previously
If other material: 100
Recycled: 50
Companies handled: 50 (50%)

Today
If other material: 200
Recycled:120
Companies handled: 80(40%)

Hence inspite the increase in the proportion of recycled material, the amount of materials companies handle will increase.

In such a case:
Previously
Total materials: 100
Plastic:50
Others:50

Today:
total materials: 170
Plastic: 90
Others:80

this will then strength the argument.

Now one could object to this argument that a statement need to only weaken the argument by 1%.
But, if a statement has a varied impact on the argument, then definitely the option is incorrect.

SO what am I missing in this question?


Looking forward to your reply

Regards
Nitesh


Nitesh,

See here: https://gmatclub.com/forum/waste-manage ... l#p2187456

Option (D) does not have a varied impact on the conclusion. It makes you doubt the conclusion. Based on the fact that plastic is making up a higher percentage of waste, you are assuming that people are not reducing plastic disposal. But if you are told that more of the other stuff is being recycled, it gives you a reason to doubt your conclusion. Perhaps people are reducing plastic disposal. Perhaps the other waste is reducing at a faster speed since a lot of it is getting recycled now.
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nitesh50 wrote:
nitesh50 wrote:
In humans, ingested protein is broken down into amino acids, all of which must compete to enter the brain. Subsequent ingestion of sugars leads to the production of insulin, a hormone that breaks down the sugars and also rids the bloodstream of residual amino acids, except for tryptophan, Tryptophan then slips into the brain uncontested and is transformed into the chemical serotonin, increasing the brain's serotonin level. Thus sugars can play a major role in mood elevation, helping one to feel relaxed and anxiety-free.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

(A) Elevation of mood and freedom from anxiety require increasing the level of serotonin the brain.
(B) Failure to consume foods rich in sugars results in anxiety and a lowering of mood.
(C) Serotonin can be produced naturally only if tryptophan is presented in the bloodstream.
(D) Increasing the level of serotonin in the brain promotes relaxation and freedom from anxiety.
(E) The consumption of protein-rich foods results in anxiety and a lowering of mood.



Hi VeritasKarishma.
Can you please help me with this question.
I was confused between option A and option D.

After going through some basics, I came up with a reason to eliminate Option A and a reason to not eliminate A.(BIG CONFUSION)


ELIMINATION:
If
A causes B.

The main assumption of the argument is the A ONLY causes B.

it means that If A happens, B has to happen.


Now option A:
B requires A to happen.
This will imply that that the occurrence of of B depends on A happening i.e A is a necessary condition for B to happen.
This implies that B might still not occur.(if other conditions are not met)
The author by stating a causation never assumes this concept.

Am I right in thinking along this line of reasoning?


ON the other hand if my statement would have been:
Only A causes B.
Then this statement would have been an appropriate assumption.

NOT ELIMINATE:

Q.Also can we eliminate option A using negation technique?


For eg: A is not needed for B to happen.
This means that B can happen without the occurrence of A.
B happens without A happening.

Confusion: wouldn't this then break the argument?


I would love to hear your thoughts on why Is option A incorrect.

Looking forward to your reply

Regards
Nitesh





Hi VeritasKarishma

I think you might have missed this doubt.
Please do discuss this.

Regards
Nitesh


Oddly enough, I remember working on this question but cannot find my reply anywhere so certainly missed it somehow.
Here you go: https://gmatclub.com/forum/in-humans-in ... l#p2188392

Thr assumption of the argument is that A causes B (serotonin cause mood elevation etc). It is not that A ONLY causes B. Many things could lead to mood elevation etc but serotonin is one of those things that do lead to mood elevation etc. This assumption is the missing link between premises and conclusion. Note that the premises don't even have "mood elevation etc". Only the conclusion talks about it.

Negating (A) does not break the argument.

Negate (A) Elevation of mood and freedom from anxiety do not require increasing the level of serotonin in the brain.

This does not break our conclusion. Our conclusion is that (sugars) serotonin lead to mood elevation etc. It is not that serotonin is required for mood elevation etc. Serotonin is not necessary. It is one of the ways of getting mood elevation.
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zeniamehta wrote:
Hello Karishma,

Thanks for your guidance on various topics on this forum.

CR is one of my weakest sections on GMAT.
I have tried the e-gmat's Pre thinking approach and also read CR bible.

