heshamelaziry wrote:TESTLUV WROTE:
If the legislation does not come to pass, then the wild tigers' death is certain.
That does not mean that if the legislation comes to pass, the tigers' survival is guaranteed. Instead, it only means that their extinction is no longer guaranteed.
MY QUESTION:
IF THE ISSUE OF THE ARGUMENT IS "EXTINCTION" AND YOU SAY THAT PASSAGE OF THE LEGISLATURE MEANS THAT THEIR EXTINCTION IS NO LONGER GUARANTEED, HOW IS THEIR SURVIVAL IS RELATED TO EXTINCTION? YES, THEY MIGHT BE IN DANGE OF LOSS OF LIFE FOR ANY OTHER REASON, BUT HOW IS THIS SHOWS A FLAW THAT IF THE LAW PASSES THEIR EXTINCTION IS STILL POSSIBLE ?
THANKS
Hi Hesham,
This is a flaw question. You might get one on the GMAT, but you are very unlikely to get two. These questions ask for the author`s reasoning mistake.
The relationship between flaw and assumption is as follows. Whenever the author makes an assumption (which is any time you are in an assumption, strengthen, weaken, or flaw question), he is making that assumption because of a flaw in his reasoning. So flaw questions are asking you for the reasoning error, instead of the assumption directly.
This argument commits the classic error of confusing necessity and sufficiency.
The author`s first sentence is evidence that establishes that if hunting does not decrease, the tiger will become extinct in the wild. That means if steps are not taken to prevent the hunting, there will no longer be ANY tigers in the wild. This is evidence, and we "give" the author his evidence; it is true information.
In the second sentence, we learn that there is legislation on the table, which, if passed, would ban tiger-hunting. Because tiger-hunting will definitely kill off all of the wild tigers, legislation (or some other thing) is necessary for the tiger`s survival in the wild. This does not mean that the legislation will guarantee (ie, is sufficient for) the tiger`s survival.
Let`s think of an analogy. Gas is needed for driving a car. But having gas in the car`s tank does not guarantee that you will be able to drive the car because there are other things you need to drive a car: transmission, steering wheel, etc. In other words, gas is necessary but not sufficient for driving a car.
The author`s evidence establishes that legislation (or some other thing) is necessary (needed) for the tiger`s survival in the wild. But the legislation does not necessarily guarantee the tiger`s survival because there may be other needed things: a stiff penalty for breaching the tiger-hunting ban, resources to implement the ban, etc.
Without the legislation aimed at stopping tiger-hunting (or something else that stops tiger-hunting), the wild tiger are doomed.
The passing of the legislation gives the tiger a chance of surviving (ie, there extinction is no longer guaranteed) but does not guarantee that they will survive.
In other wors, the argument is vulnerable to criticism on the grouds that it "takes the removal of an impediment to a tiger's survival as a guarantee of their survival." (choice E)
The "impediment" to the tiger's survival was the tiger-hunting. The legislation will "remove" this impediment. This does not mean that the legislation will ensure the tiger's survival because there may be other "impediments" to the survival of the tigers.