Critical Reasoning

3). The interstitial nucleus, a sub-region of the brain's hypothalamus, is typically smaller for male cats than for female cats. A neurobiologist performed autopsies on male cats who died from disease X, a disease affecting no more than 0.5 percent of male cats, and found that these male cats had interstitial nuclei that were as large as those generally found in female cats. Thus, the size of the interstitial nucleus determines whether or not male cats can contract disease X, but, the hypothalamus is known not to be causally linked to disease Y, and disease X is a subtype of disease Y.

The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

(A) The first is a fact in support of the consideration that is one of two points of this argument; the second is the alternative point that weighs against the first.

(B) The first is an evidence that supports the consideration that the argument includes; the second is the fact that weighs against that consideration that could be drawn from the first.

(C) The first is a general principle that is against the conclusion; the second is that conclusion.

(D) The first is an evidence that supports the conclusion; the second is an exceptional example.

(E) The first is a fact in support of the conclusion that the argument depends on; the second is a fact that is against the first one.

[spoiler]I could narrow down to A and B then stuck :/
OA A[/spoiler]

bblast wrote:3). The interstitial nucleus, a sub-region of the brain's hypothalamus, is typically smaller for male cats than for female cats. A neurobiologist performed autopsies on male cats who died from disease X, a disease affecting no more than 0.5 percent of male cats, and found that these male cats had interstitial nuclei that were as large as those generally found in female cats. Thus, the size of the interstitial nucleus determines whether or not male cats can contract disease X, but, the hypothalamus is known not to be causally linked to disease Y, and disease X is a subtype of disease Y.

The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

(A) The first is a fact in support of the consideration that is one of two points of this argument; the second is the alternative point that weighs against the first.

(B) The first is an evidence that supports the consideration that the argument includes; the second is the fact that weighs against that consideration that could be drawn from the first.

(C) The first is a general principle that is against the conclusion; the second is that conclusion.

(D) The first is an evidence that supports the conclusion; the second is an exceptional example.

(E) The first is a fact in support of the conclusion that the argument depends on; the second is a fact that is against the first one.

[spoiler]I could narrow down to A and B then stuck :/
OA A[/spoiler]

I was between A and D, but then get rid of D as second was not example.

Not a very good question, IMHO: B is ambiguous, or at least tries to be so, by making it unclear what could be drawn from the first: the consideration, or the fact that weighs against it. I believe whoever wrote the question is trying to rule out B because the fact in the second BF portion cannot be drawn from the first, but the sentence structure does not really support this elimination.

Geva@MasterGMAT wrote:Not a very good question, IMHO: B is ambiguous, or at least tries to be so, by making it unclear what could be drawn from the first: the consideration, or the fact that weighs against it. I believe whoever wrote the question is trying to rule out B because the fact in the second BF portion cannot be drawn from the first, but the sentence structure does not really support this elimination.

Geva , I was between A and B.
I chose B because A says "the second is the alternative point that weighs against the first. "
whereas A is a point that contradicts the conclusion or consideration "Thus, the size of the interstitial nucleus determines whether or not male cats can contract disease X,"
I dont think the 2nd BF portion weighs against the 1st BF Portion.
The 1st BF portion talks about the Finding that the interstitial brains of the diseased cats were larger"
The 2nd BF Portion talks about the Fact that Hypothalamus /Size of Interstitial Brain has got nothing to do with the probability of getting struck with the Disease"
What do u think.To What extent is my reasoning Flawed.
bblast are these question from the Aristotle Compilation?

mundasingh123 wrote: Geva , I was between A and B.
I chose B because A says "the second is the alternative point that weighs against the first. "
whereas A is a point that contradicts the conclusion or consideration "Thus, the size of the interstitial nucleus determines whether or not male cats can contract disease X,"
I dont think the 2nd BF portion weighs against the 1st BF Portion.
The 1st BF portion talks about the Finding that the interstitial brains of the diseased cats were larger"
The 2nd BF Portion talks about the Fact that Hypothalamus /Size of Interstitial Brain has got nothing to do with the probability of getting struck with the Disease"
What do u think.To What extent is my reasoning Flawed.
bblast are these question from the Aristotle Compilation?

I agree that the second boldface does not weigh against the 1st portion, but rather weighs against the conclusion drawn from the first portion. If A is the right answer, I guess whoever wrote the question is once more playing on ambiguity of first what: first boldface or first point made. In this case, the 2nd boldface weighs against the first point, not the first boldface.

Again, not a very good question, IMHO. Can bblast post the explanation, if such exists?

Geva@MasterGMAT wrote:Not a very good question, IMHO: B is ambiguous, or at least tries to be so, by making it unclear what could be drawn from the first: the consideration, or the fact that weighs against it. I believe whoever wrote the question is trying to rule out B because the fact in the second BF portion cannot be drawn from the first, but the sentence structure does not really support this elimination.

Hi Geva,
Here is the explanation given at the blog :


3). The correct answer choice is A.
Conclusion --- "thus the size of interstitial...contract disease X"
B - incorrect -- from the second you cannot draw the first. 2nd statement is combination of two facts. From these two facts you can conclude that -- hypothalamus is not directly related to disease X
So not fact itself but conclusion derived from these facts weighs against that consideration
C - incorrect -- conclusion is "thus the size of interstitial...contract disease X" and not the 2nd.
D - incorrect -- 2nd is general and not exceptional.
E - incorrect -- 1st and 2nd are not contradictory to each other.

link to the blog

https://gmatcriticalreasoning.blogspot.c ... tions.html