There are far fewer children available for adoption than there are peo

Question

There are far fewer children available for adoption than there are people who want to adopt. Two million couples are currently waiting to adopt, but in 1982, the last year for which figures exist, there were only some 50,000 adoptions.

Which of the following statements, if true, most strengthens the author’s claim that there are far fewer children available for adoption than there are people who want to adopt?

(A) The number of couples waiting to adopt has increased significantly in the last decade.

(B) The number of adoptions in the current year is greater than the number of adoptions in any preceding year.

(C) The number of adoptions in a year is approximately equal to the number of children available for adoption in that period.

(D) People who seek to adopt children often go through a long process of interviews and investigation by adoption agencies.

(E) People who seek to adopt children generally make very good parents.

shalva · Accepted Answer

This argument is yet another example of "shift of the scope" trick that GMAC so loves to pull out.

Premise 
 
That's simply a statement of fact. The number of people who want to adopt is compared with the  number of adoptions

Conclusion 
 
In this conclusion number of people who want to adopt is compared with  children available for adoption.  This comparison is quite different from that in the premise. If we want to show validity of the conclusion - we somehow should establish following connection:

Number of adoptions == Number of children available for adoption

Answ (C) does exactly the same

jeeteshsingh · Answer

There are far fewer children available for adoption than there are people who
want to adopt. Two million couples are currently waiting to adopt, but in 1982,
the last year for which figures exist, there were only some 50,000 adoptions.
Which of the following statements, if true, most strengthens the author’s claim
that there are far fewer children available for adoption than there are people who
want to adopt?
(A) The number of couples waiting to adopt has increased significantly in the last
decade.
(B) The number of adoptions in the current year is greater than the number of
adoptions in any preceding year.
(C) The number of adoptions in a year is approximately equal to the number of
children available for adoption in that period.
(D) People who seek to adopt children often go through a long process of
interviews and investigation by adoption agencies.
(E) People who seek to adopt children generally make very good parents.

Would go with C....

C strengths the no of adoption with the available children..... this gives the statement in the stem - "but in 1982, the last year for which figures exist, there were only some 50,000 adoptions." clear significance that no of children are few....!

coaks · Answer

Yep, I agree with jeeteshsingh. C unambiguously strengthens the argument by pegging the number of children available for adoption to a concrete number, which is far less than the concrete number of parents looking to adopt.

Indien · Answer

yep C.

The argument --far fewer children for adpation--is based on the fact that there are millions waiting to adapt but only 50,000 adpated in a year. The assumption must be that 50000 children were the only the available ones for adpation. 
C confirms that assumption.
D and E are out of scope.
A does not generate any discussion.
B is tricky. It could be the answer if we knew how many people were waiting to adopt in the previous years.

Anonymous · Answer

Good explanation. No wonder you got a 47 on verbal. kudos to you.

Premise is just a fact here. I see the trick. Premise is trying to distract you. If C is not true then the conclusion falls apart.

FQ · Answer

Almost missed that when reading the answers. Thanks

mailnavin1 · Answer

Conclusion: less children available but many people are ready to adopt.
Premise: 2 million people are looking out for children and there were only 50,000 adoptions - This could be due there is a lack of children left to be adopted as the author says or there could be some other reasons. We are required to prove that there are no other options but fewer children available.

Zatarra · Answer

i tnink u have misread the stimulus . Two million couples are  currently  waiting to adopt, but  in 1982, the last year for which figures exist , there were only some 50,000 adoptions

gettinit · Answer

I still think C would be vaild even though the figure of 50K is from 1982. The fact is this proves that the suuply is short just because there is less children up for adoption rather than some other reason -strengthens argument by alleviating assunption.

Thanks.

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Thanks.

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saurabhgoel · Answer

Its between A & C
but A doesnot tell anything about increase of decrease of the children.

Not fully convience with C , but in between A nd C , C is better..

doe007 · Answer

I am finding some problems to buy the explanations given earlier. As the question states, we need to find the statement to strengthen the claim " far fewer children available ".

Where option C can support the claim as " fewer  children available", it does not support the claim " far fewer " from any angle. I can easily interpret that demand is equal or marginally more than the supply.

Option A states "The number of couples  waiting  to adopt has increased significantly". In case the statement used the word "wishing" or "wanting" or something similar instead of "waiting", this option could have been ignored. But, when the number of couples, who are waiting, is increasing  significantly , definitely demand is equal or more than supply. I don't believe couples would  wait  should there be necessary supply.

I do not see any reason which can clearly make option C standout over option A. I will appreciate any proper explanation to support C over A.

mydreammba · Answer

A speaks about last decade, i think here we are talking about present decade and that's why i chose C, but A is a good contender, please correct me if i am wrong

tuanquang269 · Answer

2 million couple waiting for adoption, but in 1982 only some 50,000 adoptions. The preceding premise stated that the children need adopting are fewer than the people want to adopt. So, this is clear that the 50.000 adoption is inferred that The number of adoptions in a year is approximately equal to the number of children available for adoption in that period.

Choice C is correct one.

Choice C is correct one.

doe007 · Answer

"Last decade" might be reason for discarding option A.

doe007 · Answer

Here the reasoning has no connection with the given options. Rather this a paraphrase of the original statement. I believe we need to answer based on the given choices. Does really option C imply demand to be scanty?

neha2785 · Answer

Argument is that number of children available for adoption is less then number of parent trying to adopt
E is irrelevant and so is D
A state’s growth in parent
B is irrelevant to argument
SO C is remaining and it states that children ready for adoption and adopted cild rate is more or less same, which mean only few children were deemed as not fit for adoption, thus proving the argument

doe007 · Answer

Option A does not state growth in parents but the "growth in  waiting  parents". Waiting increases only when demand is more than supply.
Option C can be inferred as demand is nearly equal to supply.

To me, option C is not stronger than option A. I believe wordings in the choices need to be modified to eradicate ambiguity.

raviram80 · Answer

The below is the conclusion"

"There are far fewer children available for adoption than there are people who want to adopt.

Answer C is saying

" The number of adoptions in a year is approximately equal to the number of children available for adoption in that period"

Isnt this restating the conclusion in another way

Is that fine for strengthen questions? I thought we have to look for a new information always.

please let me know

Thanks

shadabkhaniet · Answer

Its not restating the conclusion.

"The number of adoptions in a year is approximately equal to the number of children available for adoption in that period"
This doesn't mean that there are fewer children for adoption. Say there are 1 lac adoption previous year therefore there will be 1 lac adoption this year also. So we can't really say there are fewer children for adoption.

Correct me if i am wrong.

There are far fewer children available for adoption than there are peo

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