Cancer Prevention

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Cancer Prevention

by parul9 » Sat Oct 01, 2011 10:14 pm
Eating beets significantly lowers the risk of cancer, according to an article in a nutritional magazine. The article refers to a study that found that people who consumed one or more beets per day were half as likely to be diagnosed with the disease as people who did not.

Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument in the magazine article?

A) Another study found that people who consumed one tablespoon of flax seed oil per day were more than four times less likely to be diagnosed with cancer as those who did not.
B) Participants in the study reported consuming no vegetables other than beets.
C) The study was only conducted in one city.
D) In another experiment, cancer patients who ate one or more beets per day were no more likely to recover than those who ate no beets.
E) The participants in the study who ate beets were more likely to exercise regularly than those who did not eat beets.

The answer given is E.
But I was not convinced by the explanation provided.
Can someone explain plz!
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

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by mankey » Sat Oct 01, 2011 10:53 pm
E should be the answer. Since this creates a doubt that exercise could well be a reason of lower cancer rate in beet eaters, and hence creates a doubt.

You dont have to think if exercise can really prevent a cancer but only see it in the context of the question.

Hope this helps.

Thanks
Mankey

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by mehrasa » Sun Oct 02, 2011 12:15 am
E is correct
the most important thing come to the mind is that maybe the people in the study did other things that help them to prevent cancer except eating beets that exactly choice E mention it... therefore, the eating beets can or can not be the factor preventing the cancer==> weaken the argument

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by HSPA » Sun Oct 02, 2011 1:54 am
Hi parul9.. this question type is the most asked in GMAT, do not get surprised if this type of question is your first in verbal section.
These are named 'causal' questions. Please refer to powerscore.
parul9 wrote:Eating beets significantly lowers the risk of cancer, according to an article in a nutritional magazine. The article refers to a study that found that people who consumed one or more beets per day were half as likely to be diagnosed with the disease as people who did not.

Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument in the magazine article?

A) Another study found that people who consumed one tablespoon of flax seed oil per day were more than four times less likely to be diagnosed with cancer as those who did not.
B) Participants in the study reported consuming no vegetables other than beets.
C) The study was only conducted in one city.
D) In another experiment, cancer patients who ate one or more beets per day were no more likely to recover than those who ate no beets.
E) The participants in the study who ate beets were more likely to exercise regularly than those who did not eat beets.

The answer given is E.
But I was not convinced by the explanation provided.
Can someone explain plz!
First take: 640 (50M, 27V) - RC needs 300% improvement
Second take: coming soon..
Regards,
HSPA.