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Manhattan CR: In response to the increasing cost...

by The Jock » Sat Sep 04, 2010 6:39 pm
CR question source: Manhattan CAT Exam

In response to the increasing cost of producing energy through traditional means, such as combustion, many utility companies have begun investing in renewable energy sources, chiefly wind and solar power, hoping someday to rely on them completely and thus lower energy costs. The utility companies claim that although these sources require significant initial capital investment, they will provide stable energy supplies at low cost. As a result, these sources will be less risky for the utilities than nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil, and coal, whose prices can fluctuate dramatically according to availability.

The claim of the utility companies presupposes which of the following?

a. The public will embrace the development of wind and solar power.
b. No new deposits of gas, oil, and coal will be discovered in the near future.
c. Weather patterns are consistent and predictable.
d. The necessary technology for conversion to wind and solar power is not more expensive than the technology needed to create energy through combustion.
e. Obtaining energy from nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil and coal, cannot be made less risky.

My view: The conclusion in this sentence says that wind and solar energy sources will be less risky for the utilities than nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil, and coal, whose prices can fluctuate dramatically according to availability. Now when we explore that options you find option D and E related to conclusion language. I chose E, which is off-course wrong.
Can anybody please enlighten me how to get the right answer in this CR.
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by RyanDark » Sat Sep 04, 2010 8:55 pm
IMO D.
I feel E is wrong because ,the argument says that nonrenewable sources are risky because of the prices vary based on their availability.Since these are natural resources, there is no way for companies to increase the availability and thus stable the price and in turn reduce the risk.
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by The Jock » Sat Sep 04, 2010 10:25 pm
I am sorry RyanDark, the answer is different, it is not from D or E.
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by diebeatsthegmat » Sat Sep 04, 2010 11:28 pm
The Jock wrote:CR question source: Manhattan CAT Exam

In response to the increasing cost of producing energy through traditional means, such as combustion, many utility companies have begun investing in renewable energy sources, chiefly wind and solar power, hoping someday to rely on them completely and thus lower energy costs. The utility companies claim that although these sources require significant initial capital investment, they will provide stable energy supplies at low cost. As a result, these sources will be less risky for the utilities than nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil, and coal, whose prices can fluctuate dramatically according to availability.

The claim of the utility companies presupposes which of the following?

a. The public will embrace the development of wind and solar power.
b. No new deposits of gas, oil, and coal will be discovered in the near future.
c. Weather patterns are consistent and predictable.
d. The necessary technology for conversion to wind and solar power is not more expensive than the technology needed to create energy through combustion.
e. Obtaining energy from nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil and coal, cannot be made less risky.

My view: The conclusion in this sentence says that wind and solar energy sources will be less risky for the utilities than nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil, and coal, whose prices can fluctuate dramatically according to availability. Now when we explore that options you find option D and E related to conclusion language. I chose E, which is off-course wrong.
Can anybody please enlighten me how to get the right answer in this CR.
answer should be around B and C
i will choose C for this CR
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by scorpionz » Sun Sep 05, 2010 3:47 am
The Jock wrote:CR question source: Manhattan CAT Exam

In response to the increasing cost of producing energy through traditional means, such as combustion, many utility companies have begun investing in renewable energy sources, chiefly wind and solar power, hoping someday to rely on them completely and thus lower energy costs. The utility companies claim that although these sources require significant initial capital investment, they will provide stable energy supplies at low cost. As a result, these sources will be less risky for the utilities than nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil, and coal, whose prices can fluctuate dramatically according to availability.

The claim of the utility companies presupposes which of the following?

a. The public will embrace the development of wind and solar power.
b. No new deposits of gas, oil, and coal will be discovered in the near future.
c. Weather patterns are consistent and predictable.
d. The necessary technology for conversion to wind and solar power is not more expensive than the technology needed to create energy through combustion.
e. Obtaining energy from nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil and coal, cannot be made less risky.

My view: The conclusion in this sentence says that wind and solar energy sources will be less risky for the utilities than nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil, and coal, whose prices can fluctuate dramatically according to availability. Now when we explore that options you find option D and E related to conclusion language. I chose E, which is off-course wrong.
Can anybody please enlighten me how to get the right answer in this CR.
IMO: C

The main problem that the utility companies have with conventional sources as per the argument is the fluctuating availability and consequently the fluctuating prices. If the companies are looking to switch to renewable sources, mainly wind & solar, despite knowing that the initial investment is going to be very high, it clearly indicates that the companies feel that these sources will resolve their main problem, that of fluctuating availability. This further implies that the companies have assumed that there will not be any fluctuations in the availability of wind & solar power which is what Option C says in different words i.e. Weather patterns are predictable and consistent.


A - irrelevant
B - this supposition is invalid because even if new sources of gas, coal & oil were discovered, the question mark over the consistent availability from these sources would remain.
C - correct
D - the companies are aware that the initial investments will be high. This is not a supposition but rather a fact.
E - the argument does not focus on how safe or unsafe, risky or risk-free, the actual process of obtaining energy from non-renewable sources is. It focuses only on the wildly varying availability of these resources.


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by vishalj » Sun Sep 05, 2010 7:49 pm
Good assumption question indeed.

IMO C. Here is my reasoning.

Conclusion - Renewable energy sources are less risky than nonrenewable sources, whose prices can fluctuate according to availability.

a. The public will embrace the development of wind and solar power. Does not address why it is risky or address availability
b. No new deposits of gas, oil, and coal will be discovered in the near future. Does not address why it is risky. However it does explain about unavailability of nonrenewable resources. This option can be used for strengthening but not assumption.
c. Weather patterns are consistent and predictable. Yes, this is an assumption. It addresses both the issues.
d. The necessary technology for conversion to wind and solar power is not more expensive than the technology needed to create energy through combustion. This option may be used for the strengthening bot not assumption.
e. Obtaining energy from nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil and coal, cannot be made less risky. This option may be used for the strengthening bot not assumption.
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by paes » Mon Sep 06, 2010 6:20 pm
It seems that we are trying to prove C as the answer choice.

