In most states BASE jumping, an extreme sport where

Question

In most states BASE jumping, an extreme sport where an individual jumps off of a building, bridge, or other structure with a small parachute, is illegal. Proponents of the sport believe that the individuals are taking risks with their own lives and should be allowed to do so in a free society as long as they do not cause harm to others. As a result, these proponents conclude that BASE jumping should be legalized.

Each of the following, if true, would weaken the conclusion drawn by the proponents of BASE jumping EXCEPT:

(A) Many BASE jumpers are very experienced and have completed hundreds of jumps without being injured.
(B) The insurance rates charged to owners of buildings that are likely to be used in BASE jumps have doubled because of increased threat of lawsuits.
(C) Many municipalities have been forced to hire additional police units to patrol for BASE jumpers.
(D) In rare cases, BASE jumpers have been known to injure civilians on the ground during their jumps.
(E) BASE jumpers have been known to break into buildings at night in order to gain access to the roof, causing damage to the building in the process.

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mba1382 · Answer

Easier one but still took 1:45s. Poor timing :-(

IMO A Conclusion of proponents : As a result, these proponents conclude that BASE jumping should be legalized. We need to find answer that doesn't weaken the proponents conclusion. (A) Many BASE jumpers are very experienced and have completed hundreds of jumps without being injured. Hold On.. It says that BASE doesn't cause any harm to others and therefore can be legalized. (B) The insurance rates charged to owners of buildings that are likely to be used in BASE jumps have doubled because of increased threat of lawsuits. BASE causes insurance rates to increase,in turn causing harm in the form of increased insurance rates. (C) Many municipalities have been forced to hire additional police units to patrol for BASE jumpers. Additional police force diverted from other main responsibilities of police force and thus causing harm. (D) In rare cases, BASE jumpers have been known to injure civilians on the ground during their jumps. BASE jumpers causing harm to civilians (E) BASE jumpers have been known to break into buildings at night in order to gain access to the roof, causing damage to the building in the process. BASE jumpers causing harm in the form of breaking into buildings.

avohden · Answer

Official Explanation

Answer A   - The conclusion drawn by the proponents of BASE jumping is that BASE jumping should be legalized. As evidence they cite that people in a free society should be able to do as they please as long as they do not harm others in the process. The central assumption in this argument is that BASE jumpers do not harm others while pursuing their sport. The only answer choice that does not challenge this central assumption is choice (A), which is therefore the correct answer.

Choices (B) and (E), if true, would show that the owners of buildings used in BASE jumping are harmed because of increased insurance or damage to the building.

Choice (C), shows that municipalities or tax payers are harmed because of the need for additional police units.

Finally, Choice (D) – while it seems unlikely – would show harm to innocent bystanders if it were true.

CrackverbalGMAT · Answer

Indeed, 
The reasoning here is quite straightforward. 
The argument's biggest assumption is linked to the premise that "as long as only the base jumpers are at risk - they should be allowed to do what they want". This leads to the assumption that their activity has no deleterious consequences to others.

That insurance would increase for owners of buildings is a negative consequence to non-base jumpers (B) weakens the argument therefore.

That, additional cops have been hired implies a economic drain on the municipality. Again, a negative consequence (C) also therefore weakens

That civilians could be injures is also a negative consequence to others (D) weakens as well

That Base jumpers break into buildings and cause damages is another negative consequence to others (E) also weakens.

Option (A) though does not explicate any negative consequence, and doesn't really do anything to weaken the argument. 
A is therefore the correct option here.

Hope that helped,
Ajeeth Peo
Academic Manager 
Crack Verbal

Helium · Answer

This is a Weaken EXCEPT question, which means that the wrong answers will weaken the argument, while the right answer will either strengthen it or be irrelevant.

The conclusion drawn by the proponents of BASE jumping is that BASE jumping should be legalized. As evidence, they cite that people in a free society should be able to do as they please as long as they do not harm others in the process.

The central assumption in this argument is that BASE jumpers do not harm others while pursuing their sport. It's impossible to predict the right answer in an EXCEPT question; however, you can predict that the wrong answers will weaken the assumption by showing ways that BASE jumpers do harm others.

(A) is correct because it merely provides evidence that BASE jumpers don't injure themselves; this doesn't give any reason to think that BASE jumping shouldn't be legalized.

(B) and (E), if true, would show that the owners of buildings used in BASE jumping are harmed because of increased insurance or damage to the building.

(C) shows that municipalities or taxpayers are harmed because of the need for additional police units.

Finally, (D) means that some innocent bystanders are harmed by the BASE jumpers.

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Paras96 · Answer

The proponents of BASE jumping argue for its legalization on the grounds that individuals should be allowed to take risks with their own lives as long as they do not harm others. To weaken this conclusion, we should find an option that suggests potential harm to others due to BASE jumping. Let's evaluate each option:

(A) Many BASE jumpers are very experienced and have completed hundreds of jumps without being injured.
 - This option doesn't weaken the conclusion; it supports the idea that experienced BASE jumpers can do so without harming others.

(B) The insurance rates charged to owners of buildings that are likely to be used in BASE jumps have doubled because of an increased threat of lawsuits.
 - This option weakens the conclusion by indicating that BASE jumping has financial consequences for building owners and may indirectly affect others (through increased insurance costs).

(C) Many municipalities have been forced to hire additional police units to patrol for BASE jumpers.
 - This option weakens the conclusion by suggesting that BASE jumping results in increased public spending on law enforcement, indicating a potential harm to society.

(D) In rare cases, BASE jumpers have been known to injure civilians on the ground during their jumps.
 - This option directly weakens the conclusion by providing evidence that BASE jumping can indeed harm civilians on the ground.

(E) BASE jumpers have been known to break into buildings at night to gain access to the roof, causing damage to the building in the process.
 - This option weakens the conclusion by suggesting that BASE jumping can lead to property damage and illegal activities, which can affect building owners and society as a whole.

All options except (A) weaken the conclusion by highlighting potential harms or negative consequences associated with BASE jumping. Option (A) is the exception because it provides information that supports the safety and experience of many BASE jumpers.

VerbalBot · Answer

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In most states BASE jumping, an extreme sport where

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