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Tough Critical reasoning

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kashefian Rising GMAT Star
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Tough Critical reasoning Post Sun Nov 07, 2010 11:14 pm
Elapsed Time: 00:00
  • Lap #[LAPCOUNT] ([LAPTIME])
    Please break your time for answering the following question and report it.
    It took me 55 seconds to read the question and 2 minutes to read and evaluate the answer choices and select the best answer. I am really confused. In the real test one would have only 110 seconds per question so how would one manage to complete the questions on time?

    OG12/ 51: One variety of partially biodegradable plastic beverage container is manufactured from small bits of plastic bound together by a degradable bonding agent such as cornstarch. Since only the bonding agent degrades, leaving the small bits of plastic, no less plastic refuse per container is produced when such containers are discarded than when comparable nonbiodegradable containers are discarded.

    Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument above?

    (A) Both partially biodegradable and nonbiodegradable
    plastic beverage containers
    can be crushed completely flat by refuse
    compactors.
    (B) The partially biodegradable plastic beverage
    containers are made with more plastic than
    comparable nonbiodegradable ones in order to
    compensate for the weakening effect of the
    bonding agents.
    (C) Many consumers are ecology-minded and
    prefer to buy a product sold in the partially
    biodegradable plastic beverage containers
    rather than in nonbiodegradable containers,
    even if the price is higher.
    (D) The manufacturing process for the partially
    biodegradable plastic beverage containers
    results in less plastic waste than the
    manufacturing process for nonbiodegradable
    plastic beverage containers.
    (E) Technological problems with recycling currently
    prevent the reuse as food or beverage
    containers of the plastic from either type of
    plastic beverage container.

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    kushal.adhia Rising GMAT Star Default Avatar
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    Post Sun Nov 07, 2010 11:49 pm
    Hi

    IMO the answer is B.

    A is irrelevant.
    The price does not matter in C.
    The manufacturing process is out of scope in D
    Technological problems with recycling are again out of scope in E.


    I feel that the only way out would be to practice, practice and practice some more. As you go thru the ACs keep knocking off choices that are extreme, irrelevant or out of scope. Keep thinking about the impact of the particular AC on the question.

    Also, read the question first and then go on to the passage. This way you know whether the question is gonna be a strengthen, weaken, inference question or anything else and makes it a lot easier for u...


    Hope this helps...

    Kushal

    kushal.adhia Rising GMAT Star Default Avatar
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    Post Mon Nov 08, 2010 12:14 am
    If ur interested, check out this presentation. It may help you with CR..

    http://www.beatthegmat.com/critical-reasoning-strategy-powerpoint-t60.html

    Kushal

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    Post Sun Nov 14, 2010 6:59 am
    kashefian wrote:
    Please break your time for answering the following question and report it.
    It took me 55 seconds to read the question and 2 minutes to read and evaluate the answer choices and select the best answer. I am really confused. In the real test one would have only 110 seconds per question so how would one manage to complete the questions on time?

    OG12/ 51: One variety of partially biodegradable plastic beverage container is manufactured from small bits of plastic bound together by a degradable bonding agent such as cornstarch. Since only the bonding agent degrades, leaving the small bits of plastic, no less plastic refuse per container is produced when such containers are discarded than when comparable nonbiodegradable containers are discarded.

    Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument above?

    (A) Both partially biodegradable and nonbiodegradable
    plastic beverage containers
    can be crushed completely flat by refuse
    compactors.
    (B) The partially biodegradable plastic beverage
    containers are made with more plastic than
    comparable nonbiodegradable ones in order to
    compensate for the weakening effect of the
    bonding agents.
    (C) Many consumers are ecology-minded and
    prefer to buy a product sold in the partially
    biodegradable plastic beverage containers
    rather than in nonbiodegradable containers,
    even if the price is higher.
    (D) The manufacturing process for the partially
    biodegradable plastic beverage containers
    results in less plastic waste than the
    manufacturing process for nonbiodegradable
    plastic beverage containers.
    (E) Technological problems with recycling currently
    prevent the reuse as food or beverage
    containers of the plastic from either type of
    plastic beverage container.
    who said you need to get all questions correct to get a good score..

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    Geva@MasterGMAT GMAT Instructor
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    Post Sun Nov 14, 2010 7:17 am
    took me approx. 50 sec to read the question stem, another 15 secs to evaluate and come up with my own prediction of what the right answer should do, followed by 50 sec of quickly eliminating those answer choices which do not fit my prediction.

    The key for CR is exactly that middle step - come up with your own definition of what the right answer should do, so that you can:

    1) Quickly eliminate irrelevant answer choices.
    2) stand a chance to spot the right answer choice which "sort of does what you need it to do", even if it doesn;t match your prediction to the letter.

    in this case, my definition was "need an answer choice that strengthens the notion that the plastic is crap - it produces the same amount of plastic waste as a regular non-biodegradable container, despite (maybe even because of?) all the fancy glue."

