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Causation

Expert replies
by capnx » Mon Aug 17, 2009 3:05 pm
Reading skills among high school students in Gotham have been steadily declining, which can only be the result of overcrowding in the schools.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the statement above.

A) The high school system in Gotham succeeds in giving students a good education at considerably less cost than do most systems.
B) Several cities have found that overcrowding in schools is not always associated with lower reading scores.
C) Gotham schools have a greater teacher-to-student ratio tham most other school systems.
D) Students' reading skills have not declined in other cities where the high schools are just as crowded as those of Gotham.
E) Schools are not overcrowded in many cities where high school reading scores have declined more than they have in Gotham.

My question is if Y is result of X, does it mean X causes Y?
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Source: — Critical Reasoning |

by pandeyvineet24 » Mon Aug 17, 2009 3:16 pm
is it D.
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by sbasha » Mon Aug 17, 2009 3:21 pm
May be or May not be, (My question is if Y is result of X, does it mean X causes Y? - This one can be strictly viewed under the context of "ANSWERS")

Other way around, you can also prove that Y is not because of X but because of Z.
Regards

Syed Basha
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by capnx » Mon Aug 17, 2009 4:27 pm
thanks sbasha

OA to the question: E
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by sk8ternite » Mon Aug 17, 2009 6:38 pm
why is D wrong?
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by capnx » Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:26 pm
My initial choice was also D. That's why I came here to ask this, lol

Official explanations:

[spoiler](A) tries to make an excuse for Gotham schools.

(B & D) point to overcrowding without declining skills. Yet the author didn't say that overcrowding always leads to declines in skills, but rather that declines in skills are always a result of overcrowding. BE CAREFUL to keep the causal relation straight.

(C) strengthens the argument.

(E) renders doubtful the causal connection between overcrowding and declinding reading scores by pointing out a case in which skills have dclined, but there is no overcrowding. So an alternative explanation is possible.[/spoiler]
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by ket » Mon Aug 17, 2009 11:02 pm
Thanks capnx nice question.
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by kris77 » Sun May 15, 2016 3:24 pm
Answer D seems to be logical one out of other answer choices
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