Critical Reasoning

Exports of United States wood pulp will rise considerably during this year. The reason for the rise is that the falling value of the dollar will make it cheaper for paper manufacturers in Japan and Western Europe to buy American wood pulp than to get it from any other source.
Which of the following is an assumption made in drawing the conclusion above?
(A) Factory output of paper products in Japan and Western Europe will increase sharply during this year.
(B) The quality of the wood pulp produced in the United States would be adequate for the purposes of Japanese and Western European paper manufacturers.
(C) Paper manufacturers in Japan and Western Europe would prefer to use wood pulp produced in the United States if cost were not a factor.
(D) Demand for paper products made in Japan and Western Europe will not increase sharply during this year.
(E) Production of wood pulp by United States companies will not increase sharply during this year.

ketkoag wrote:Exports of United States wood pulp will rise considerably during this year. The reason for the rise is that the falling value of the dollar will make it cheaper for paper manufacturers in Japan and Western Europe to buy American wood pulp than to get it from any other source.
Which of the following is an assumption made in drawing the conclusion above?
(A) Factory output of paper products in Japan and Western Europe will increase sharply during this year.
(B) The quality of the wood pulp produced in the United States would be adequate for the purposes of Japanese and Western European paper manufacturers.
(C) Paper manufacturers in Japan and Western Europe would prefer to use wood pulp produced in the United States if cost were not a factor.
(D) Demand for paper products made in Japan and Western Europe will not increase sharply during this year.
(E) Production of wood pulp by United States companies will not increase sharply during this year.

I go with C.

Please the answer and will post my way of reaching the answer, if correct.

i would go for B

A. out of scope. doesnt affect US export of wood pulp to Japan and West Europe

B. correct IMO. negate: if the quality is not adequate for the manufacturers, inspite of the falling costs Japan and West Europe will not go for US wood pulp. argument falls apart-US export to japan and west Europe will be affected

C. the stimulus talks of falling US dollar, so obviously cost is a factor. what Japan and West Europe would do if cost were not a factor is besides the point

D. out of scope. doesnt affect US export of wood pulp

E. out of scope. doesnt affect US export of wood pulp

I would go with B.

Between B and C, I eliminated C because as per C folks in Japan and Europe would prefer U.S. pulp if cost were not a factor. This goes against the reasoning stated in the argument which states that the reason why the sale would rise is because it would be cheap for them to buy US pulp.

B give a good assumption by stating that the quality is good enough for Japanese and European paper manufacturers so. But if the quality was not good enough (Negating the assumption) then no matter what the price is, they wouldn't buy!!!

C.

C is proposing that if cost is not the factor E and J will prefer US' export.
Since price is less so they will prefer US's export. If there are certain other factors then this conclusion cannot be derived straight away.

ketkoag wrote:Exports of United States wood pulp will rise considerably during this year. The reason for the rise is that the falling value of the dollar will make it cheaper for paper manufacturers in Japan and Western Europe to buy American wood pulp than to get it from any other source.
Which of the following is an assumption made in drawing the conclusion above?
(A) Factory output of paper products in Japan and Western Europe will increase sharply during this year.
(B) The quality of the wood pulp produced in the United States would be adequate for the purposes of Japanese and Western European paper manufacturers.
(C) Paper manufacturers in Japan and Western Europe would prefer to use wood pulp produced in the United States if cost were not a factor.
(D) Demand for paper products made in Japan and Western Europe will not increase sharply during this year.
(E) Production of wood pulp by United States companies will not increase sharply during this year.

Please post the answer ketkoag.

OA is B

https://www.beatthegmat.com/wood-pulp-t21910.html#92305

Exports of United States wood pulp will rise considerably during this year. The reason for the rise is that the falling value of the dollar will make it cheaper for paper manufacturers in Japan and Western Europe to buy American wood pulp than to get it from any other source.
Which of the following is an assumption made in drawing the conclusion above?
(A) Factory output of paper products in Japan and Western Europe will increase sharply during this year.
(B) The quality of the wood pulp produced in the United States would be adequate for the purposes of Japanese and Western European paper manufacturers.
(C) Paper manufacturers in Japan and Western Europe would prefer to use wood pulp produced in the United States if cost were not a factor.
(D) Demand for paper products made in Japan and Western Europe will not increase sharply during this year.
(E) Production of wood pulp by United States companies will not increase sharply during this year.

situation:
1. dollar is falling in value
2. this makes the US a comparatively cheaper source of wood pulp for Japan and Europe.
3. Therefore US wood pulp export will rise.

A. keep
B. keep
C. keep
D. against conclusion
E. domestic. nothing to do with exports

C is the strongest of the three candidates. This ensures an increase regardless of demand (A), and is a stronger preference than just being adequate (B).

anshulseth wrote:OA is B

https://www.beatthegmat.com/wood-pulp-t21910.html#92305

OA: B

wow! this was a tricky one.

there are several reasons why C isn't the best answer (see links above), but for me, i think that the clincher is the fact that "if cost were not a factor" implies that they'll buy US pulp at all costs even though prices are sky high.
this directly renders the premise of the falling dollar useless.

i fell in to the logical trap when i incorrectly inferred C to mean the opposite, i.e. that they would always want to buy US pulp if it were cheap enough!

I'm going with B