Critical Reasoning

City Official: At City Hospital, uninsured patients tend to have shorter stays and fewer procedures performed than do insured patients, even though insured patients, on average, have slightly less serious medical problems at the time of admission to the hospital than uninsured patients have. Critics of the hospital have concluded that the uninsured patients are mot receiving proper medical care. However, this conclusion is almost certainly false. Careful investigation has recently shown two things: insured patients have much longer stays in the hospital than necessary, and they tend to have more procedures performed than are medically necessary.
In the city official’s argument, the two boldface portions play which of the following roles?
A. The first states the conclusion of the city official’s argument; the second provides support for that conclusion.
B. The first is used to support the conclusion of the city official’s argument; the second states that conclusion.
C. The first was used to support the conclusion drawn by hospital critics; the second states the position that the city official’s argument opposes.
D. The first was used to support the conclusion drawn by hospital critics; the second provides support for the conclusion of the city official’s argument.
E. The first states the position that the city official’s argument opposes; the second states the conclusion of the city official’s argument.

OA after few posts..

Critics of the hospital have concluded that the uninsured patients are mot receiving proper medical care.

This provides conclusion for Critics

this conclusion is almost certainly false

counter attacks the critic's conclusion and puts forward the position of the City Official

So answer is clearly D

the uninsured patients are mot receiving proper medical care

This is the conclusion of the hospital's critics.

this conclusion is almost certainly false

This is the conclusion of the city official.


A. The first states the conclusion of the city official’s argument; the second provides support for that conclusion. You can eliminate this after the first sentence because the first is the conclusion of the critics not the city official.


B. The first is used to support the conclusion of the city official’s argument; the second states that conclusion. Again you can eliminate this after the first sentence because the first is not used to support the city official's argument. The first is actually the critic's conclusion.


C. The first was used to support the conclusion drawn by hospital critics; the second states the position that the city official’s argument opposes. The second states the city official's argument, not the argument he opposes. Eliminate this.

D. The first was used to support the conclusion drawn by hospital critics; the second provides support for the conclusion of the city official’s argument. The first part is right, but the second certainly does not support the city official's argument because it IS the argument.


E. The first states the position that the city official’s argument opposes; the second states the conclusion of the city official’s argument. The first is the critic's conclusion and we know the city official opposes this position. Therefore, the first part of this is correct. The second part does in fact state the city official's argument. So this is correct too.

E it is

Ohh!!
yes answer has to be E. I missed out the bold part

E. The first states the position that the city official’s argument opposes; the second states the conclusion of the city official’s argument.

I missed the word opposes and look how dramatically I landed up with the wrong answer

Thanks for Pointing it out

ok, so 'this conclusion is almost certainly false.' means that this is city official's argument..coz 'certainly false' is mentioned in this, right??

"E" is the best one.

E it is

Thanks
Raama

Just one doubt how could 2nd boldface be the conclusion , shouldn't it be counter- premise (However)


Please clarify

boros2203 wrote:Just one doubt how could 2nd boldface be the conclusion , shouldn't it be counter- premise (However)


Please clarify

indeed however introduces a counter premises which is however Careful investigation has recently shown two things: insured patients have much longer stays in the hospital than necessary, and they tend to have more procedures performed than are medically necessary. and conclusion of this is that its almost certainly false.

hence E