Common cold...

[gmatrant]

Some people have been promoting a new herbal mixture
as a remedy for the common cold. The mixture contains,
among other things, extracts of the plants purple coneflower
and goldenseal. A cold sufferer, skeptical of the
claim that the mixture is an effective cold remedy, argued,
“Suppose that the mixture were an effective cold remedy.
Since most people with colds wish to recover quickly, it
follows that almost everybody with a cold would be using
it. Therefore, since there are many people who have colds
but do not use the mixture, it is obviously not effective.”

Each of the following is an assumption required by
the skeptical cold sufferer’s argument EXCEPT:

(A) Enough of the mixture is produced to provide the
required doses to almost everybody with a cold.

(B) The mixture does not have side effects severe
enough to make many people who have colds
avoid using it.

(C) The mixture is powerful enough to prevent
almost everybody who uses it from
contracting any further colds.

(D) The mixture is widely enough known that
almost everybody with a cold is aware of it.

(E) There are no effective cold remedies available
that many people who have colds prefer to the mixture

OA is C,
I could not choose between C and E
Pls explain

[jangojess]

the person is just concerned about effectiveness of mixture available to cure the cold evryone suffers...there is no need of assuming whether the mixture wud be powerful enuf to prevent further cold....this wud be out of scope...he just have to think only about the current situation

[dingo001]

Some people have been promoting a new herbal mixture
as a remedy for the common cold. The mixture contains,
among other things, extracts of the plants purple coneflower
and goldenseal. A cold sufferer, skeptical of the
claim that the mixture is an effective cold remedy, argued,
“Suppose that the mixture were an effective cold remedy.
Since most people with colds wish to recover quickly, it
follows that almost everybody with a cold would be using
it. Therefore, since there are many people who have colds
but do not use the mixture, it is obviously not effective.”

Each of the following is an assumption required by
the skeptical cold sufferer’s argument EXCEPT:

(A) Enough of the mixture is produced to provide the
required doses to almost everybody with a cold.

(B) The mixture does not have side effects severe
enough to make many people who have colds
avoid using it.

(C) The mixture is powerful enough to prevent
almost everybody who uses it from
contracting any further colds.

(D) The mixture is widely enough known that
almost everybody with a cold is aware of it.

(E) There are no effective cold remedies available
that many people who have colds prefer to the mixture

OA is C,
I could not choose between C and E
Pls explain

I can see how C is right. I chose E as well.. where did this question come from?

[MartinK]

I was deciding between C and E as well, but after getting more into this question I chose C.

The conclusion is >>> If the mixture was effective, then many people with cold would use it. Therefore, if there are no many people with cold that are using it, it must be ineffective.

To get to this conclusion, we have to assume that this mixture has the same chances to succeed as the other products.

A) Assumption that everybody is able to buy it - so when there is no one buying it, than it must be ineffective

B) Assumption that there is no other reason why people with cold buy other products, except the fact that the mixture is ineffective

D) Assumption that the mixture has at least the same amount of marketing as the other products - therefore, this is not the reason why it is not widely used

E) From my perspective, this point is trying to say, that the other products are effective at least at the same level as the mixture - so widely the other products weren't presented as more effective; therefore, the mixture has proved itself as ineffective towards cold.

[AIM GMAT]

CONCLUSION - The medicine is not widely used by people hence it must not be effctive .

Lets see which options strengthen the argument and which does not .

(A) Enough of the mixture is produced to provide the
required doses to almost everybody with a cold. -- [Everybody has access to this medicine and hence if all are not using it being in abundant quantity so its not effective ]

(B) The mixture does not have side effects severe
enough to make many people who have colds
avoid using it. -- [Mixture has no side effects so all can use it without any fear still they are not using hence its not effective]

(C) The mixture is powerful enough to prevent
almost everybody who uses it from
contracting any further colds. -- [Further colds , its not into scope of our argument hence we cannot take it as assumption . So this cannot strengthen our conclusion .]

(D) The mixture is widely enough known that
almost everybody with a cold is aware of it. -- [Everyone knows about this medicine , so anyone suffering from cold should approach for the medicine , still people donot approach for it , hence it must be not effective]

(E) There are no effective cold remedies available
that many people who have colds prefer to the mixture -- [Yep this is certainly an assumption , there is not remedy except the mixture for cold still people ar enot using it , hence very strongly it must not be effective , using it or not using it makes no diffrence ]

IMO C too.

Hope that helps.

[rohu27]

Use the negataion test,
negate E
there are other medicines available for cold, then our conclusion holds no value. As there are medicines people *prefer* over this one, they are not using this mixture. we cannot then conclude that this is ineffective. people prefer the other ones may be thay are sweeter than this etc. but it deosnt mean tht the mixture is not effective.
so E has to be assumed by author.

[Geva@EconomistGMAT]

Some people have been promoting a new herbal mixture
as a remedy for the common cold. The mixture contains,
among other things, extracts of the plants purple coneflower
and goldenseal. A cold sufferer, skeptical of the
claim that the mixture is an effective cold remedy, argued,
�Suppose that the mixture were an effective cold remedy.
Since most people with colds wish to recover quickly, it
follows that almost everybody with a cold would be using
it. Therefore, since there are many people who have colds
but do not use the mixture, it is obviously not effective.�

Each of the following is an assumption required by
the skeptical cold sufferer�s argument EXCEPT:

(A) Enough of the mixture is produced to provide the
required doses to almost everybody with a cold.

(B) The mixture does not have side effects severe
enough to make many people who have colds
avoid using it.

(C) The mixture is powerful enough to prevent
almost everybody who uses it from
contracting any further colds.

(D) The mixture is widely enough known that
almost everybody with a cold is aware of it.

(E) There are no effective cold remedies available
that many people who have colds prefer to the mixture

OA is C,
I could not choose between C and E
Pls explain

E does the same thing as A, B and D: it negates a fact that if true, would weaken the argument's conclusion. Thus, it is an assumption, and needs to be eliminated. C is the right answer choice, because we do not need to assume that the mixture is strong enough to prevent future colds in order to reach the conclusion that it is not effective - quite the contrary.

[AIM GMAT]

Use the negataion test,
negate E
there are other medicines available for cold, then our conclusion holds no value. As there are medicines people *prefer* over this one, they are not using this mixture. we cannot then conclude that this is ineffective. people prefer the other ones may be thay are sweeter than this etc. but it deosnt mean tht the mixture is not effective.
so E has to be assumed by author.

Yes E has to be assumed , we are asked which is assumed EXCEPT . I guess u missed it .

[ram2]

This one is a little confusing..
Apply negation and you will end up with C.
Other choices/assumptions are all necessary to keep the argument intact.

[rohu27]

Use the negataion test,
negate E
there are other medicines available for cold, then our conclusion holds no value. As there are medicines people *prefer* over this one, they are not using this mixture. we cannot then conclude that this is ineffective. people prefer the other ones may be thay are sweeter than this etc. but it deosnt mean tht the mixture is not effective.
so E has to be assumed by author.

Yes E has to be assumed , we are asked which is assumed EXCEPT . I guess u missed it .

thanks for pointing out, i was just trying to answer the orignal posters confusion btew C and E, as to why E cant be the answer.