BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Recently, some critics of the U.S. government have pointed

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:41 am

Recently, some critics of the U.S. government have pointed

by prashant_jak » Thu Aug 20, 2009 11:19 pm
Recently, some critics of the U.S. government have pointed out that this
country is the only advanced industrialized nation without a national vaccine
laboratory and suggested that this lack makes the American public more
vulnerable than other developed nations to infectious diseases, such as avian
flu. A government official said these critics were disloyal and thus wrong
about the public's vulnerability. To support his claim, the official cited the
generally long life span and low infant mortality of United States citizens,
relative to all United Nation member nations. Mentioning the high quality of
American hospitals, he added that all of the Europeans that he knew
preferred to undergo major medical treatments in the United States rather
than in the socialized medical systems in place in their home countries. All of
the following are weaknesses or potential weaknesses in the official's
argument EXCEPT:
"¢ The high quality of hospitals in the United States is not a factor affecting the
public's vulnerability to infectious disease.
"¢ Whether or not the critics are disloyal has no bearing on whether or not they
are wrong.
"¢ The Europeans that the official cited are a demographically narrow sample,
overwhelmingly composed of wealthy males over the age of fifty.
"¢ The average life span of United States citizens is determined not only by
deaths due to infectious diseases but also by deaths due to all other causes.
"¢ Comparing the United States to all United Nations member nations does not
address the concern that the U.S. is behind other advanced industrialized
nations in a particular way.
Top
Source: — Critical Reasoning |
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 208
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 11:32 am
Location: Mumbai
Thanked: 2 times

Re: Recently, some critics of the U.S. government have point

by vikram_k51 » Fri Aug 21, 2009 1:37 am
prashant_jak wrote:Recently, some critics of the U.S. government have pointed out that this
country is the only advanced industrialized nation without a national vaccine
laboratory and suggested that this lack makes the American public more
vulnerable than other developed nations to infectious diseases, such as avian
flu. A government official said these critics were disloyal and thus wrong
about the public's vulnerability. To support his claim, the official cited the
generally long life span and low infant mortality of United States citizens,
relative to all United Nation member nations. Mentioning the high quality of
American hospitals, he added that all of the Europeans that he knew
preferred to undergo major medical treatments in the United States rather
than in the socialized medical systems in place in their home countries. All of
the following are weaknesses or potential weaknesses in the official's
argument EXCEPT:
"¢ The high quality of hospitals in the United States is not a factor affecting the
public's vulnerability to infectious disease.
"¢ Whether or not the critics are disloyal has no bearing on whether or not they
are wrong.
"¢ The Europeans that the official cited are a demographically narrow sample,
overwhelmingly composed of wealthy males over the age of fifty.
"¢ The average life span of United States citizens is determined not only by
deaths due to infectious diseases but also by deaths due to all other causes.
"¢ Comparing the United States to all United Nations member nations does not
address the concern that the U.S. is behind other advanced industrialized
nations in a particular way.
Will go with D on this.
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 113
Joined: Sun May 24, 2009 8:01 am
Thanked: 4 times

by italian7745 » Fri Aug 21, 2009 4:23 am
IMO D
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 2326
Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:54 am
Thanked: 173 times
Followed by:2 members
GMAT Score:710

by gmatmachoman » Sat Aug 22, 2009 4:31 am
IMO D...
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 66
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:01 am
Thanked: 2 times

hi everyone

by siddharth rastogi » Mon Aug 24, 2009 3:11 am
Recently, some critics of the U.S. government have pointed out that this
country is the only advanced industrialized nation without a national vaccine
laboratory and suggested that this lack makes the American public more
vulnerable than other developed nations to infectious diseases, such as avian
flu. A government official said these critics were disloyal and thus wrong
about the public's vulnerability. To support his claim, the official cited the
generally long life span and low infant mortality of United States citizens,
relative to all United Nation member nations. Mentioning the high quality of
American hospitals, he added that all of the Europeans that he knew
preferred to undergo major medical treatments in the United States rather
than in the socialized medical systems in place in their home countries. All of
the following are weaknesses or potential weaknesses in the official's
argument EXCEPT:
"¢ The high quality of hospitals in the United States is not a factor affecting the
public's vulnerability to infectious disease.
"¢ Whether or not the critics are disloyal has no bearing on whether or not they
are wrong.
"¢ The Europeans that the official cited are a demographically narrow sample,
overwhelmingly composed of wealthy males over the age of fifty.
"¢ The average life span of United States citizens is determined not only by
deaths due to infectious diseases but also by deaths due to all other causes.
"¢ Comparing the United States to all United Nations member nations does not
address the concern that the U.S. is behind other advanced industrialized
nations in a particular way.


