Proposed new safety rules for the Beach City airport would

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Proposed new safety rules for the Beach City airport would lengthen considerably the minimum time between takeoffs �om the airport. In consequence, the airport would be able to accommodate 10 percent fewer flights than currently use the airport daily. The city's operating budget depends heavily on taxes generated by tourist spending, and most of the tourists come by plane. Therefore, the proposed new safety rules, if adopted, will reduce the revenue available for the operating budget.

The argument depends on assuming which of the following?

A There are no periods of the day during which the interval between flights taking off from the airport is significantly greater than the currently allowed

B Few, if any, of the tourists who use the Beach City airport do so when their main destination is a neighboring community and not Beach City itself.

C If the proposed safety rules are adopted, the reduction in tourist numbers will not result mainly from a reduction in the number of tourists who spend relatively little in Beach City.

D Increasing the minimum time between takeoffs is the only way to achieve necessary safety improvements without a large expenditure by the city government on airport enhancements.

E The response to the adoption of the new safety rules would not include an increase in the number of passengers per flight.

Why is B wrong? I mean if a lot tourist are just using Beach City as a hopping flight destination, they will stop taking connecting flight from the Beach City and take another route for the nearby community where they are planning to go eventually. Since these travelers were never planning to stay and spend in the Beach City, this wont affect revenues in the Beach City. Does it make sense?

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by OptimusPrep » Fri May 27, 2016 10:47 pm

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New safety rules have reduced the capacity of the flights => no. of passengers also reduced
Most of the budget comes from tourist, hence if the rules are in place, revenue will decrease.

We need to find the underlying assumption behind this. Of the given options, clearly E is the assumption that we are looking for.
If the number of passengers per flight increase, then there would be no effect on the revenues.

As for option B, it has nothing to do with the situation at hand. It just says that few passengers use Beach City airport to fly to other places.

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by Crystal W » Mon Jul 04, 2016 1:32 am

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Nina1987 wrote:Proposed new safety rules for the Beach City airport would lengthen considerably the minimum time between takeoffs �om the airport. In consequence, the airport would be able to accommodate 10 percent fewer flights than currently use the airport daily. The city's operating budget depends heavily on taxes generated by tourist spending, and most of the tourists come by plane. Therefore, the proposed new safety rules, if adopted, will reduce the revenue available for the operating budget.

The argument depends on assuming which of the following?

A There are no periods of the day during which the interval between flights taking off from the airport is significantly greater than the currently allowed

B Few, if any, of the tourists who use the Beach City airport do so when their main destination is a neighboring community and not Beach City itself.

C If the proposed safety rules are adopted, the reduction in tourist numbers will not result mainly from a reduction in the number of tourists who spend relatively little in Beach City.

D Increasing the minimum time between takeoffs is the only way to achieve necessary safety improvements without a large expenditure by the city government on airport enhancements.

E The response to the adoption of the new safety rules would not include an increase in the number of passengers per flight.

Why is B wrong? I mean if a lot tourist are just using Beach City as a hopping flight destination, they will stop taking connecting flight from the Beach City and take another route for the nearby community where they are planning to go eventually. Since these travelers were never planning to stay and spend in the Beach City, this wont affect revenues in the Beach City. Does it make sense?
I have the same question! I agree choice E is correct, but I still think B is right. Can someone explain more?
Thanks in advance!

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by GMATGuruNY » Wed Jul 06, 2016 6:31 am

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Nina1987 wrote:Proposed new safety rules for the Beach City airport would lengthen considerably the minimum time between takeoffs �om the airport. In consequence, the airport would be able to accommodate 10 percent fewer flights than currently use the airport daily. The city's operating budget depends heavily on taxes generated by tourist spending, and most of the tourists come by plane. Therefore, the proposed new safety rules, if adopted, will reduce the revenue available for the operating budget.

The argument depends on assuming which of the following?

A There are no periods of the day during which the interval between flights taking off from the airport is significantly greater than the currently allowed

B Few, if any, of the tourists who use the Beach City airport do so when their main destination is a neighboring community and not Beach City itself.

C If the proposed safety rules are adopted, the reduction in tourist numbers will not result mainly from a reduction in the number of tourists who spend relatively little in Beach City.

D Increasing the minimum time between takeoffs is the only way to achieve necessary safety improvements without a large expenditure by the city government on airport enhancements.

E The response to the adoption of the new safety rules would not include an increase in the number of passengers per flight.

Why is B wrong? I mean if a lot tourist are just using Beach City as a hopping flight destination, they will stop taking connecting flight from the Beach City and take another route for the nearby community where they are planning to go eventually. Since these travelers were never planning to stay and spend in the Beach City, this wont affect revenues in the Beach City. Does it make sense?
Premise:
The proposed new safety rules will reduce by 10% the number of flights available to tourists, and the city's operating budget depends heavily on taxes generated by tourist spending.
Conclusion:
The proposed new safety rules will reduce the revenue available for the operating budget.

Apply the NEGATION TEST.
When the correct answer choice is negated, the conclusion will be invalidated.
E, negated:
The response to the adoption of the new safety rules would include an increase in the number of passengers per flight.
Here, an increase in the number of passengers per flight invalidates the conclusion that there will be a decrease in tourist revenue.
Since the negation of E invalidates the conclusion, E is the correct assumption: WHAT MUST BE TRUE for the conclusion to be valid.

The correct answer is E.

B, negated:
Most of the tourists who use the Beach City airport do so when their main destination is a neighboring community.
Since tourists visiting a neighboring community probably spend most of their vacation money in the neighboring community, this negation seems to weaken the PREMISE that Beach City's operating budget depends heavily on taxes generated by tourist spending.
A premise is a FACT.
It cannot be weakened.
Any answer choice or negation that attempts to weaken a premise is WRONG.
Eliminate B.
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