But none of them seem to help with arguments that are convoluted.
My mind just can not pre think in these arguments and i spend way too much understanding the information and i panick, and end up choosing the wrong answer.

How do you think i can improve in this section?

Let me also highlight one more thing, i am not that bad at RC's..My accuracy is about 70%.
Why i highlight this fact is that i can comprehend passages better than i can comprehend critical thinking arguments. My mind does not understand the logic and gap in reasoning.

WHat would you suggest to a student like me? Should i practice more or triage such questions? Should i work on basics again?

I would really appreciate your feedback.


Hey zeniamehta,

Pre-thinking is not the answer to all your troubles. It helps sometimes if you properly evaluate the argument while reading and are able to identify the gaps there and then. But, when nothing comes to mind, just move on to the options. The answer is there in the options - why to waste time trying to predict it?

Usually, it helps to break down the argument in premises and conclusion. The conclusion needs to be clearly separated out. The conclusion should follow from the premises. Sometimes, the conclusion will use terms that the premises don't even mention. You already know the gap then. You cannot conclude about something without giving any data on it. What I mean will be apparent when you go through this question: https://gmatclub.com/forum/in-humans-in ... l#p2188392

If you have understood the basics, going through them again and again won't add a lot of value. The value lies in learning to apply those basics to actual questions.
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Re: Veritas Prep CR Forum Expert - Karishma - Ask Me Anything about CR [#permalink]
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vanam52923 wrote:
Hello Mam
I have douubt in OG question
Q1)https://gmatclub.com/forum/the-kinds-of-hand-and-wrist-injuries-that-result-from-extended-242144.html
Here if i draw parallel with this question of OG:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/although-the ... 02757.html
in this question we eliminated option D considering we are concerned with effects of schools cafeteria having machine,what they bring from outside was not relevant.
In Q1,we are also concerned with reducing injuries in school,so how come option C be correct.
Can you please draw parallel reasoning for me for these qsns.
Though i understood the qsn but suddenly vending machine qsn struck me so i marked wrong answer.


vanam52923,

Note that the question stem is different in the two cases.

Vending machine - looking for the assumption - The assumption is an internal part of the argument. Something that the conclusion has assumed to be true. It is a missing link. The argument coaxes us to not install vending machines because if students drink more soft drinks, they will be less healthy. We are assuming that installing vending machines will lead to more consumption of soft drinks. Note that whether students will bring soft drinks from home is not relevant to our argument.

Hand and wrist injuries - looking for useful to evaluate - This is an external part of the argument. Something outside the argument that will better help us figure out whether our plan will succeed. The plan is to bring a sharp decrease in the number of injuries. If students spend too much time outside school in incorrect posture, the sharp decrease we are looking for may not come. Hence it is relevant to our plan.

Now, if you change the vending machine question and look for something "useful to evaluate" e.g.
Which of the following will be most useful to evaluate whether school's plan of improving the health of students work?
Now, whether they bring soft drinks from home will become relevant.
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Re: Veritas Prep CR Forum Expert - Karishma - Ask Me Anything about CR [#permalink]
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VeritasKarishma wrote:
nitesh50 wrote:
nitesh50 wrote:
In humans, ingested protein is broken down into amino acids, all of which must compete to enter the brain. Subsequent ingestion of sugars leads to the production of insulin, a hormone that breaks down the sugars and also rids the bloodstream of residual amino acids, except for tryptophan, Tryptophan then slips into the brain uncontested and is transformed into the chemical serotonin, increasing the brain's serotonin level. Thus sugars can play a major role in mood elevation, helping one to feel relaxed and anxiety-free.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

(A) Elevation of mood and freedom from anxiety require increasing the level of serotonin the brain.
(B) Failure to consume foods rich in sugars results in anxiety and a lowering of mood.
(C) Serotonin can be produced naturally only if tryptophan is presented in the bloodstream.
(D) Increasing the level of serotonin in the brain promotes relaxation and freedom from anxiety.
(E) The consumption of protein-rich foods results in anxiety and a lowering of mood.



Hi VeritasKarishma.
Can you please help me with this question.
I was confused between option A and option D.

After going through some basics, I came up with a reason to eliminate Option A and a reason to not eliminate A.(BIG CONFUSION)


ELIMINATION:
If
A causes B.

The main assumption of the argument is the A ONLY causes B.

it means that If A happens, B has to happen.


