Critical Reasoning

People always seem to associate high prices of products with high quality. But price is not necessarily an indicator of quality. The best teas are often no more expensive than the lower quality teas.

Which one of the following, if true, does most to explain the counterexample described above?

(A) Packaging and advertising triple the price of all teas

(B) Most people buy low-quality tea, thus keeping its price up

(C) All types of tea are subject to higher import tariffs

(D) Low-quality teas are generally easier to obtain than quality teas

(E) The price of tea generally does not vary from region to region.


I got lost between options D and E. Since causal assumption CRs are very similar to strengthen questions, I chose D. But D actually is out of scope because it is talking about deaths due to some other reasons and not Asthma. Hence we are left with option E.


Also the option E is something like a Defender assumption question.

Lets say if option D was talking about the inhalers themselves aggravating asthma itself, then it would have been a very close call between options D and E.

One is a supporter option and the other is a Defender assumption.

But that will not happen in the GMAT as the test-makers want to make the arguments air-tight and for that only one correct answer choice exists...


Hope this post helps...

clearly E

Dear [email protected]

What is the answer to the CR example you brought about TEAS?

Amit, What is the OA and OE for the CR related to TEA PRICE & QUALITY?

IMO B & D are near to the answer choices. All others seems to be irrelevant

Pls explain

[email protected] wrote:People always seem to associate high prices of products with high quality. But price is not necessarily an indicator of quality. The best teas are often no more expensive than the lower quality teas.

Which one of the following, if true, does most to explain the counterexample described above?

(A) Packaging and advertising triple the price of all teas

(B) Most people buy low-quality tea, thus keeping its price up

(C) All types of tea are subject to higher import tariffs

(D) Low-quality teas are generally easier to obtain than quality teas

(E) The price of tea generally does not vary from region to region.


I got lost between options D and E. Since causal assumption CRs are very similar to strengthen questions, I chose D. But D actually is out of scope because it is talking about deaths due to some other reasons and not Asthma. Hence we are left with option E.


Also the option E is something like a Defender assumption question.

Lets say if option D was talking about the inhalers themselves aggravating asthma itself, then it would have been a very close call between options D and E.

One is a supporter option and the other is a Defender assumption.

But that will not happen in the GMAT as the test-makers want to make the arguments air-tight and for that only one correct answer choice exists...


Hope this post helps...

My take E.

E it is.

I agree with Stuart's explanation. In assumption questions, given causes are assumed to be the only reasons for an Effect. Hence Chose E.

But I've a doubt regarding C.
Bronchial inhalers are unsafe, even when used according to the recommended instructions.

Now, when we negate this argument.
Bronchial inhalers are not unsafe.
So including Inhalers as one of the factors for the increase in deaths would be wrong and hence the argument falters.
So shouldn't C also make a valid assumption.


Please Advice.

Vinod,
(C) Bronchial inhalers are unsafe, even when used according to the recommended
instructions.

From this when you negate the assumption it gives us "Bronchial inhalers are safe when used according to the recommended instructions". Now we have negated and the conclusion (the cause of increased deaths is the use of bronchial inhalers by asthma sufferers to relieve their symptoms)should fall apart, but it isnt.....becoz it(this assumption)is true only when the first two conditions fail.
What if, the first two conditions are true and the bronchial inhaler's fail????

So, shutting down the "ifs", goto the statement E. Negate this and you will see the conclusion fall down

vinodsundaram wrote:I agree with Stuart's explanation. In assumption questions, given causes are assumed to be the only reasons for an Effect. Hence Chose E.

But I've a doubt regarding C.
Bronchial inhalers are unsafe, even when used according to the recommended instructions.

Now, when we negate this argument.
Bronchial inhalers are not unsafe.
So including Inhalers as one of the factors for the increase in deaths would be wrong and hence the argument falters.
So shouldn't C also make a valid assumption.


Please Advice.

[email protected] wrote:People always seem to associate high prices of products with high quality. But price is not necessarily an indicator of quality. The best teas are often no more expensive than the lower quality teas.

Which one of the following, if true, does most to explain the counterexample described above?

(A) Packaging and advertising triple the price of all teas

(B) Most people buy low-quality tea, thus keeping its price up

(C) All types of tea are subject to higher import tariffs

(D) Low-quality teas are generally easier to obtain than quality teas

(E) The price of tea generally does not vary from region to region.


I got lost between options D and E. Since causal assumption CRs are very similar to strengthen questions, I chose D. But D actually is out of scope because it is talking about deaths due to some other reasons and not Asthma. Hence we are left with option E.


Also the option E is something like a Defender assumption question.

Lets say if option D was talking about the inhalers themselves aggravating asthma itself, then it would have been a very close call between options D and E.

One is a supporter option and the other is a Defender assumption.

But that will not happen in the GMAT as the test-makers want to make the arguments air-tight and for that only one correct answer choice exists...


Hope this post helps...

What is the OA to the tea question you brought here?
IMO - B

E.

There are two questions in this post........


Both of them - E is the answer

confuse mind wrote:

[email protected] wrote:People always seem to associate high prices of products with high quality. But price is not necessarily an indicator of quality. The best teas are often no more expensive than the lower quality teas.

Which one of the following, if true, does most to explain the counterexample described above?

(A) Packaging and advertising triple the price of all teas

(B) Most people buy low-quality tea, thus keeping its price up

(C) All types of tea are subject to higher import tariffs

(D) Low-quality teas are generally easier to obtain than quality teas

(E) The price of tea generally does not vary from region to region.


I got lost between options D and E. Since causal assumption CRs are very similar to strengthen questions, I chose D. But D actually is out of scope because it is talking about deaths due to some other reasons and not Asthma. Hence we are left with option E.


Also the option E is something like a Defender assumption question.

Lets say if option D was talking about the inhalers themselves aggravating asthma itself, then it would have been a very close call between options D and E.

One is a supporter option and the other is a Defender assumption.

But that will not happen in the GMAT as the test-makers want to make the arguments air-tight and for that only one correct answer choice exists...


Hope this post helps...

What is the OA to the tea question you brought here?
IMO - B

(D) The use of bronchial inhalers aggravates other diseases that frequently occur
among asthma sufferers and that often lead to fatal outcomes even when the
asthma itself does not.

(E) Increased urban pollution, improved recording of asthma deaths, and the use of
bronchial inhalers are the only possible explanations of the increased death rate
due to asthma.

I am still confused between D & E. Our conclusion is "the cause of increased deaths is the use
of bronchial inhalers by asthma sufferers to relieve their symptoms". If 'E' is true, then there are different possible reasons behind the asthama. It doesn't strengthen conclusion. I think, E only repeats whatever said in argument. D tries to convince the conclusion. Why D is wrong answer?

Umesh,

Actually the question is to find out the assumption and not to strengthen. Considering the conclusion E affirms that only these 3 caused are assumed to form the conclusion.

umeshpatil wrote:(D) The use of bronchial inhalers aggravates other diseases that frequently occur
among asthma sufferers and that often lead to fatal outcomes even when the
asthma itself does not.

(E) Increased urban pollution, improved recording of asthma deaths, and the use of
bronchial inhalers are the only possible explanations of the increased death rate
due to asthma.

I am still confused between D & E. Our conclusion is "the cause of increased deaths is the use
of bronchial inhalers by asthma sufferers to relieve their symptoms". If 'E' is true, then there are different possible reasons behind the asthama. It doesn't strengthen conclusion. I think, E only repeats whatever said in argument. D tries to convince the conclusion. Why D is wrong answer?

+1 E

IMO: E