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655-705 (Hard)|   Strengthen|      
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Bunuel
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In the past decade, two Motorlux models, the T-300, a sports car, and 07 Mar 2022, 07:30
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D
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62% (02:27) correct 38% (02:35) wrong based on 520 sessions

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In the past decade, two Motorlux models, the T-300, a sports car, and the AG-75, a sports utility vehicle, have been manufactured with the same timing chain, which controls the timing of the engines valves: when the engine is running at a higher RPM, there is more strain on the timing belt. Recent evidence indicates that this particular brand of timing chain has a usable life of about 135,000 miles, somewhat less the 200,000 miles life typical of standard timing chains. Although the same model of timing belt has been used for both models of cars, the incidence of timing chain failure is considerably higher in the AG-75 than in the T-300. This is mostly likely because ______________________

Which of the following, if true, most logically completes the argument?


(A) where legal, drivers of the T-300 have been known to drive it at speeds in excessive of 100 mph; whereas the AG-75 is rarely driven that fast.

(B) it is common for sports utility vehicles to tow heavy objects, such as motor boats; whereas sport cars almost never tow anything.

(C) sports cars typically drive on relatively flat paved surfaces only, whereas sports utility vehicles often are driven on rough off-road surfaces.

(D) timing chains are automatically replaced when the entire transmission systems is repaired or replaced, and, unlike sports utility vehicles, sport cars such as the T-300 tend to experience transmission systems problems before the 100,000 mile mark.

(E) the timing chains typically used in most other models of sports cars on the market are of higher quality than the timing chains typically used in most other models of sports utility vehicles on the market.
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D
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IanStewart
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In the past decade, two Motorlux models, the T-300, a sports car, and 07 Mar 2022, 07:47
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If we ignore all of the information in the stem besides this:

The same timing chain is used in a sports car and an SUV. The chain lasts 135,000 miles. The chain fails more often in the SUV.

then the answer is D. The chain should fail in either vehicle after 135,000 miles; if it fails more often in one vehicle than in the other, then one vehicle is surpassing that 135,000 mile threshold more often. Answer D is the only answer that explains why that would happen.

The rest of the question stem is just elaborate misdirection. The question tells us a high engine RPM puts strain on the timing chain. It would be natural to expect that to shorten the lifespan of the chain, but we are then told the chain lasts for 135,000 miles. That's a factual premise, so it must be true, and since there's no suggestion the 135,000 mile lifespan depends on strain at all, the strain must be irrelevant to the chain's lifespan. So we can just ignore all of the information about RPM, and ignore all the answer choices that suggest one vehicle operates at a higher RPM than the other (or at least that's what I'm guessing A, B and C suggest, I don't know anything about cars or what would cause an engine to operate at a higher RPM, and the question would clearly be problematic if you needed that kind of knowledge).
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In the past decade, two Motorlux models, the T-300, a sports car, and 15 Mar 2022, 12:06
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(A) where legal, drivers of the T-300 have been known to drive it at speeds in excessive of 100 mph; whereas the AG-75 is rarely driven that fast.-- by this logic T-300 should fail more often

(B) it is common for sports utility vehicles to tow heavy objects, such as motor boats; whereas sport cars almost never tow anything.--Not relevant with the info given in the passage

(C) sports cars typically drive on relatively flat paved surfaces only, whereas sports utility vehicles often are driven on rough off-road surfaces.--Not relevant with the info given in the passage

(D) timing chains are automatically replaced when the entire transmission systems is repaired or replaced, and, unlike sports utility vehicles, sport cars such as the T-300 tend to experience transmission systems problems before the 100,000 mile mark.-- gives correct reasoning behind the failures

(E) the timing chains typically used in most other models of sports cars on the market are of higher quality than the timing chains typically used in most other models of sports utility vehicles on the market. -- contradicts the fact given in the passage that same belt is being used


Hence Option D
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In the past decade, two Motorlux models, the T-300, a sports car, and 27 Mar 2022, 00:15
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Bunuel
In the past decade, two Motorlux models, the T-300, a sports car, and the AG-75, a sports utility vehicle, have been manufactured with the same timing chain, which controls the timing of the engines valves: when the engine is running at a higher RPM, there is more strain on the timing belt. Recent evidence indicates that this particular brand of timing chain has a usable life of about 135,000 miles, somewhat less the 200,000 miles life typical of standard timing chains. Although the same model of timing belt has been used for both models of cars, the incidence of timing chain failure is considerably higher in the AG-75 than in the T-300. This is mostly likely because ______________________

Which of the following, if true, most logically completes the argument?


(A) where legal, drivers of the T-300 have been known to drive it at speeds in excessive of 100 mph; whereas the AG-75 is rarely driven that fast.

(B) it is common for sports utility vehicles to tow heavy objects, such as motor boats; whereas sport cars almost never tow anything.

