Critical Reasoning

United Lumber will use trees from its forests for two products. The tree trunks will be used for lumber and the branches converted into wood chips to make fiberboard. The cost of this conversion would be the same whether done at the logging site, where the trees are debranched, or at United's factory. However, wood chips occupy less than half the volume of the branches from which they are made.

The information given, if accurate, most strongly supports which of the following?

(A) Converting the branches into wood chips at the logging site would require transporting a fully assembled wood-chipping machine to and from the site.
=> If fully assembled machine is not required, is there any change? No.
(B) It would be more economical to debranch the trees at the factory where the fiberboard is manufactured.

[b]=> How can it be economical? Is there any logic? We need more information to support this conclusion.[/b]

(C) The debranching of trees and the conversion of the branches into chips are the only stages in the processing of branches that it would be in United's economic advantage to perform at the logging site.

=> The use of the word "only" distorts the argument. It is extreme.

(D) Transportation costs from the logging site to the factory that are determined by volume of cargo would be lower if the conversion into chips is done at the logging site rather than at the factory.
=> BINGO.

(E) In the wood-processing industry, branches are used only for the production of wood chips for fiberboard.
=> Wood processing industry is not mentioned in the passage.

Step 1=> Prepare the graph on the basis of the information given in the passage.

United Lumber has the following tasks:
1. Tree trunks will be used for lumber
2. Branches will be converted into wood chips t make fiber board.
=>Cost of this conversion will be the same in both the logging side and in the factory side.
=> Chip occupies less than half the volume of branches from which chips are made.

Step2=> what can be concluded from this information?
Example:
We are converting 100 branches into wood chips.

If the 100 branches load 10 trucks, then chips made from these branches will load less than 5 trucks. It will save the cost of transportation of 5 trucks. So, conversion in logging side would be economically beneficial for the United Lumber.

Step3=> Look for the option that matches with your logic:
Option D just has phrased this concept.

Answer is D.


Experts, please evaluate my approach. if it is good, I will apply this for other CR's.

Thanks.

Please comment on my analysis.

64 viewed but nobody commented. It will egg me to explain.

Please comment.

gmat_perfect,

If you need an expert opinion only,you can ignore this.

You are doing analysis like this is an RC passage.This is perfect reasoning.However IMO this approach is time consuming.If you can able to reason with this approach within 1.45 mins,then it is good.

Paraphrasing the question means writing in simple words and it should not take much time.