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CR - need expert help

by voodoo_child » Sun Jul 01, 2012 3:17 pm
I need to understand the meaning of the following double -ve in the CR question : "So there is no reason not to try my herb juice."

Herbalist: Many of customers find that their physical coordination improves after drinking juice containing certain herbs. A few doctors assert that the herbs are potentially harmful, but doctors are always trying to maintain a monopoly over medical therapies. So there is no reason not to try my herb juice.

Does it mean that the herbalist believes that the herb juice must be tried?

Thanks
Voodoo
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by Kasia@EconomistGMAT » Mon Jul 02, 2012 1:24 am
There are two negative structures in this sentence which might be misleading.
The sentence means more or less "there isn't any argument that should stop you from trying..."
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by voodoo_child » Mon Jul 02, 2012 5:22 am
Kasia@MasterGMAT wrote:There are two negative structures in this sentence which might be misleading.
The sentence means more or less "there isn't any argument that should stop you from trying..."
Kasia - But that's just the restatement of what's the conclusion of the Herbalist. I am not sure what that means in "own words"

If I say that - I don't recommend that kids not watch football. Does it mean that I am recommending that kids watch football? That's what is confusing...help!!!
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by sandeep_thaparianz » Mon Jul 02, 2012 8:29 am
well i guess it means i am neutral towards kids watching football and NOT what u said
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by Mike@Magoosh » Mon Jul 02, 2012 8:59 am
voodoo_child wrote:Herbalist: Many of customers find that their physical coordination improves after drinking juice containing certain herbs. A few doctors assert that the herbs are potentially harmful, but doctors are always trying to maintain a monopoly over medical therapies. So there is no reason not to try my herb juice.

Does it mean that the herbalist believes that the herb juice must be tried?

Thanks
Voodoo
Voodoo_child
Yes, absolutely --- that last sentence (which I highlighted) is the slick salesman way of saying, essentially, "Hey, you! Put this herb juice into your body pronto!" Think about it this way. Suppose I hear that the herb juice might help me (sentence #1), but I here doctors are against it (first part of sentence #2). I may start making a mental pro/con list in my head about whether to try the herbal juice. Imagine two lists in my head --- (a) the reasons to try the herbal juice (sentence #1 would go in this column), and (b) the reasons not to try the herbal juice (the doctors' warning would go here).

What the herbalist salesman does in the second half of the first sentence is basically explain away the doctor's warning, saying that it's self-motivated and has no medical basis. He basically skewers that argument.

Then, in the last sentence, he tells us --- you know those two lists you have, (a) and (b)? It turns out, list (b) is empty --- it has no content. In other words, the list about "reasons not to try the herbal juice" is empty and without a single entry. In other words, there's no reason not to try the herbal juice.

Does all that make sense?

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by voodoo_child » Mon Jul 02, 2012 12:49 pm
Mike@Magoosh wrote:
voodoo_child wrote:Herbalist: Many of customers find that their physical coordination improves after drinking juice containing certain herbs. A few doctors assert that the herbs are potentially harmful, but doctors are always trying to maintain a monopoly over medical therapies. So there is no reason not to try my herb juice.

Does it mean that the herbalist believes that the herb juice must be tried?

Thanks
Voodoo
Voodoo_child
Yes, absolutely --- that last sentence (which I highlighted) is the slick salesman way of saying, essentially, "Hey, you! Put this herb juice into your body pronto!" Think about it this way. Suppose I hear that the herb juice might help me (sentence #1), but I here doctors are against it (first part of sentence #2). I may start making a mental pro/con list in my head about whether to try the herbal juice. Imagine two lists in my head --- (a) the reasons to try the herbal juice (sentence #1 would go in this column), and (b) the reasons not to try the herbal juice (the doctors' warning would go here).

What the herbalist salesman does in the second half of the first sentence is basically explain away the doctor's warning, saying that it's self-motivated and has no medical basis. He basically skewers that argument.

Then, in the last sentence, he tells us --- you know those two lists you have, (a) and (b)? It turns out, list (b) is empty --- it has no content. In other words, the list about "reasons not to try the herbal juice" is empty and without a single entry. In other words, there's no reason not to try the herbal juice.

Does all that make sense?

Mike :)
Thanks Mike. But this raises another question in my mind. For instance, if I say, I am not of the opinion that children shouldn't play football. Here we have "neutral" effect too. Essentially, I could be of NO opinion, or I could be supportive of children's playing football. However, I don't see such "neutral" expression in the juice example above. Correct?

Thoughts?
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