GMAT Set 1 Q3

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GMAT Set 1 Q3

by Abhijit K » Mon Mar 02, 2015 9:29 pm
A product that represents a clear technological advance over competing products can
generally command a high price. Because technological advances tend to be quickly
surpassed and companies want to make large profits while they still can, many
companies charge the greatest price the market will bear when they have such a product.
But large profits on the mew product will give competitors a strong incentive to
quickly match the mew product's capabilities. Consequently, the strategy to maximize
overall profit from a new product is to charge less than the greatest possible price.

In the argument above, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A. The first is an assumption that forms the basis for a course of action that the
argument criticizes; the second presents the course of action endorsed by the
argument.
B. The first is a consideration raised to explain the appeal of a certain strategy; the
second is a consideration raised to call into question the wisdom of adopting that
strategy.
C. The first is an assumption that has been used to justify a certain strategy; the
second is a consideration that is used to cast doubt on that assumption.
D. The first is a consideration raised in support of a strategy the argument endorses;
the second presents grounds in support of that consideration.
E. The first is a consideration raised to show that adopting a certain strategy is
unlikely to achieve the intended effect; the second is presented to explain the
appeal of that strategy.

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by GMATGuruNY » Tue Mar 03, 2015 7:13 am
Please be sure to highlight the BF portions in BOLDFACE:
Abhijit K wrote:A product that represents a clear technological advance over competing products can generally command a high price. Because technological advances tend to be quickly surpassed and companies want to make large profits while they still can, many companies charge the greatest price the market will bear when they have such a product. But large profits on the mew product will give competitors a strong incentive to quickly match the new product's capabilities. Consequently, the strategy to maximize overall profit from a new product is to charge less than the greatest possible price.

In the argument above, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A. The first is an assumption that forms the basis for a course of action that the
argument criticizes; the second presents the course of action endorsed by the
argument.
B. The first is a consideration raised to explain the appeal of a certain strategy; the
second is a consideration raised to call into question the wisdom of adopting that
strategy.
C. The first is an assumption that has been used to justify a certain strategy; the
second is a consideration that is used to cast doubt on that assumption.
D. The first is a consideration raised in support of a strategy the argument endorses;
the second presents grounds in support of that consideration.
E. The first is a consideration raised to show that adopting a certain strategy is
unlikely to achieve the intended effect; the second is presented to explain the
appeal of that strategy.
Strategy of the COMPANIES: To make large profits, many charge the maximum possible price.
BF1: Technological advances tend to be quickly surpassed.
BF1 is a PREMISE serving to support the strategy of the companies.

Conclusion of the PASSAGE: To maximize overall profit... charge less than the greatest possible price.
BF2: Large profits on the new product will give competitors a strong incentive to quickly match the new product's capabilities
BF2 is a PREMISE serving to explain why the companies' strategy is WRONG and why the conclusion of the passage -- that companies should charge LESS than the greatest possible price -- is RIGHT.

B: The first is a consideration raised to explain the appeal of a certain strategy; the second is a consideration raised to call into question the wisdom of adopting that strategy.
Correct:
BF1 is a consideration raised to explain why many companies charge the maximum possible price.
BF2 is a consideration raised to show why the companies' strategy is wrong.

The correct answer is B.
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by VivianKerr » Mon Mar 09, 2015 11:25 am
Just to add, I use a specific strategy especially for Boldface questions since they are such a unique CR question type. Here's how I'd suggest you approach this type of problem in the future:

Step 1 - Review Argument Structure

Arguments have a tendency to follow predictable patterns of organization and are always comprised of a conclusion, premise (or evidence), and assumptions. This is one of the core fundamentals in Critical Reasoning! If you need to practice identifying evidence, assumptions, and conclusions, it would be best to do that before attempting a ton of Bold Face questions.

Step 2 - Recognize the Question Stem

Bolded statement questions are the most easily recognizable Critical Reasoning question-type because have at least one and sometimes two bolded phrases or sentences. The question-stems usually take one of two forms:

"¢ In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
"¢ The first boldface statement has what relationship to the second boldface statement?

Step 3 - Use Symbols to Break Down the Argument

Since we don't have to summarize what the argument is actually saying, we only need to focus on the argument's structure. Identify whether each sentence or clause is a piece of evidence, a conclusion, or a stated assumption using these pre-determined set of symbols. They will help you move through the passage quickly and efficiently:

MC = Main Conclusion (the author's argument or position)

OC = Opposing Conclusion (an argument in opposition to the main conclusion)

F = Fact (basic given information, backstory, premise, etc.)

A = Stated Assumption (think of this as part of the passage that "links" given facts/evidence to stated conclusions)

E (+) MC = Evidence Supporting Main Conclusion (this is what the author cites to support his conclusion)

E (+) OC = Evidence Supporting Opposing Conclusion (this is evidence that is cited in support of the opposing conclusion; it undermines the author's conclusion and can also be expressed as E (-) MC).

Remember, not all of these will be present in every passage or in each answer choice! A passage may not even state its MC directly. It may simply be lingering unstated in the background. Ditto for the OC. Sometimes evidence will be given in support of an opposing viewpoint that is implied but never explicitly described.

Hope this helps! Even if these symbols don't speak to you, come up with your own set to describe the FUNCTION of each "chunk" of a CR. Every clause and sentence has a job to do! If you can see how all the pieces fit together, then it's easy to pick out the role of one bolded section. :-)

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by RBBmba@2014 » Tue Sep 20, 2016 4:15 am
Hi Verbal Experts,
Can you please let me know how C is wrong ? Why B is preferred to C ?