Critical Reasoning

Defense Department analysts worry that the ability of the United States to wage a prolonged war would be seriously endangered if the machine-tool manufacturing base shrinks further. Before the Defense Department publicly connected this security issue with the import quota issue, however, the machine-tool industry raised the national security issue in its petition for import quotas.

Which of the following, if true, contributes most to an explanation of the machine-tool industry's raising the issue above regarding national security?
(A) When the aircraft industries retooled, they provided a large amount of work for tool builders.
(B) The Defense Department is only marginally concerned with the effects of foreign competition on the machine-tool industry.
(C) The machine-tool industry encountered difficulty in obtaining governmental protection against imports on grounds other than defense.
(D) A few weapons important for defense consist of parts that do not require extensive machining.
(E) Several federal government programs have been designed which will enable domestic machine-tool manufacturing firms to compete successfully with foreign toolmakers.



OA will be posted soon.

I think 2 close choice come are C and E. Others have plenty of issue IMO to be bad choices. But if E is true, then there is no point companies will cry against import. So I will vote for C,

Thanks maihuna for a quick reply , well the same thing i did too , left with E and C . Let some more replies pitch in , i will post the OA .

OA : C

https://www.beatthegmat.com/dd-machine-tool-t17753.html

AIM GMAT wrote:Defense Department analysts worry that the ability of the United States to wage a prolonged war would be seriously endangered if the machine-tool manufacturing base shrinks further. Before the Defense Department publicly connected this security issue with the import quota issue, however, the machine-tool industry raised the national security issue in its petition for import quotas.

Which of the following, if true, contributes most to an explanation of the machine-tool industry's raising the issue above regarding national security?
(A) When the aircraft industries retooled, they provided a large amount of work for tool builders.
(B) The Defense Department is only marginally concerned with the effects of foreign competition on the machine-tool industry.
(C) The machine-tool industry encountered difficulty in obtaining governmental protection against imports on grounds other than defense.
(D) A few weapons important for defense consist of parts that do not require extensive machining.
(E) Several federal government programs have been designed which will enable domestic machine-tool manufacturing firms to compete successfully with foreign toolmakers.



OA will be posted soon.

Pesfunk i had already refffered to the link , but still the explanation for the correct answer was not clear . I am still hazy for the reasoning .

My interpretation :- Machine tool inductry is having no other way to illude the government other than defence .So to gain the government protection its the only way and hence C is the correct answer .

PLease guys correct me if i m wrong.I didnt get this question at the first attempt . I am still learning .

This is an Explain question. We need to offer a motivation for the machine-tool industry to argue that it does need import quotas, and further that national defense is a good reason. Any answer choice that doesn't speak to why the machine-tool industry asked for help is out.

(A), (B), and (D) don't address this issue at all. Some are tempted by (E), because it is definitely in-scope with respect to the import quota issue. Be careful, though! This is exactly the kind of choice that traps test-takers who are thinking with their economist/business mind, and not with their logical/CR mind. Critical Reasoning is never testing your business acumen -- it's testing your logical skills! Choice (E) is actually an Opposite: It explains that the machine-tool industry may not even need these quotas since there are already policies in place that are beneficial to the domestic manufacturers.

(C) says that the machine-tool industry has been unsuccessful in the past in getting import quotas passed, which explains why they still need them. Furthermore, (C) implies that the national-defense argument is the only argument that may yet work, which explains why they have appealed to this issue. By explaining both parts of the situation above, it is a perfect answer for an Explain question.

Hope that helps!

thank you for your explanation Adam! Much appreciated!

Thanks Adam for the explanation , the question actually tricked me .