(C) sports cars typically drive on relatively flat paved surfaces only, whereas sports utility vehicles often are driven on rough off-road surfaces.

(D) timing chains are automatically replaced when the entire transmission systems is repaired or replaced, and, unlike sports utility vehicles, sport cars such as the T-300 tend to experience transmission systems problems before the 100,000 mile mark.

(E) the timing chains typically used in most other models of sports cars on the market are of higher quality than the timing chains typically used in most other models of sports utility vehicles on the market.
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Official Explanation



The credited answer is (D). If most T-300 sports cars get transmission problems before 100,000 miles, then when the transmission is repaired, the timing belt will be replaced, and thus when the T-300 is between 100,000 miles and 200,000 miles, it will already have a new timing belt and will not need one, whereas the AG-75 SUVs, having not needed a transmission overhaul, would be much more likely to experience timing belt failure in the 100,000 miles to 200,000 miles range.

If drivers of the T-300 speed more, then we would expect those engines to experience higher range RPMs more frequently, which would lead us to expect those timing belts would fail more often --- which is the opposite of what the paragraph says. Choice (A) is incorrect.

The paragraph gives us no information about how towing might influence RPM, so we cannot draw any conclusion. Choice (B) is incorrect.

The paragraph gives us no information about how driving on different terrains might influence RPM, so we cannot draw any conclusion. Choice (C) is incorrect.

The quality level of the timing belts used in other sports cars or other SUVs tells us nothing about why the T-300 and the AG-75, using the exact same timing belt, have different results. Choice (E) is irrelevant, so it is incorrect.
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In the past decade, two Motorlux models, the T-300, a sports car, and 23 Mar 2025, 03:45
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but (D) would be correct, if can be inferred that AG-75 is surpassing the 135000 miles, which the stem does not give us any info to infer that

while yes, the T-300 gets the timing belt replaced after every 100,000 miles,
but it can be that the AG-75 drives till 125,000 miles before getting it's belt replaced

(D) is based only one assumption, that if T-300 is getting the belt replaced at 100,000 miles, then AG-75 is surpassing the 135,000 miles and hence having a higher RPM and therefore putting a strain on the timing belt leading to it's failure

but an equally plausible scenario is that, AG-75 is getting the belt replaced at 125,000 miles without surpassing 135,000 miles

Bunuel
napolean92728 can you shed some light on this, thanks
Bunuel
Bunuel
In the past decade, two Motorlux models, the T-300, a sports car, and the AG-75, a sports utility vehicle, have been manufactured with the same timing chain, which controls the timing of the engines valves: when the engine is running at a higher RPM, there is more strain on the timing belt. Recent evidence indicates that this particular brand of timing chain has a usable life of about 135,000 miles, somewhat less the 200,000 miles life typical of standard timing chains. Although the same model of timing belt has been used for both models of cars, the incidence of timing chain failure is considerably higher in the AG-75 than in the T-300. This is mostly likely because ______________________

Which of the following, if true, most logically completes the argument?


(A) where legal, drivers of the T-300 have been known to drive it at speeds in excessive of 100 mph; whereas the AG-75 is rarely driven that fast.

(B) it is common for sports utility vehicles to tow heavy objects, such as motor boats; whereas sport cars almost never tow anything.

(C) sports cars typically drive on relatively flat paved surfaces only, whereas sports utility vehicles often are driven on rough off-road surfaces.

(D) timing chains are automatically replaced when the entire transmission systems is repaired or replaced, and, unlike sports utility vehicles, sport cars such as the T-300 tend to experience transmission systems problems before the 100,000 mile mark.

(E) the timing chains typically used in most other models of sports cars on the market are of higher quality than the timing chains typically used in most other models of sports utility vehicles on the market.


Official Explanation



The credited answer is (D). If most T-300 sports cars get transmission problems before 100,000 miles, then when the transmission is repaired, the timing belt will be replaced, and thus when the T-300 is between 100,000 miles and 200,000 miles, it will already have a new timing belt and will not need one, whereas the AG-75 SUVs, having not needed a transmission overhaul, would be much more likely to experience timing belt failure in the 100,000 miles to 200,000 miles range.

If drivers of the T-300 speed more, then we would expect those engines to experience higher range RPMs more frequently, which would lead us to expect those timing belts would fail more often --- which is the opposite of what the paragraph says. Choice (A) is incorrect.

The paragraph gives us no information about how towing might influence RPM, so we cannot draw any conclusion. Choice (B) is incorrect.

The paragraph gives us no information about how driving on different terrains might influence RPM, so we cannot draw any conclusion. Choice (C) is incorrect.

The quality level of the timing belts used in other sports cars or other SUVs tells us nothing about why the T-300 and the AG-75, using the exact same timing belt, have different results. Choice (E) is irrelevant, so it is incorrect.
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