fisherman

This topic has expert replies
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1309
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:41 pm
Thanked: 33 times
Followed by:5 members

fisherman

by pradeepkaushal9518 » Mon Apr 12, 2010 2:40 am
Samuel is obviously a bad fisherman. During the past season, in which he and the five members of his team spent four months on a boat together off Dutch Harbor, AK, he caught fewer fish than any of his teammates.
Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument above?
A) Two seasons ago, Samuel fished on another boat off Dutch Harbor and caught more fish than any other member of that boat.
B) Before becoming a fisherman, Samuel piloted a fishing boat whose members regularly caught record numbers of fish.
C) While fishing this past season, Samuel fell sick for a week and did not catch any fish during this time.
D) Unlike the other fishermen on his boat, at the order of the captain, Samuel fished this past season with experimental bait.
E) Amongst the fishing community in Dutch Harbor, Samuel has a reputation for being an especially bad fisherman.

answer and explain
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1560
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 2:38 am
Thanked: 137 times
Followed by:5 members

by thephoenix » Mon Apr 12, 2010 2:50 am
imo d

Legendary Member
Posts: 576
Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2010 8:31 pm
Thanked: 97 times
Followed by:1 members

by liferocks » Mon Apr 12, 2010 3:01 am
+1 for D
what is the OA

Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 1:07 am

by gmat.cracker24 » Mon Apr 12, 2010 3:04 am
IMO (D)
A: Two seasons ago.. is irrelevant
B:Before becoming fisher man...irrelevant
C:though weakens but not that stronglt as he was sick for one only...
D:it does weakens
E:it kind of strengthens ..

Please post OA

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1309
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:41 pm
Thanked: 33 times
Followed by:5 members

by pradeepkaushal9518 » Mon Apr 12, 2010 3:43 am
oa is d only

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 43
Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2010 4:32 am
Thanked: 1 times

by deepesh.gupta » Mon Apr 12, 2010 8:41 am
not clear to me why D and not C is the right answer. Becuase if we say that Samuel was sick for only a week which is not signigicant then in choice D we can argue if he was not getting good catch then why he and the captian continue using the wrong bait for four months. Can somebody explain?
gmat.cracker24 wrote:IMO (D)
A: Two seasons ago.. is irrelevant
B:Before becoming fisher man...irrelevant
C:though weakens but not that stronglt as he was sick for one only...
D:it does weakens
E:it kind of strengthens ..

Please post OA

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 305
Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2009 5:38 am
Thanked: 10 times

by Shawshank » Mon Apr 12, 2010 8:54 am
deepesh.gupta wrote:not clear to me why D and not C is the right answer. Becuase if we say that Samuel was sick for only a week which is not signigicant then in choice D we can argue if he was not getting good catch then why he and the captian continue using the wrong bait for four months. Can somebody explain?
gmat.cracker24 wrote:IMO (D)
A: Two seasons ago.. is irrelevant
B:Before becoming fisher man...irrelevant
C:though weakens but not that stronglt as he was sick for one only...
D:it does weakens
E:it kind of strengthens ..

Please post OA
Though C and D both Weaken the argument.
C does not have any point to show tht the other fisherman were not tht good as compared to Samuel.
D gives a reason for Samuals poor fishing while also states why the otehrs were able to fish better.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Shawshank Redemtion -- Hope is still alive ...

Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 6:08 pm

by ironstar37 » Mon Apr 12, 2010 12:23 pm
IMO (D) weakens the argument the most.

(C) does as well, but only for 1 week.

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 148
Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2009 11:06 pm
Thanked: 7 times

by pops » Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:36 am
I really liked this question a lot... there are 2 choices which weakens.. one less and the other more !

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 613
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:17 am
Location: madrid
Thanked: 171 times
Followed by:64 members
GMAT Score:790

by kevincanspain » Tue Apr 13, 2010 6:18 am
deepesh.gupta wrote:not clear to me why D and not C is the right answer. Becuase if we say that Samuel was sick for only a week which is not signigicant then in choice D we can argue if he was not getting good catch then why he and the captian continue using the wrong bait for four months. Can somebody explain?
gmat.cracker24 wrote:IMO (D)
A: Two seasons ago.. is irrelevant
B:Before becoming fisher man...irrelevant
C:though weakens but not that stronglt as he was sick for one only...
D:it does weakens
E:it kind of strengthens ..

Please post OA
Criticize the capitan if you must, but D states that Sam fished this past season with experimental bait. The trouble with is that you are assuming that the others were not sick for at least one week
Kevin Armstrong
GMAT Instructor
Gmatclasses
Madrid