GMAX Challenge Question

Question

Hi all you GMAT grapplers! For the next few weeks, I will be posting  GMAX-challenge questions! Answers and explanations will be posted the next day! Today's GMAX challenge:

1. Gesticulations, the hand motions that accompany a person's speech, are often involuntary and sometimes are produced entirely unwittingly when a person is involved in an emotional or heated conversation. Clearly then, when drivers have a fit of road rage, step out of their cars, and in the midst of the conflagration, shake their fists at one another or otherwise gesticulate, they are unaware of their body language.

Which of the following casts doubt on the argument?

A. When drivers are involved in an altercation, they are not necessarily in a deeply unsettled or highly emotional state, and instead are more genial than is often expected.

B. After most conflagrations on suburban streets, the two parties find a resolution without needing help from the authorities to settle the dispute.

C. A neural pathway exists between the limbic cortex, the area of the brain that controls emotions, and the anterior and prefrontal cortex, which control motor activity.

D. People commonly restrain the impulse to fully express themselves when the emotions arising from their current state are in any way negative.

E. Frequently, road rage puts people into a state of mind in which they do not feel they can fully express themselves verbally and must make plain their inner condition via other means of communication.

Good Luck!

-Sarai

ykaiim · Answer

Conclusion - they are unaware of their body language.

Confused b/w D and E, but will go with D.

gurpreetsingh · Answer

emotional or heated conversation ==> causes gesticulations and are unaware of it.

Acc3ss · Answer

A (although D was very close)

A because it states that during drivers' altercations, drivers are not in an emotional state which leads to no gesticulation. Hence the shaking of fists are due to any XYZ reason but gesticulation.

E cannot be the answer because it states the drivers can't explain themselves verbally hence they have to use gesticulation(other means of communication).

ashnag · Answer

A it is.

SaraiYaseenGMAT · Answer

And the answer is....

A. This is outside of the scope because the argument is concerned with people who are in a rage.

B. Whether or not the people can resolve the conflict independently does not reflect in any way on whether they are aware of their body language.

C. This answer strengthens the argument by suggesting that motor impulses and emotions are automatically linked in the brain and, thus, that emotions lead to gestures automatically, without a person's deciding to gesture.

Thanks Sarai.

Ohh I didn't see that - I thought C is irrelevant. Next time I will employ such an argument :lol:

D. This answer strengthens the argument by suggesting that gesticulation does not usually result from a person's decision to gesture, since people usually try to restrain themselves.

E. Correct: This answer suggests that angry drivers often gesticulate not unwittingly, but on purpose because they can better express themselves in this way.

ykaiim · Answer

Thanks Sarai.

Looking forward to have more from you.

nusmavrik · Answer

C. This answer strengthens the argument by suggesting that motor impulses and emotions are automatically linked in the brain and, thus, that emotions lead to gestures automatically, without a person's deciding to gesture.

Thanks Sarai.

Ohh I didn't see that - I thought C is irrelevant. Next time I will employ such an argument :lol:

yogeshagarwala · Answer

It was E. Took me 2.02 min. 
Thanks!!

seekmba · Answer

E shows that drivers are very much aware of their body langauage which weakens the argument.

GMAX Challenge Question

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