Critical Reasoning

Economic data suggest that as per capita GDP increases, especially in underdeveloped countries, several types of infrastructure generally also improve, including transportation and sanitation. However, it is not necessarily true that as per capita GDP decreases, infrastructure becomes worse. Some experts theorize that this lack of a fully direct relationship stems from the fact that infrastructure improvements typically cost less to maintain than to create.

Which of the following can be properly inferred on the basis of the above statements?


(A) Countries that are not underdeveloped do not experience infrastructure improvements as per capita GDP increases.

(B) Increases in per capita GDP generally lead to infrastructure improvements, especially in underdeveloped countries.

(C) Decreases in per capita GDP sometimes do not cause infrastructure to deteriorate in quality.

(D) Increasing per capita GDP is the most effective way to improve transportation infrastructure in underdeveloped countries.

(E) Certain types of infrastructure do not improve in countries that do not experience increases in per capita GDP.

C

(A) Countries that are not underdeveloped do not experience infrastructure improvements as per capita GDP increases.
can't be concluded.

(B) Increases in per capita GDP generally lead to infrastructure improvements, especially in underdeveloped countries.
stated in the argument.keep it.

(C) Decreases in per capita GDP sometimes do not cause infrastructure to deteriorate in quality.
lets keep it.

(D) Increasing per capita GDP is the most effective way to improve transportation infrastructure in underdeveloped countries.
can't be concluded that it is the most effective way

(E) Certain types of infrastructure do not improve in countries that do not experience increases in per capita GDP.
can't be concluded that infrastructure will not grow if GDP doesn't increase.


b/w B& C.
B is stated in the argument - so it becomes a fact.
I suppose then C is the one which can be inferred.

OA plZ
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karthikpandian19 wrote:Economic data suggest that as per capita GDP increases, especially in underdeveloped countries, several types of infrastructure generally also improve, including transportation and sanitation. However, it is not necessarily true that as per capita GDP decreases, infrastructure becomes worse. Some experts theorize that this lack of a fully direct relationship stems from the fact that infrastructure improvements typically cost less to maintain than to create.

Which of the following can be properly inferred on the basis of the above statements?

(A) Countries that are not underdeveloped do not experience infrastructure improvements as per capita GDP increases.
There is nothing in the passage that suggests this. Those countries may or may not experience infrastructure improvements as per capita GDP increases. NO.

(B) Increases in per capita GDP generally lead to infrastructure improvements, especially in underdeveloped countries.
We are told that there is a "correlation" between the increase in GDP and infrastructure improvement. There is nothing in the para that suggests that increases lead to (read CAUSE) the infrastructure improvements. NO.


(C) Decreases in per capita GDP sometimes do not cause infrastructure to deteriorate in quality.
We are told that decreases in per capita GDP are not necessarily "correlated" to infrastructure decline. Even if there was a causal link, the evidence suggests that decrease per capita GDP and decrease in infrastructure quality are not related sometimes. Hence at least in some cases, GDP decreases do not "cause" infrastructure to deteriorate. CORRECT.

(D) Increasing per capita GDP is the most effective way to improve transportation infrastructure in underdeveloped countries.
This is out of scope. No.

(E) Certain types of infrastructure do not improve in countries that do not experience increases in per capita GDP.
We do know that certain types of infrastructure improve with increase in GDP. This is too extreme of a stretch to be inferred. Presence of one does not negate the other. No.

Hence C should be the correct answer.

Let me know if this helps

OA is C

This question asks us to make an inference based on information provided in the argument. Remember that inferences must be true based on the information provided and cannot rely on outside information or unstated assumptions.

Choice C is correct. The statements explicitly state that it is not necessarily true that as per capita GDP decreases, infrastructure becomes worse. Therefore, it must be true that decreases in per capita GDP "sometimes do not cause infrastructure to deteriorate in quality."

Choice A cannot be inferred from the statements given. Although we know that infrastructure improves as per capita GDP increases, especially in underdeveloped countries, we do not know that this relationship exists only in underdeveloped countries. In other words, the same effects might also exist in fully developed countries.

Choice B is very tempting, but it cannot be inferred from the statements. Choice B implies that there is a causal relationship between per capita GDP and infrastructure improvements-that increases in per capita GDP generally lead to infrastructure improvements. However, the statements only demonstrate a correlation between per capita GDP and infrastructure improvements-that infrastructure generally improves as per capita GDP increases. In other words, it could be that infrastructure improvements come first and actually provide the platform for a country to develop industry and increase its per capita GDP.

Choice D cannot be inferred from the statements. As discussed above, the statements do not imply that increasing per capita GDP actually causes infrastructure improvements, much less that increasing per capita GDP is the most effective way to improve infrastructure.

Choice E cannot be inferred from the statements. The statements tell us two relevant things: first, that infrastructure generally improves as per capita GDP increases, and second, that infrastructure does not necessarily get worse as per capita GDP decreases. We cannot infer that infrastructure does not improve when per capita GDP does not increase, because "does not increase" includes the possibility of remaining constant; a situation the statements do not address. Furthermore, the fact that infrastructure generally improves as per capita GDP increases does not imply that infrastructure can only improve if per capita GDP increases. Infrastructure might also improve in other situations, including those in which per capita GDP does not increase.

Choice C is correct.

karthikpandian19 wrote:Economic data suggest that as per capita GDP increases, especially in underdeveloped countries, several types of infrastructure generally also improve, including transportation and sanitation. However, it is not necessarily true that as per capita GDP decreases, infrastructure becomes worse. Some experts theorize that this lack of a fully direct relationship stems from the fact that infrastructure improvements typically cost less to maintain than to create.

Which of the following can be properly inferred on the basis of the above statements?


(A) Countries that are not underdeveloped do not experience infrastructure improvements as per capita GDP increases.

(B) Increases in per capita GDP generally lead to infrastructure improvements, especially in underdeveloped countries.

(C) Decreases in per capita GDP sometimes do not cause infrastructure to deteriorate in quality.

(D) Increasing per capita GDP is the most effective way to improve transportation infrastructure in underdeveloped countries.

(E) Certain types of infrastructure do not improve in countries that do not experience increases in per capita GDP.