The higher the level of certain vitamins and minerals in the

This topic has expert replies
Moderator
Posts: 426
Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:48 pm
Followed by:1 members
The higher the level of certain vitamins and minerals in the bloodstream, the better a person's lung function, as measured by the amount of air the person can expel in one second. The lung function of smokers is significantly worse, on average, than that of nonsmokers. Clearly, therefore, one way for smokers to improve their lung function is for them to increase their intake of foods that are rich in these helpful vitamins and minerals. Which of the following is an assumption on which this argument depends?

A. Smokers are less likely than nonsmokers to have diets that are rich in vitamins and minerals.
B. The lung function of smokers whose diets are rich in those vitamins and minerals is generally better than that of nonsmokers with comparable diets.
C. People whose diets are deficient in those vitamins and minerals do not typically have other health problems in addition to diminished lung function.
D. Stopping smoking will not typically improve lung function more than any diet changes can.
E. Smoking does not introduce into the body chemicals that prevent the helpful vitamins and minerals from entering the bloodstream.

What's the best approach to determine the answer? Can any experts help?

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 228
Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2017 1:02 am
Location: Global
Thanked: 32 times
Followed by:3 members
GMAT Score:770

by elias.latour.apex » Mon Dec 11, 2017 5:14 pm
This question is a typical "gap" question requiring an assumption to bridge the gap.

What is the conclusion? Smokers should increase their intake of foods that are rich in these helpful vitamins and minerals.

Why? Because The higher the level of certain vitamins and minerals in the bloodstream, the better a person's lung function.

What new words can we find in the conclusion that are not mentioned in the premises? The premises talk about vitamins and minerals in the bloodstream whereas the conclusion talks about food intake. How can we bridge this gap? We must realize that the assumption is that by increasing the intake of foods that contain vitamins and minerals, those vitamins and minerals will somehow find their way into the bloodstream. The assumption must connect vitamins and minerals in food with the bloodstream. Since option (E) is the only one that mentions the bloodstream, it is our top candidate.

If you are not convinced that (E) is the best answer, you can always use the negation test. If (E) is false, and smoking does introduce chemicals into the bloodstream that prevent the vitamins and minerals in food from entering the bloodstream, then the argument is irreparably damaged.
Elias Latour
Verbal Specialist @ ApexGMAT
blog.apexgmat.com
+1 (646) 736-7622