Critical Reasoning

The mayor boasts that the average ambulance turnaround time, the time from summons to delivery of the patient, has been reduced this year for top-priority emergencies. This is a serious misrepresentation. This “reduction” was produced simply by redefining “top priority.” Such emergencies used to include gunshot wounds and electrocutions, the most time-consuming cases. Now they are limited strictly to heart attacks and strokes.
Which one of the following would strengthen the author’s conclusion that it was the redefinition of “top priority” that produced the reduction in turnaround time?
(A) The number of heart attacks and strokes declined this year.
(B) The mayor redefined the city’s financial priorities this year.
(C) Experts disagree with the mayor’s definition of “top-priority emergency.”
(D) Other cities include gunshot wound cases in their category o top-priority emergencies
(E) One half of all of last year’s top-priority emergencies were gunshot wounds and electrocution cases
oa e

sogmat wrote:The mayor boasts that the average ambulance turnaround time, the time from summons to delivery of the patient, has been reduced this year for top-priority emergencies. This is a serious misrepresentation. This “reduction” was produced simply by redefining “top priority.” Such emergencies used to include gunshot wounds and electrocutions, the most time-consuming cases. Now they are limited strictly to heart attacks and strokes.
Which one of the following would strengthen the author’s conclusion that it was the redefinition of “top priority” that produced the reduction in turnaround time?
(A) The number of heart attacks and strokes declined this year.
(B) The mayor redefined the city’s financial priorities this year.
(C) Experts disagree with the mayor’s definition of “top-priority emergency.”
(D) Other cities include gunshot wound cases in their category o top-priority emergencies
(E) One half of all of last year’s top-priority emergencies were gunshot wounds and electrocution cases
oa e

C -> 'Top priority' cases include only heart-attacks and strokes
P -> turnaround time for 'top prority cases' has been reduced. This is true.

I guess A should be the answer because it is strengthning the conclusion be saying that no of top priority cases declined this year so average TAT has also declined.
Any other explanation please. Maybe i am wrong in this reasoning somewhere.

It would be E

Why?

Its given that gunshot wounds and electrocutions are the most time-consuming cases and it represents half of the cases last year.

This year if u take half of your most time consuming cases and calcuate the effeciency then it will definitely lead to misleading results or biased results or hyped up numbers.

This streghthens the argument that redefinition was the reason.

Basically it strengthens the argument by showing data based on which the conclusion is made is accurate / trustworthy

Hope this helps!

Regards,
CR

I like both A and E, not sure which one is better as they both strengthen the conclusion.

Conclusion is reduction of turn around time

Premise is top priority accidents are gun shot wounds and electrocutions

A is not wrong but

Does not strengthen the premise or argument

B is irrelevant

C is out of scope, there are no experts in the arg

D other cities are not in scope

E is correct - it strengthens the premise and the mayor's argument to redefine this years top-priorities

I think A should be the answer