MY ANSWER IS B

A also looks fine.

the issue here is to find the staement that is not the weakness in the official argument.

D,c,e can not be the answers as they are the weakness in the argument, as critics are concerned with the fatality rate due to infectious desises not with the over all fatality rate.
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 160
Joined: Sun May 03, 2009 1:17 am
Location: Rourkela/Hyderabad
Thanked: 4 times
Followed by:1 members

by sanp_l » Mon Aug 24, 2009 3:33 am
A says that high quality of hospitals is not a factor. hence it can't be.
B, C and E are certainly weaknesses in the argument.

Option D says that the oevrall life span also includes other causes of death other than infectious diseses. And as the official mentions that the life span is high, it certainly supports his argument. hence i go with Option D.
Sandy
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 239
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2009 2:50 am

by delhiboy1979 » Mon Aug 24, 2009 3:50 am
Ya agree with D, posts above have pretty much taken care of all points.
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 527
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:14 am
Location: Atlanta
Thanked: 17 times

by pandeyvineet24 » Mon Aug 24, 2009 9:10 pm
I have doubts on D.
D weakens the claim i think, If the average life span of United States citizens is determined not only by
deaths due to infectious diseases but also by deaths due to all other causes, then there is an ample chance that the there could be high number of deaths due to infectious diseases and very low number of deaths due to other causes.
Therefore the high life span could be due to very low number of deaths by other causes.

IMO B should be the answer. In my view this does not have any bearing on the conclusion

Please post the OA
Top
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2009 2:38 pm
Followed by:1 members

by stayingcalm » Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:42 pm
i think d
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 371
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2009 2:48 am
Thanked: 27 times
GMAT Score:740

by 2010gmat » Wed Nov 25, 2009 9:18 am
the OA for this ques is given as A....

@Testluv--> dude we need your help...

i actually felt that all the choices are weakening the conclusion...
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 621
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:13 pm
Thanked: 33 times
Followed by:4 members

by vittalgmat » Wed Nov 25, 2009 10:48 am
This is very tricky. At the outset all look like weakeners. But, in a limited sense, A is better and a strengthener.
Having better hospitals help in better preventive measures, protecting the population against diseases.

HT Helps
Top
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1302
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 2:13 pm
Location: Toronto
Thanked: 539 times
Followed by:164 members
GMAT Score:800

by Testluv » Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:33 pm
2010gmat wrote:the OA for this ques is given as A....

@Testluv--> dude we need your help...

i actually felt that all the choices are weakening the conclusion...
Okay, but I need to know the source first! If it is 1000cr, I am not going to bother (and neither should you).
Kaplan Teacher in Toronto
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 371
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2009 2:48 am
Thanked: 27 times
GMAT Score:740

by 2010gmat » Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:45 pm
source is Manhattan CAT
Top
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1302
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 2:13 pm
Location: Toronto
Thanked: 539 times
Followed by:164 members
GMAT Score:800

by Testluv » Thu Nov 26, 2009 1:52 am
Well, I think choice A clearly weakens.

But because the question stem does not tell us to treat the answer choices as true, if this question stem appeared on the GMAT, it would have to be interpreted as a flaw question, as in the weakness or flaw in the author's argument.

But in a flaw question, all of the answer choices are ALWAYS putative descriptions of the author's reasoning process ("mistakes cause for effect"; "ignores alternative explanations"; etc). Here, none of the answer choices are descriptions of the author's reasoning process...
Kaplan Teacher in Toronto
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 141
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:19 am
Thanked: 1 times

by getso » Thu Nov 26, 2009 10:48 am
Hi Testluv,

Could you please elaborate how A is the correct answer.

I'm not clear why D is not correct.
Top
Post new topic Post Reply