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OG 13 Ques 115- Carpentry work in 2 different eras

Expert replies
by pareekbharat86 » Tue Oct 01, 2013 9:43 pm
Guidebook writer: I have visited hotels throughout the country and have noticed that in those built before 1930 the quality of the original carpentry work is generally superior to that in hotels built afterward. Clearly carpenters working on hotels before 1930 typically worked with more skill, care, and effort than carpenters who have worked on hotels built subsequently.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the guidebook writer's argument?
(A) The quality of original carpentry in hotels is generally far superior to the quality of original carpentry in other structures, such as houses and stores.
(B) Hotels built since 1930 can generally accommodate more guests than those built before 1930.
(C) The materials available to carpenters working before 1930 were not significantly different in quality from the materials available to carpenters working after 1930.
(D) The better the quality of original carpentry in a building, the less likely that building is to fall into disuse and be demolished.
(E) The average length of apprenticeship for carpenters has declined significantly since 1930.

The OA is D. The explanation in the OG makes no sense to me. None of the options fit best for me in this case.

Please advise. Thanks!
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Source: — Critical Reasoning |

by theCodeToGMAT » Tue Oct 01, 2013 9:56 pm
Answer is indeed [spoiler]{D}[/spoiler]

The reason : Suppose before 1930 there were 1000 Hotels and out of which 990 were demolished/disused.. So, only 10 are in use..
Now, author is trying to draw a conclusion on basis of 10 Hotels, neglecting 990 others....

So, "Clearly carpenters working on hotels before 1930 typically worked with more skill, care, and effort than carpenters who have worked on hotels built subsequently" is weakened
R A H U L
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by pareekbharat86 » Tue Oct 01, 2013 9:59 pm
theCodeToGMAT wrote:Answer is indeed [spoiler]{D}[/spoiler]

The reason : Suppose before 1930 there were 1000 Hotels and out of which 990 were demolished/disused.. So, only 10 are in use..
Now, author is trying to draw a conclusion on basis of 10 Hotels, neglecting 990 others....

So, "Clearly carpenters working on hotels before 1930 typically worked with more skill, care, and effort than carpenters who have worked on hotels built subsequently" is weakened
This was indeed helpful. Thanks!
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by theCodeToGMAT » Tue Oct 01, 2013 10:01 pm
pareekbharat86 wrote: This was indeed helpful. Thanks!
You are welcome!
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by ceilidh.erickson » Fri Oct 04, 2013 12:11 pm
Rahul's explanation is spot-on. To make a more generalized point, though... there are two very common assumption types happening here.

1. CHANGES OVER TIME. Pay attention whenever a CR argument is talking about two different time periods. One major assumption is always that the two time periods are comparable. Consider:

A much higher percentage of New York City's population speaks Spanish today than they did in 1900. Thus, New Yorkers must be placing more emphasis on multilingual education now than they did in 1900.

Clearly, this argument is making the flawed assumption that the demographics of the city are largely the same, without considering that many more Spanish-speakers have moved to NYC in the last century. Populations/demographics change over time, so be sure to consider that in any time-related argument.

2. PART REPRESENTING THE WHOLE. In this argument, there's clearly a gap between "hotels from the 1930s that still exist" vs. "all hotels built in the 1900s." In a CR argument, you have to consider whether the sample given is representative of the whole. Consider:

The 16 yr olds at the Youth Leadership Conference are all high-achieving and motivated students. The work ethic of their generation must be exceptionally high.

Are these 16 yr olds really indicative of their entire generation? Or might the Youth Leadership Conference be a non-representative sample?
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
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