Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Nov 2007:30 AM PST
-08:30 AM PST
Learn what truly sets the UC Riverside MBA apart and how it helps in your professional growth
Nov 1912:30 PM EST
-01:30 PM EST
Learn how Keshav, a Chartered Accountant, scored an impressive 705 on GMAT in just 30 days with GMATWhiz's expert guidance. In this video, he shares preparation tips and strategies that worked for him, including the mock, time management, and more
Nov 2001:30 PM EST
-02:30 PM IST
Learn how Kamakshi achieved a GMAT 675 with an impressive 96th %ile in Data Insights. Discover the unique methods and exam strategies that helped her excel in DI along with other sections for a balanced and high score.
Nov 2211:00 AM IST
-01:00 PM IST
Do RC/MSR passages scare you? e-GMAT is conducting a masterclass to help you learn – Learn effective reading strategies Tackle difficult RC & MSR with confidence Excel in timed test environment- Nov 23
11:00 AM IST
-01:00 PM IST
Attend this free GMAT Algebra Webinar and learn how to master the most challenging Inequalities and Absolute Value problems with ease. 
Nov 2407:00 PM PST
-08:00 PM PST
Full-length FE mock with insightful analytics, weakness diagnosis, and video explanations!
Nov 2510:00 AM EST
-11:00 AM EST
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors.
23 Jan 2014, 10:03
Kudos
Bookmarks
C
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
5%
(low)
Question Stats:
85% (01:20) correct
15%
(01:46)
wrong
based on 762
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Violent crime in this town is a becoming a serious problem. Compared to last year, local law enforcement agencies have responded to 17 percent more calls involving violent crimes, showing that the average citizen of this town is more likely than ever to become a victim of a violent crime. Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?
A. The town’s overall crime rate appears to have risen slightly this year compared to the same period last year.
B. In general, persons under the age of 65 are less likely to be victims of violent crimes than persons over the age of 65.
C. As a result of the town’s community outreach programs, more people than ever are willing to report violent crimes to the proper authorities.
D. In response to worries about violent crime, the town has recently opened a community center providing supervised activities for teenagers.
E. Community officials have shown that a relatively small number of repeat offenders commit the majority of violent crimes in the town.
A. The town’s overall crime rate appears to have risen slightly this year compared to the same period last year.
B. In general, persons under the age of 65 are less likely to be victims of violent crimes than persons over the age of 65.
C. As a result of the town’s community outreach programs, more people than ever are willing to report violent crimes to the proper authorities.
D. In response to worries about violent crime, the town has recently opened a community center providing supervised activities for teenagers.
E. Community officials have shown that a relatively small number of repeat offenders commit the majority of violent crimes in the town.
Why is the answer not E ?
25 Apr 2021, 03:15
Kudos
Bookmarks
nfr007
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
The correct answer choice is (C).
The premise contains information concerning a rise in the number of calls involving violent crimes compared to last year. This is where smart GMAT reading comes into play: does the argument say there is more crime, or does it say there are more calls reporting crime? Recognizing the difference is critical for successfully solving this problem. The conclusion about citizens being more likely to be victimized by a violent crime indicates the author believes the following causal relationship: GNC = greater number of violent crimes, MC = more calls involving violent crimes. GNCMC, Literally, the author believes that there are more violent crimes and therefore the police are responding to more violent crime calls. The question stem asks you to weaken the argument, and the correct answer falls into one of the five basic methods for weakening a causal argument.
Answer choice (A): This is an Opposite answer that strengthens the argument.
Answer choice (B): Because the argument is about “the average citizen of this town,” information about victims of a certain age is not relevant.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer. By showing that people are more willing to report crimes (and thus call them in for response), an alternate cause for the rise in the number of calls is given.
Answer choice (D): This answer only addresses an effect of the concern over crime, and does not address the causal relationship that underlies the argument.
Answer choice (E): This answer does not address a possible rise in crime or the reasons for the rise in responses to calls involving violent crime.
General Discussion
23 Jan 2014, 12:12
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi there! I think I can help here. 
First let's take a look at the argument and identify the conclusion and premises.
Conclusion: average person more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Premise: police responded to 17% more calls related to violent crime
Now we have to find a reason to doubt the conclusion. We need to think about why the average person is NOT at risk of a violent crime. One thing that stands out is that we are given a percent and have not idea what the actually values are, like the towns population and violent crimes this year and last year. But I am straying from your question.
Why is it not E? Well, E does takes some steps towards weakening the argument since we are told about the people who commit the crimes, but ultimately, it does not provide any evidence for why people in the town might be safe from violent crime. Answer choice E only tells us about the people commit the crimes—not why crimes might not happen to the average citizen.
On the other hand, answer choice C provides a reason for why there has been an increase in reported crimes, but not necessarily an increase in crime. This provides evidence that people are not less safe now, but that people are reporting these crimes more.
Does this make sense?
I hope it helps!
nfr007
First let's take a look at the argument and identify the conclusion and premises.
Conclusion: average person more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Premise: police responded to 17% more calls related to violent crime
Now we have to find a reason to doubt the conclusion. We need to think about why the average person is NOT at risk of a violent crime. One thing that stands out is that we are given a percent and have not idea what the actually values are, like the towns population and violent crimes this year and last year. But I am straying from your question.
Why is it not E? Well, E does takes some steps towards weakening the argument since we are told about the people who commit the crimes, but ultimately, it does not provide any evidence for why people in the town might be safe from violent crime. Answer choice E only tells us about the people commit the crimes—not why crimes might not happen to the average citizen.
On the other hand, answer choice C provides a reason for why there has been an increase in reported crimes, but not necessarily an increase in crime. This provides evidence that people are not less safe now, but that people are reporting these crimes more.
Does this make sense?
I hope it helps!