Now option A:
B requires A to happen.
This will imply that that the occurrence of of B depends on A happening i.e A is a necessary condition for B to happen.
This implies that B might still not occur.(if other conditions are not met)
The author by stating a causation never assumes this concept.

Am I right in thinking along this line of reasoning?


ON the other hand if my statement would have been:
Only A causes B.
Then this statement would have been an appropriate assumption.

NOT ELIMINATE:

Q.Also can we eliminate option A using negation technique?


For eg: A is not needed for B to happen.
This means that B can happen without the occurrence of A.
B happens without A happening.

Confusion: wouldn't this then break the argument?


I would love to hear your thoughts on why Is option A incorrect.

Looking forward to your reply

Regards
Nitesh





Hi VeritasKarishma

I think you might have missed this doubt.
Please do discuss this.

Regards
Nitesh


Oddly enough, I remember working on this question but cannot find my reply anywhere so certainly missed it somehow.
Here you go: https://gmatclub.com/forum/in-humans-in ... l#p2188392

Thr assumption of the argument is that A causes B (serotonin cause mood elevation etc). It is not that A ONLY causes B. Many things could lead to mood elevation etc but serotonin is one of those things that do lead to mood elevation etc. This assumption is the missing link between premises and conclusion. Note that the premises don't even have "mood elevation etc". Only the conclusion talks about it.

Negating (A) does not break the argument.

Negate (A) Elevation of mood and freedom from anxiety do not require increasing the level of serotonin in the brain.

This does not break our conclusion. Our conclusion is that (sugars) serotonin lead to mood elevation etc. It is not that serotonin is required for mood elevation etc. Serotonin is not necessary. It is one of the ways of getting mood elevation.






Hi Karishma.


SO I have been struggling with causation for a long time now. I often get confused when we have decide whether an alternate cause can actually become a weakner or not.

1.Journalist: In physics journals, the number of articles reporting the results of experiments involving particle accelerators was lower last year than it had been in previous years. Several of the particle accelerators at major research institutions were out of service the year before last for repairs, so it is likely that the low number of articles was due to the decline in availability of particle accelerators.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the journalist’s argument?

Recent changes in the editorial policies of several physics journals have decreased the likelihood that articles concerning particle-accelerator research will be accepted for publication.

2. A study of marital relationships in which one partner's sleeping and waking cycles differ from those of other partner reveals that such couples share fewer activities with each other and have more violent arguments than do couples in a relationship in which both partners follow the same sleeping and waking patterns . Thus, mismatched sleeping and waking cycles can seriously jeopardize a marriage.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

Married couples in which both spouses follow the same sleeping and waking patterns also have arguments that can jeopardize the couple's marriage.

3. 12 years ago and again 5 years ago, there were extended periods when the Darfir Republic's currency, the pundra, was weak: its value was unusually low relative to the world's most stable currencies. Both times a weak pundra made Darfir's manufactured products a bargain on world markets, and Darfir's exports were up substantially. Now some politicians are saying that, in order to cause another similarly sized increase in exports, the government should allow the pundra to become weak again.

Which of the following, if true, provides the government with the strongest grounds to doubt that the politicians' recommendation, if followed, will achieve its aim?

A sharp improvement in the efficiency of Darfir's manufacturing plants would make Darfir's product a bargain on world markets even without any weakening of the pundra relative to other currencies.




In case 1 the causation implies a past event.
Hence the alternate cause is actually a weakner.



Thus, mismatched sleeping and waking cycles can seriously jeopardize a marriage.

In case 2 the causation is more like a characteristic,
Hence the alternate cause is not a weakner.

Also, we can say that the argument says that
A and B occur together and then assumes that A causes B.
Hence the alternate cause will not be a weakner.



The government should allow the pundra to become weak again.

In case 3 the causation relates to a future event
Hence the alternate cause is not a weakner.




Now in the mood elevation question:

Conclusion:
sugars can play a major role in mood elevation.

Can we say that this option is more like case 2. Since it says "can", the alternate cause is not a weakner.
But, if we were to drop can and say that
Sugars play a major role in mood elevation,
in this case Only A causes B will be an assumption.


Looking forward to your analysis.


Regards
Nitesh
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nitesh50 wrote:

Hi Karishma.


SO I have been struggling with causation for a long time now. I often get confused when we have decide whether an alternate cause can actually become a weakner or not.