    With this in mind, you can immediately discard answer choices A (the fact that it can be crushed doesn't say it's crap, or even say anything about the amount of plastic refuse it creates - just the volume of plastic.).
    B goes in the right vain (our plastic uses more plastic than the regular one because of the glue - it's crap, i tell you!), so afterward I already look at C, D E with a critical eye - they have to be spectacular for me to deviate away from something that fits my prediction.
    C ecology minded consumers do not matter for this argument.
    D actually explains why we want to use the crap process - it produces less waste during the manufacturing. This is the opposite of what I'm looking for.
    E "cannot reuse" bears nothing on the amount of plastic waste created, which is the focus of the argument.


    kashefian wrote:
    Please break your time for answering the following question and report it.
    It took me 55 seconds to read the question and 2 minutes to read and evaluate the answer choices and select the best answer. I am really confused. In the real test one would have only 110 seconds per question so how would one manage to complete the questions on time?

    OG12/ 51: One variety of partially biodegradable plastic beverage container is manufactured from small bits of plastic bound together by a degradable bonding agent such as cornstarch. Since only the bonding agent degrades, leaving the small bits of plastic, no less plastic refuse per container is produced when such containers are discarded than when comparable nonbiodegradable containers are discarded.

    Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument above?

    (A) Both partially biodegradable and nonbiodegradable
    plastic beverage containers
    can be crushed completely flat by refuse
    compactors.
    (B) The partially biodegradable plastic beverage
    containers are made with more plastic than
    comparable nonbiodegradable ones in order to
    compensate for the weakening effect of the
    bonding agents.
    (C) Many consumers are ecology-minded and
    prefer to buy a product sold in the partially
    biodegradable plastic beverage containers
    rather than in nonbiodegradable containers,
    even if the price is higher.
    (D) The manufacturing process for the partially
    biodegradable plastic beverage containers
    results in less plastic waste than the
    manufacturing process for nonbiodegradable
    plastic beverage containers.
    (E) Technological problems with recycling currently
    prevent the reuse as food or beverage
    containers of the plastic from either type of
    plastic beverage container.

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    thulsy Rising GMAT Star Default Avatar
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    Post Wed Jun 13, 2012 3:02 pm
    Nice explanation by Geva!

    Just to share my ways to attack the problem and open to discussion. I took 115 sec on this question.

    So the conclusion is:
    regarding plastic refuse when discarded: partially-degradable >= non-degradable

    hmm.. intuitively, I would expect partially-degradable one to be better (<), why it is >= ?

    There has to be something bad about partially-degradable one!

    Analogy: student A studies more than student B, but student A's score is lower than B. Why? There has to be sth bad about student A (or sth good about student B) that can offset this discrepancy in study time.

    Therefore, I know I'm going to search for choices that say sth bad about partially-degradable ones.

    Choice (A), "both" - eliminate right away!
    Choice (B) looks good.
    Choice (C), "many consumers" - that's out of scope
    Choice (D), I ruled out this one because it says sth GOOD about partially-degradable ones - but I want sth BAD about them. In the OG explanation, it says "manufacturing processes" is out-of-scope. So I should have taken less time in eliminating this one by just noticing the subject is irrelevant.
    Choice (E), "either type" - that's not I want! I want sth bad that is UNIQUE to partially-degradable ones.

    I think the theme of "similarity vs. difference" comes at play in this question. As far as I know I'm looking for an answer choice showing the difference (specifically, sth bad about partially-degradable ones), I can rule out choices showing similarities right away.

    Gaurav 2013-fall Really wants to Beat The GMAT! Default Avatar
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    Post Mon Jun 18, 2012 9:32 am
    easy question, while reading the question I got the answer in my mind.

    Thanks for posting!
    Time taken: 1 minute 10 seconds.

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    vinodsundaram Rising GMAT Star Default Avatar
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    Post Thu Sep 27, 2012 4:02 am
    "leaving the small bits of plastic, no less plastic refuse per container is produced when such containers are discarded than when comparable non biodegradable containers are discarded. "

    No less means atleast as equal
    partial degradable >= non biodegradable

    say 100gm for non biodegradable material yields 100 gm of plastics.

    Strength: if partially biodegradable yields <100 gms, then it makes sense to use non bio material

    But the arg says partial bio degradable uses >=100 gms

    B supports this argument.
    say 110 gms of plastic is used with 10 gm of bonding agent.. which will still yield 110>=100gms of plastic.

    Sapana Rising GMAT Star
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    Post Wed Jan 09, 2013 2:58 pm
    I have a question regarding this question. Since it is a strengthen question, I believe, we need a conclusion. however, the I dont see any conclusion in the stimulus. I see facts facts and facts.. what are we strengthening after all??
    That partially degradable plastics are no good either.. If this is the conclusion, then should it be written in the stimulus..

    I am confused!!

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