CR ques from Economist[Strengthen type]

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CR ques from Economist[Strengthen type]

by AnuragRatna » Tue Aug 19, 2014 10:04 am
In a forest often visited by the residents of a small town bordering it, a plant was discovered that is believed to have been accidentally introduced by colonialists who tried to grow foreign vegetables in the area. The plant carries a potent neurotoxin, and upon digestion is capable of killing small to medium-sized animals. To cease the dwindling population of a small deer species that populates the forest, authorities are planning to erect explanatory signs at all the main entrances to the forest pleading to visitors to uproot and dispose of any such plants if identified.

Which of the following, if true, provides the most solid reason to expect that the authorities' plan will succeed?

A- A glass recycling project that was initiated by the authorities of the town had very successful results primarily because of the enthusiastic cooperation of the townspeople, who were offered small monetary incentives.

B- The elimination of the plants is imperative since the sap carrying the active neurotoxin that can be absorbed by the skin, oozes from picked leaves and results in cardiac symptoms, often fatal to humans.

C- The emblem of the town, a yellow and cobalt blue coat of arms, has in its center a stylized image of the deer species that inhabits the forest, and appears on municipal buildings, statues, and documents.

D- Continuing an age-old tradition started by the founders of the town, many townspeople engage in the breeding of dogs and can often be seen strolling the vicinity with two or three of their prized animals.

E- Mysterious to foreigners, the forest is a territory well-known to the townspeople, who as youths often wander through it, becoming familiar with the countless hidden paths leading into it.
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by Kamal2014 » Wed Sep 10, 2014 11:24 pm
AnuragRatna wrote:In a forest often visited by the residents of a small town bordering it, a plant was discovered that is believed to have been accidentally introduced by colonialists who tried to grow foreign vegetables in the area. The plant carries a potent neurotoxin, and upon digestion is capable of killing small to medium-sized animals. To cease the dwindling population of a small deer species that populates the forest, authorities are planning to erect explanatory signs at all the main entrances to the forest pleading to visitors to uproot and dispose of any such plants if identified.

Which of the following, if true, provides the most solid reason to expect that the authorities' plan will succeed?

A- A glass recycling project that was initiated by the authorities of the town had very successful results primarily because of the enthusiastic cooperation of the townspeople, who were offered small monetary incentives.

B- The elimination of the plants is imperative since the sap carrying the active neurotoxin that can be absorbed by the skin, oozes from picked leaves and results in cardiac symptoms, often fatal to humans.

C- The emblem of the town, a yellow and cobalt blue coat of arms, has in its center a stylized image of the deer species that inhabits the forest, and appears on municipal buildings, statues, and documents.

D- Continuing an age-old tradition started by the founders of the town, many townspeople engage in the breeding of dogs and can often be seen strolling the vicinity with two or three of their prized animals.

E- Mysterious to foreigners, the forest is a territory well-known to the townspeople, who as youths often wander through it, becoming familiar with the countless hidden paths leading into it.
Is OA E?

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by [email protected] » Thu Sep 11, 2014 9:57 pm
HI AnuragRatna,

The style of this CR question doesn't quite line up with what you'll see on the Official GMAT, but there's enough information that I think I know what the author of this prompt was logically going for.

Notice in the prompt that we're looking for a way to define why the plan will succeed - this is essentially a Strengthen question - so we need an answer that supports the author's logic.

The Facts:
-A forest is OFTEN VISITED BY RESIDENTS of a small town bordering it.
-A plant in this forest carries a neurotoxin that CAN KILL small-to-medium sized animals.

The Plan:
-To help protect the dwindling population of small deer, authorities will erect signs to the MAIN ENTRANCES of the forest pleading with VISITORS to uproot and dispose of any of these plants that the visitors comes across.

The Logic:
-For this plan to work, visitors have to go into the forest, read the signs and look for/uproot the plants. Since the forest is frequently visited by the residents of the town and there are main entrances, it seems likely that the first two steps of the plan would be a given. The third step is the crucial part though - we're likely looking for an answer that gives us a reason WHY the visitors would go to the trouble of uprooting the plants.

Answer D gives us a reason - beyond protecting the deer, the townspeople will also be protecting their prized pets.

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