Critical Reasoning

Many residents of Calovia are committed to using products containing recycled materials. Soon these consumers will get help in identifying such products from a book being published by the Calovian government. The book offers a comprehensive listing, by product type and brand, of goods sold in Calovia that contain recycled material. Therefore, publication of the book will almost certainly increase the use of products containing recycled materials in Calovia.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?

A. Proceeds from the sale of the book are not expected to exceed the cost of its publication.

B. For numerous types of products, there are many brands that use recycled materials, although their manufacturers and distributors do nothing to advertise those brands’ recycled content.

C. For many materials, such as plastics, the recycling process results in a lower grade of material with a correspondingly different range of uses.

D. For many types of products listed in the book, all the brands available in Calovia use recycled materials.

E. Many manufacturers of products that contain recycled materials vary the proportion of recycled materials in those products in response to changes in price and availability.

OA=B

Please explain.

By elimination I go with D. Remember we want to strengthen the Cause and Effect relationship

Conclusion : Publication of the book will almost certainly increase the use of products containing recycled materials in Calovia. Note the Cause (Publication of book) --> Effect (Increase the use of products containing recycled materials in Calovia)

A. No bearing on the cause and effect - ELIMINATE
B. Weakens the conclusion - ELIMINATE
C. I think this actually weakens the conclusion by providing an alternate cause that will result in higher 'range of use of recycled products - ELIMINATE'
D. If for many types of products listed in the book to be published, all the brands available in Calovia use recycled materials then it only strengthens the conclusion given the premises that (1)Many residents of Calovia are committed to using products containing recycled materials and (2) Soon these consumers will get help in identifying such products from a book being published by the Calovian government. CORRECT
E. Don't think this has any bearing on the conclusion - ELIMINATE

[email protected] wrote:Many residents of Calovia are committed to using products containing recycled materials. Soon these consumers will get help in identifying such products from a book being published by the Calovian government. The book offers a comprehensive listing, by product type and brand, of goods sold in Calovia that contain recycled material. Therefore, publication of the book will almost certainly increase the use of products containing recycled materials in Calovia.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?

A. Proceeds from the sale of the book are not expected to exceed the cost of its publication.

B. For numerous types of products, there are many brands that use recycled materials, although their manufacturers and distributors do nothing to advertise those brands’ recycled content.

C. For many materials, such as plastics, the recycling process results in a lower grade of material with a correspondingly different range of uses.

D. For many types of products listed in the book, all the brands available in Calovia use recycled materials.

E. Many manufacturers of products that contain recycled materials vary the proportion of recycled materials in those products in response to changes in price and availability.

OA=B

Please explain.

conclusion is that publication of book will "almost certainly" increase usage of products containing recycled material. This is an inductive argument, which means that the argument is incorporating claim that it is improbable that the conclusion be false given that the premises are true. The author uses the words "almost certainly" which brings in an element of probability. So in order to strengthen this argument we must look for more premises which make the claim the author is making less probable. We are looking for evidence that such a book completes the need of the consumers in Colavia to identify products that possess recycled content.


a- where the proceeds go is irrelevant.
c- irrelevant. we don't care about recycling process.
d - this is the red herring. sounds good because it relates the book. but whether or not all the brands in Colavia use recycled goods is neither here nor there. we are looking for evidence that strengthens the claim that the book will increase use of products that have recycled content.
e - price and availability, irrelevant.

B - best choice. it states that there are brands that use recycled products but their distributors don't mention it to consumers. That's the evidence we need. Because it substantiates a need the book of listings is aimed at.

You got this!

Gr8 explanation shahdevine - I totally missed the point of B

ogbeni wrote:Gr8 explanation shahdevine - I totally missed the point of B

anytime...let's kill this gmat.

Hi can any expert explain this one please?

[email protected] wrote:Many residents of Calovia are committed to using products containing recycled materials. Soon these consumers will get help in identifying such products from a book being published by the Calovian government. The book offers a comprehensive listing, by product type and brand, of goods sold in Calovia that contain recycled material. Therefore, publication of the book will almost certainly increase the use of products containing recycled materials in Calovia.

Residents of Calovia are already using products made from recycled materials...

Calovian Government is going to Publish a new book listing goods by product type , brand etc...

Hence it is expected that residents will increase use of products containing recycled materials.


Just ask yourself -

If people are already using the products then why is the government up to publishing a book listing product wise as well as by Brand ? And why is it expected to increase use of products containing recycled materials ?


Probably people aren't fully aware ....

Now lets go through the options.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?

A. Proceeds from the sale of the book are not expected to exceed the cost of its publication.

Irrelevant.

B. For numerous types of products, there are many brands that use recycled materials, although their manufacturers and distributors do nothing to advertise those brands� recycled content.

Seems good - Let's keep it aside and check for the other options..

C. For many materials, such as plastics, the recycling process results in a lower grade of material with a correspondingly different range of uses.

Weakens rather than strengthening the argument.

D. For many types of products listed in the book, all the brands available in Calovia use recycled materials.

We know it there is nothing new about it..

E. Many manufacturers of products that contain recycled materials vary the proportion of recycled materials in those products in response to changes in price and availability.

Irrelevant and out of scope....


Hence (B) IMO seems good...

Can't be D.
If all the brands available in Calovia use recycled materials, we don't need the book that offers a list of brands at all.