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help on this question

by rajeshb » Sat Oct 09, 2010 5:48 am
The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class letter delivery cost only three cents. Since then, the price has increased nearly tenfold, with an actual decrease in the speed and reliability of service.
Each of the following statements, if true, would tend to weaken the argument above EXCEPT:
(A) The volume of mail handled by the postal service has increased dramatically over the last forty years.
(B) Unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel for trucks and planes have put severe upward pressures on postal delivery costs.
(C) Private delivery services usually charge more than does the postal service for comparable delivery charges.
(D) The average delivery time for a first-class letter four decades ago was actually slightly longer than it is today.
(E) The average level of consumer prices overall has increased more than 300 percent over the last forty years.


Can anyone tell me what is the right choice
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by shovan85 » Sat Oct 09, 2010 6:17 am
Objective: Non weakening option to be found.

A) "Dramatic increase in volume" could be the reason for the mismanagement. (Weakens)

B) "Unprecedented increases in the cost" could be reason for slow delivery. (Weakens)

C) "Private company charges high" we can say out of context or this could be the reason most people favor Postal service so increase in volume and work can be the reason (Weaken/Out of context)

d) Does not weaken by saying delivery time now is less than earlier. Does not weaken.

E) This can be a reason for price increase so mismanagement.

IMO D
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by rajeshb » Sat Oct 09, 2010 10:07 am
Answer E is given as the answer choice
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by shovan85 » Sat Oct 09, 2010 10:19 am
rajeshb wrote:Answer E is given as the answer choice
I have a doubt on E being answer. Can you tell me where did u get this question?
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by diebeatsthegmat » Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:13 pm
shovan85 wrote:
rajeshb wrote:Answer E is given as the answer choice
I have a doubt on E being answer. Can you tell me where did u get this question?
E is actually the correct answer choice for this CR because its out of scope... because who cares of the level of consumer prices??
D cant be the answer since it said 4 decades ago the speed was worse than today... so saying today the speed is bad is not right, its actully increases or its actually faster!! so E weaken it
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by shovan85 » Sat Oct 09, 2010 10:07 pm
diebeatsthegmat wrote:
shovan85 wrote:
rajeshb wrote:Answer E is given as the answer choice
I have a doubt on E being answer. Can you tell me where did u get this question?
E is actually the correct answer choice for this CR because its out of scope... because who cares of the level of consumer prices??
D cant be the answer since it said 4 decades ago the speed was worse than today... so saying today the speed is bad is not right, its actully increases or its actually faster!! so E weaken it
It feels convincing now but can you please try elaborate little bit more on How D is wrong?
Now speed is better than past.
So the Argument is harmed right as it says badly mismanaged.
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by uwhusky » Sat Oct 09, 2010 10:48 pm
The argument can be rephrased as:

The postal service is badly mismanaged, because of decrease in the speed and reliability of service, while the price has been rising.

D says that the speed actually improved, and thus weakens the argument.
Yep.
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by diebeatsthegmat » Sun Oct 10, 2010 5:29 am
shovan85 wrote:
diebeatsthegmat wrote:
shovan85 wrote:
rajeshb wrote:Answer E is given as the answer choice
I have a doubt on E being answer. Can you tell me where did u get this question?
E is actually the correct answer choice for this CR because its out of scope... because who cares of the level of consumer prices??
D cant be the answer since it said 4 decades ago the speed was worse than today... so saying today the speed is bad is not right, its actully increases or its actually faster!! so E weaken it
It feels convincing now but can you please try elaborate little bit more on How D is wrong?
Now speed is better than past.
So the Argument is harmed right as it says badly mismanaged.
yeah, it weakens the argument. all we care here is the speed.
the CR concluded that increased cost harmed the speed, it decrease in the speed and of corse the rise in the speed now is compared to it was 40 years ago...
D says that 40 years ago the speed was slower....
so it weakens the CR saying that the speed today is slower than it was 40 years ago.
thus we eliminate it because we need option which is out of scope/not mentioned in the argument or strenthen the argument, so E correct....
i hope it better helps
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by shovan85 » Sun Oct 10, 2010 5:31 am
diebeatsthegmat wrote:
shovan85 wrote:
diebeatsthegmat wrote:
shovan85 wrote:
rajeshb wrote:Answer E is given as the answer choice
I have a doubt on E being answer. Can you tell me where did u get this question?
E is actually the correct answer choice for this CR because its out of scope... because who cares of the level of consumer prices??
D cant be the answer since it said 4 decades ago the speed was worse than today... so saying today the speed is bad is not right, its actully increases or its actually faster!! so E weaken it
It feels convincing now but can you please try elaborate little bit more on How D is wrong?
Now speed is better than past.
So the Argument is harmed right as it says badly mismanaged.
yeah, it weakens the argument. all we care here is the speed.
the CR concluded that increased cost harmed the speed, it decrease in the speed and of corse the rise in the speed now is compared to it was 40 years ago...
D says that 40 years ago the speed was slower....
so it weakens the CR saying that the speed today is slower than it was 40 years ago.
thus we eliminate it because we need option which is out of scope/not mentioned in the argument or strenthen the argument, so E correct....
i hope it better helps
Sorry guys I had forgotten the actual question ;) It EXCEPT kind of Question...
Apologies
All your reasoning makes sense now
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