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

Redeem

chanterelle

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 168
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 7:43 pm
Thanked: 1 times

chanterelle

by pareekbharat86 » Fri Nov 22, 2013 3:00 am
The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees such as the Douglas fir, which provide it with necessary sugars. The underground filaments of chanterelles, which extract the sugars, in turn provide nutrients and water for their hosts. Because of this mutually beneficial relationship, harvesting the chanterelles growing beneath a Douglas fir seriously endangers the tree.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the conclusion drawn above?

(A) The number of wild mushrooms harvested has increased in recent years.
(B) Chanterelles grow not only beneath Douglas firs but also beneath other host trees.
(C) Many types of wild mushrooms are found only in forests and cannot easily be grown elsewhere.
(D) The harvesting of wild mushrooms stimulates future growth of those mushrooms.
(E) Young Douglas fir seedlings die without the nutrients and water provided by chanterelle filaments.

OA is D
Thanks,
Bharat.
Top
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Elite Legendary Member
Posts: 10392
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pm
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Thanked: 2867 times
Followed by:511 members
GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Fri Nov 22, 2013 7:31 pm
Hi Bharat,

This is a Weaken question.

The Facts:
-Chanterelles (a type of wild mushroom) grow under Douglas fir trees.
-Chanterelles take sugars from the trees, but give nutrients and water to the trees (this is mutually beneficial to both)

The Conclusion:
-Harvesting (removing) the chanterelles from under the Douglas firs endangers the tree.

The Logic:
Chanterelles help to keep the Douglas fir tree alive.
Removing chanterelles causes enough harm to endanger the Douglas fir tree.

We need an answer that will weaken the logic. Since the logic is based on causality (one thing causes another), I'd be looking for an answer that tells me that removing the chanterelles isn't as much of a danger as thought.

Answer D tells us that removing the chanterelles won't be as damaging as implied.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image
Top
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 359
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:37 am
Location: Kolkata, India
Thanked: 50 times
Followed by:2 members

by Abhishek009 » Mon Nov 25, 2013 11:44 am
pareekbharat86 wrote:The chanterelle, a type of wild mushroom, grows beneath host trees such as the Douglas fir, which provide it with necessary sugars. The underground filaments of chanterelles, which extract the sugars, in turn provide nutrients and water for their hosts. Because of this mutually beneficial relationship, harvesting the chanterelles growing beneath a Douglas fir seriously endangers the tree.
Our attempt here is to weaken the red part highlighted above.

(A) The number of wild mushrooms harvested has increased in recent years.

Irrelevant under the current context.

(B) Chanterelles grow not only beneath Douglas firs but also beneath other host trees.

Irrelevant under the current context.

(C) Many types of wild mushrooms are found only in forests and cannot easily be grown elsewhere.

Irrelevant , doesn't even touch a part of the conclusion stated above.

(D) The harvesting of wild mushrooms stimulates future growth of those mushrooms.

We know that wild mushroom depends on Douglas fir , thus for the growth of Wild Mushrooms survival of Douglas fir is essential and vice Versa.

We also know from the passage that , " which provide it with necessary sugars. The underground filaments of chanterelles, which extract the sugars, in turn provide nutrients and water for their hosts. "

Thus survival and growth of the Douglas fir is vital as well as essential for future growth the wild mushrooms.

(E) Young Douglas fir seedlings die without the nutrients and water provided by chanterelle filaments.

Might be possible , we aren't sure about it ...

Though the statement provides vital information it doesn't weaken / challenge the red highlighted part. Infact this statement simply support the conclusion arrived at in the passage above.


So D seems to be the best choice..
Abhishek
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1