1.Journalist: In physics journals, the number of articles reporting the results of experiments involving particle accelerators was lower last year than it had been in previous years. Several of the particle accelerators at major research institutions were out of service the year before last for repairs, so it is likely that the low number of articles was due to the decline in availability of particle accelerators.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the journalist’s argument?

Recent changes in the editorial policies of several physics journals have decreased the likelihood that articles concerning particle-accelerator research will be accepted for publication.

2. A study of marital relationships in which one partner's sleeping and waking cycles differ from those of other partner reveals that such couples share fewer activities with each other and have more violent arguments than do couples in a relationship in which both partners follow the same sleeping and waking patterns . Thus, mismatched sleeping and waking cycles can seriously jeopardize a marriage.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?

Married couples in which both spouses follow the same sleeping and waking patterns also have arguments that can jeopardize the couple's marriage.

3. 12 years ago and again 5 years ago, there were extended periods when the Darfir Republic's currency, the pundra, was weak: its value was unusually low relative to the world's most stable currencies. Both times a weak pundra made Darfir's manufactured products a bargain on world markets, and Darfir's exports were up substantially. Now some politicians are saying that, in order to cause another similarly sized increase in exports, the government should allow the pundra to become weak again.

Which of the following, if true, provides the government with the strongest grounds to doubt that the politicians' recommendation, if followed, will achieve its aim?

A sharp improvement in the efficiency of Darfir's manufacturing plants would make Darfir's product a bargain on world markets even without any weakening of the pundra relative to other currencies.




In case 1 the causation implies a past event.
Hence the alternate cause is actually a weakner.



Thus, mismatched sleeping and waking cycles can seriously jeopardize a marriage.

In case 2 the causation is more like a characteristic,
Hence the alternate cause is not a weakner.

Also, we can say that the argument says that
A and B occur together and then assumes that A causes B.
Hence the alternate cause will not be a weakner.



The government should allow the pundra to become weak again.

In case 3 the causation relates to a future event
Hence the alternate cause is not a weakner.




Now in the mood elevation question:

Conclusion:
sugars can play a major role in mood elevation.

Can we say that this option is more like case 2. Since it says "can", the alternate cause is not a weakner.
But, if we were to drop can and say that
Sugars play a major role in mood elevation,
in this case Only A causes B will be an assumption.


Looking forward to your analysis.


Regards
Nitesh


I don't understand your logic of past vs future. It doesn't have anything to do with it. Consider each case to be a discussion between two people.

Case 1:

A: Number of articles reporting the results of experiments involving particle accelerators was lower last year than it had been in previous years. It is because many were out of service.
B: Not necessary. Recent changes in the editorial policies of several physics journals have decreased the likelihood that articles concerning particle-accelerator research will be accepted for publication.
B has given an alternative reason for lower number of articles. Perhaps, the accelerators being out of service didn't have much to do with it. Perhaps they were still available when needed. But since magazines are printing fewer such articles, we saw fewer. It makes sense. It weakens the claim of A that the reason was X. There was another factor Y which could have been responsible.

Case 2:
A: Couples with different sleeping patterns share fewer activities with each other and have more violent arguments than do couples in which both partners follow the same sleeping and waking patterns. Thus, mismatched sleeping and waking cycles can seriously jeopardize a marriage.
B: Couples with same patterns also have arguments that can jeopardise marriage.

A already says that couples with different sleeping patterns have MORE violent arguments than do those in which both partners have same routine. A doesn't say that couples with same sleeping patterns don't have arguments. Hence, it doesn't weaken A's argument.

Case 3:
A's plan: In order to cause another similarly sized increase in exports, the government should allow the pundra to become weak again

We need to find a reason the plan won't work. So a reason why even if we let tundra become weak, we will not see similarly sized increase in exports.
Now here, does it help to say that a similar increase can be obtained in another way? No. We need to find a reason why our plan won't work. The fact that another plan will work is not relevant.

In the mood elevation question, we are looking for an assumption. We are not looking for a weakener. An assumption is what connects the premises to the conclusion. Hence I am not sure how you are applying this concept to the mood elevation question.
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Gladiator59 wrote:
Dear VeritasKarishma,

Can you please look at this one - https://gmatclub.com/forum/u-s-environm ... 01438.html

I was not able to choose between B and E. Also some expert opinions seem to be divided. Your take on it would be valuable to the community.

Thanks as always.

Regards,
Gladi

Posted from my mobile device


Gladi,

See if this helps: https://gmatclub.com/forum/u-s-environm ... l#p2193472
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