Town X and Town Y are roughly equal in size and local population.

Question

Town X and Town Y are roughly equal in size and local population. A survey was done measuring traffic patterns during the summer months for each of the past 5 years. The survey found that, on average in Town Y, there were 28 minor car accidents in June as well as 28 in July. During the same two months in Town X, the average was only 14 minor car accidents each month. Thus, if the Dentco Autobody Repair franchise were looking to open a new shop in one of the two towns, it would be more likely to succeed in Town Y.

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously damage the conclusion drawn in the passage?

A. More people walk to work or use mass transit in Town Y.

B. The state is planning to add a thruway exit for Town Y.

C. The traffic volume in Town Y quadruples in the summer because it is a beach town.

D. In June and July six years ago, Town X had double the amount of accidents than Y.

E. There are rumors of a megamall possibly being constructed in Town X.

This is a  CR Butler Question

Check the links to other Butler Projects: 
 
   Data Sufficiency Butler 
   Problem Solving Butler  
   Sentence Correction Butler  
   Reading Comprehension Butler  
   Integrated Reasoning Butler

Rucha.Shukla · Answer

IMO C

C. The traffic volume in Town Y quadruples in the summer because it is a beach town.

Because if above is true avg minor accidents in Y for remaining months (which are more) is less than in X

Posted from my mobile device

Purnank · Answer

C makes sense here. While solving weakning questions the correct answer would be new possibilities that attack the conclusion.

Shwarma · Answer

Option C

Conclusion- open repair shop in town Y - based on data of summer accidents

To weaken 
A new premise that falsifies it or weakens the argument that no town X has more accidents.

Only option C fits the bill, others are not even close

Bunuel · Answer

KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:

C

Conclusion: The driving conditions in Town Y are more dangerous than Town X, leading to more frequent occurrences of minor car accidents that will naturally provide more job opportunities for an autobody shop.

Evidence: Indeed, Town Y has averaged twice as many minor car accidents than Town X. However, the figures are only for the two summer months. If the traffic volume quadruples for those two months and there were an average of 28 accidents each month, it can be assumed that for the remaining 10 months there is actually only an average of 7 accidents per month, half the rate of Town X. These numbers would indicate that Dentco should actually open their shop in Town X.

(A) is irrelevant because the higher number of accidents in Town Y still occurred even with the higher number of walkers and those who use mass transit. Because adding a thruway exit for Town Y would only increase the traffic volume, (B) would strengthen the conclusion. (D) doesn't weaken the conclusion because the figures predate the survey, and since then an unspecified condition has influenced the numbers to reverse for five years in a row. Rumors (E) do not qualify as evidence, and therefore do weaken the conclusion.

Town X and Town Y are roughly equal in size and local population.

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Critical Reasoning (CR) Questions

Town X and Town Y are roughly equal in size and local population.

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards