air travel

[delhiboy1979]

6. Air travel is becoming increasingly more
dangerous. In the last year there have been
seven major collisions resulting in over 700
deaths, more deaths than in any previous year.
Which statement, if true, would most weaken
the argument above?
(A) Since the volume of air traffic has been
increasing all the time, an increase in the
number of deaths due to collisions does
not necessarily mean greater danger.
(B) The increase in collisions can be explained
by statistical coincidence, hijackings, and
unusual weather.
(C) Mortality per passenger mile is lower for
air travel than for any kind of surface
transportation.
(D) The increase in deaths due to collision in
air travel has proceeded at a rate identical
to that for deaths in all other major forms
of transportation.
(E) Last year the average number of
passengers per flown plane was
significantly lower than that of previous year

[sg1928]

6. Air travel is becoming increasingly more
dangerous. In the last year there have been
seven major collisions resulting in over 700
deaths, more deaths than in any previous year.
Which statement, if true, would most weaken
the argument above?
(A) Since the volume of air traffic has been
increasing all the time, an increase in the
number of deaths due to collisions does
not necessarily mean greater danger.
(B) The increase in collisions can be explained
by statistical coincidence, hijackings, and
unusual weather.
(C) Mortality per passenger mile is lower for
air travel than for any kind of surface
transportation.
(D) The increase in deaths due to collision in
air travel has proceeded at a rate identical
to that for deaths in all other major forms
of transportation.
(E) Last year the average number of
passengers per flown plane was
significantly lower than that of previous year

Hmm....I will go with 'B'. B lists the unusual circumstances with led to high number. There is no guarantee that in future years too, we have the same situation. Hence we can't conclude that air travel is becoming dangerous.

[schumi_gmat]

Between A and D.

A is better choice. D is out of scopr as we are not discussing the other modes of transportation.

[delhiboy1979]

I chose C when I attempted the question. Can someone elaborate on why C cannot be the correct answer.

[lunarpower]

this passage connects an increased NUMBER of fatalities with a contention that air travel is MORE LIKELY to cause fatalities (i.e., that air travel causes a higher RATE / FREQUENCY of injuries).

if you've done enough critical reasoning, then you should know that this sort of correction - between ABSOLUTE NUMBERS and RATES / PROPORTIONS - is seriously flawed, because it assumes that the underlying totals match.
for example, if more high school seniors graduate this year, that doesn't necessarily imply a higher graduation rate; instead, it could simply be the case that there are more seniors to start with, with the same graduation rate (or even a lower rate) than before.

--

to undermine the conclusion of this passage, we should find something that destroys the connection between absolute numbers and percentages. this can be done in one of two ways:
* we could have a statement showing that MORE PASSENGERS are flying than before.
* we could have a statement showing that passengers are flying MORE OFTEN than before.

(a), which posits the former of these, is the correct answer.

(b) doesn't weaken the statement, because danger arising from hijackings and bad weather is still danger.

(c) and (d) are completely irrelevant, because the passage is arguing only that air travel is more dangerous than it used to be. any comparisons to other forms of travel are completely outside bailiwick of the argument.

if anything, (e) actually strengthens the argument, because a decrease in the number of passengers would, all other things equal, decrease the number of fatalities. if the # of fatalities has still increased despite a drop in passengers per plane, then that's ... bad (unless there are WAY more planes than before ... but that's choice (a) ).

[delhiboy1979]

thanks guys, I get it now. The OA is A.

[kris77]

I believe the answer should be A