OG 11 - diagnostic test Q 30

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OG 11 - diagnostic test Q 30

by montz » Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:03 am
A physically active lifestyle has been shown to help increase longevity. In the Wistar region of Bellaria, the average age at death is considerably higher than in any other part of the country. Wistar is the only mountainous part of Bellaria. A mountainous terrain makes even such basic activities as walking relatively strenuous; it essentially imposes a physically active lifestyle on people. Clearly, this circumstance explains the long lives of people in Wistar.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

A. In Bellaria all medical expenses are paid by the government, so that personal income does not affect the quality of health care a person receives.

B. The Wistar region is one of Bellaria's least populated regions.

C. Many people who live in the Wistar region have moved there in middle age or upon retirement.

D. The many opportunities for hiking, skiing, and other outdoor activities that Wistar's mountains offer make it a favorite destination for vacationing Bellarians.

E. Per capita spending on recreational activities is no higher in Wistar than it is in other regions of Bellaria.

OA is
C

Reasoning: "It is assumed here that the healthy lifestyle imposed by the terrain has shaped residents from birth and accounts for their longer life span. So, if many residents only moved there later in life, the argument is weakened."

I can't understand how this assumption can be made? It's not necessary that the longer life span is because the terrain shaped residents from childhood. Even those who moved there in middle age can benefit from the healthy lifestyle imposed by the terrain.

I feel A can be answer. All medical expenses are paid by the government so it's possible that people fall sick but since they can afford the treatment, they live longer.
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

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by madhur_ahuja » Wed Jul 01, 2009 9:44 am
it essentially imposes a physically active lifestyle on people. Clearly, this circumstance explains the long lives of people in Wistar.
The keyword here is lifestyle.
middle age or upon retirement.
These statements are enough to justify C. It is very improbable that a person would have effect on its longevity once he moves to terranious region after middle age or after retirement.
I feel A can be answer. All medical expenses are paid by the government so it's possible that people fall sick but since they can afford the treatment, they live longer.
It is nowhere written that people in other region are poor or cannot afford the treatment. Always think in the scope of the argument. Just outrightly reject any option which deviates from the scope.

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by Domnu » Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:29 pm
Also, how do you know that everywhere else in Bellaria, a similar medical plan isn't in effect?
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by montz » Thu Jul 02, 2009 6:46 am
Thanks madhur and domnu.

I have to align my thinking with GMAT CR even more :)

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Re: OG 11 - diagnostic test Q 30

by lunarpower » Fri Jul 03, 2009 10:09 pm
montz wrote:I feel A can be answer. All medical expenses are paid by the government so it's possible that people fall sick but since they can afford the treatment, they live longer.
nope.

remember, the passage deals with why people in the wistar region live longer.

choice (a) says that this condition is true throughout bellaria in general, not just in the wistar region.
therefore, if this condition leads to a prolonging of life spans, then it does so not only in wistar but also in the rest of bellaria as well. this means that the conspicuous difference between the lifespans of people in wistar and those of people in the rest of the country still has yet to be accounted for.

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for choice (c), it's not necessary to make any of those assumptions about "preparation from childhood".
all that's necessary is to note that the passage is concerned only with the age at death, not the total lifespan.
so, if people are moving to wistar when they're old in the first place, then that perforce eliminates all possibility of early death (since those people aren't there). this will artificially elevate the average age at death, for purely statistical (i.e., non lifestyle related) reasons.

if you don't understand this, pretend there's a town called sealand, florida, to which all residents move upon their 95th birthday.
if this is the case, then the average age at death of residents of sealand will be greater than 95 years... even though nothing is particularly special about the topography of sealand.
same deal here.
Ron has been teaching various standardized tests for 20 years.

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by micheal_kr » Sun May 15, 2016 10:53 pm
I would go with option C