If we apply Kaplan negative test, then directly E will be the answer.

Another point with C is :

C is a very general statement.

" Weather patterns are consistent and predictable."

Weather patterns doesn't include only wind and solar. So even if weather patterns are not predictable, my argument is valid.

I am not convince with C.
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by ankurmit » Mon Sep 06, 2010 8:47 pm
I will go with E

As mentioned by peas, C is very general statement.
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by frank1 » Tue Sep 07, 2010 2:53 am
i feel c should not be answer as though weather patterns plays a role it doesnt directly effect the conclusion
" less risky for the utilities than nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil, and coal, whose prices can fluctuate dramatically according to availability."
risky because of frequent up and downs of the cost...

now does C address it or mitigate it?
i think no ....
it is much vauge...we may be able to dig a link between them....but if we go with question ...no
if we start digging link C,D,E can all be correct...

just how do i see it...

i know they wont give me marks for logic...lol...just right or wrong...
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by tanviet » Tue Sep 07, 2010 3:10 am
A very hard question

for Assumption, Strenthen, Weaken question the correct choice must be in context of evidence, in scope.

the choice which pass negation test or increase belief or doubt but out of scope is attractive but wrong.

Of course, restating and contradicting evidence is out of scope though attractive.

B, E are similar to contradicting evidence. the evidence is that gas is not stable already

D is cleary out of scope

A is similar to restating evidence

I see in GMAT PREP SOFTWARE , there is restating-evidence choice(I forget which one) and in the OG10 there is contradicting-evidence choice (the question"the bark to make medicine")

IMO C
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by paddle_sweep » Tue Sep 07, 2010 7:29 pm
The Jock wrote:
a. The public will embrace the development of wind and solar power.
Out of Scope.
b. No new deposits of gas, oil, and coal will be discovered in the near future.
Out of Scope.
c. Weather patterns are consistent and predictable.
This is my answer. If the weather pattern is not consistent and predictable, then renewable energy sources will also be risky.
d. The necessary technology for conversion to wind and solar power is not more expensive than the technology needed to create energy through combustion.
Out of scope.
e. Obtaining energy from nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil and coal, cannot be made less risky.
Out of scope. The passage talks about risk due to fluctuating prices.

My view: The conclusion in this sentence says that wind and solar energy sources will be less risky for the utilities than nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil, and coal, whose prices can fluctuate dramatically according to availability. Now when we explore that options you find option D and E related to conclusion language. I chose E, which is off-course wrong.
Can anybody please enlighten me how to get the right answer in this CR.
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by limestone » Tue Sep 07, 2010 8:31 pm
IMO:B
If the author did not assume that nonrenewable energy sources would be discovered in the near future, there would be no volitility in prices of nonrenewable energies or scarity of them - the two reasons that make using them riskier than using renewable sources.
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by ankitasrivastava » Wed Sep 08, 2010 1:33 am
The Jock wrote:CR question source: Manhattan CAT Exam

In response to the increasing cost of producing energy through traditional means, such as combustion, many utility companies have begun investing in renewable energy sources, chiefly wind and solar power, hoping someday to rely on them completely and thus lower energy costs. The utility companies claim that although these sources require significant initial capital investment, they will provide stable energy supplies at low cost. As a result, these sources will be less risky for the utilities than nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil, and coal, whose prices can fluctuate dramatically according to availability.

The claim of the utility companies presupposes which of the following?

a. The public will embrace the development of wind and solar power.
b. No new deposits of gas, oil, and coal will be discovered in the near future.
c. Weather patterns are consistent and predictable.
d. The necessary technology for conversion to wind and solar power is not more expensive than the technology needed to create energy through combustion.
e. Obtaining energy from nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil and coal, cannot be made less risky.

My view: The conclusion in this sentence says that wind and solar energy sources will be less risky for the utilities than nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil, and coal, whose prices can fluctuate dramatically according to availability. Now when we explore that options you find option D and E related to conclusion language. I chose E, which is off-course wrong.
Can anybody please enlighten me how to get the right answer in this CR.
The question is "The claim of the utility companies presupposes which of the following?" Lets go back to the claim then.
"The utility companies claim that although THESE sources require significant initial capital investment, THEY WILL provide STABLE energy supplies at low cost"

'THESE' stands for renewable energy sources such as gas, oil and coal. Hence the claim is about renewable energy sources providing stable energy supplies at low cost. The words 'will' and 'stable' force me to think and attack authors claim by questioning him/her - what if we develop the facility for utilizing renewable energy sources but we cannot harness these sources whenever we need. The author can always reply that 'In this claim, I presuppose that it'll be known beforehand when the renewable energy sources are available.'

Option C directly states this. Weather patterns in this option will also include wind and sunny /non sunny days.

Yes, Option D and E are close to conclusion but the question in the argument is about The Claim of the utility companies.
I went for option B too, but dropped it because it speaks about the deposits of gas, oil and coal specifically, while in the argument these three energy sources are always taken as an example and not representative of non renewable energy sources.

C is a strong contender for me. What is the OA?
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by The Jock » Wed Sep 08, 2010 3:25 am
OA for this question is C.
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by lokesh r » Wed Sep 08, 2010 2:33 pm
I feel answer should be B.

Here utility companies presuppose that producing energy through traditional means will continue to remain high.
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