Evaluate the Argument............OG Diagnostic test

[Mo2men]

Metal rings recently excavated from seventh-century settlements in the western part of Mexico were made using the same metallurgical techniques as those used by Ecuadorian artisans before and during that period. These techniques are sufficiently complex to make their independent development in both areas unlikely. Since the people of these two areas were in cultural contact, archaeologists hypothesize that the metallurgical techniques used to make the rings found
in Mexico were learned by Mexican artisans from Ecuadorian counterparts.

Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the archaeologists' hypothesis?

(A) Whether metal objects were traded from Ecuador to western Mexico during the seventh century
(B) Whether travel between western Mexico and Ecuador in the seventh century would have been primarily by land or by sea
(C) Whether artisans from western Mexico could have learned complex metallurgical techniques from their Ecuadorian counterparts without actually leaving western Mexico
(D) Whether metal tools were used in the seventhcentury settlements in western Mexico
(E) Whether any of the techniques used in the manufacture of the metal rings found in western Mexico are still practiced among artisans in Ecuador today
OA: A


Why choice C is wrong?

[DavidG@VeritasPrep]

Metal rings recently excavated from seventh-century settlements in the western part of Mexico were made using the same metallurgical techniques as those used by Ecuadorian artisans before and during that period. These techniques are sufficiently complex to make their independent development in both areas unlikely. Since the people of these two areas were in cultural contact, archaeologists hypothesize that the metallurgical techniques used to make the rings found
in Mexico were learned by Mexican artisans from Ecuadorian counterparts.

Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the archaeologists' hypothesis?

(A) Whether metal objects were traded from Ecuador to western Mexico during the seventh century
(B) Whether travel between western Mexico and Ecuador in the seventh century would have been primarily by land or by sea
(C) Whether artisans from western Mexico could have learned complex metallurgical techniques from their Ecuadorian counterparts without actually leaving western Mexico
(D) Whether metal tools were used in the seventhcentury settlements in western Mexico
(E) Whether any of the techniques used in the manufacture of the metal rings found in western Mexico are still practiced among artisans in Ecuador today
OA: A


Why choice C is wrong?

C is irrelevant. We're trying to evaluate the hypothesis that metallurgical techniques used in Mexico were learned from artisans in Ecuador. We're told in the argument that the two cultures were in contact. Why would it matter whether the artisans in Mexico traveled to Ecuador to learn the techniques or the artisans from Ecuador traveled to Mexico to teach the techniques? The location of the contact doesn't matter. We know that it happened.

[RBBmba@2014]

Hi Verbal Experts,
Can you please share your thoughts why exactly Option D is wrong ? (It seems close to me!)

[DavidG@VeritasPrep]

Hi Verbal Experts,
Can you please share your thoughts why exactly Option D is wrong ? (It seems close to me!)

We want to determine whether Mexican artisans learned a technique from Ecuadorian artisans.

D is wrong because the question of whether metal tools were used in western Mexico doesn't concern us. It's possible that they were made there and immediately traded to another region. It's possible that the tools were considered beautiful and were purely ornamental. All we care about is how the technique was learned.

[RBBmba@2014]

Hi Verbal Experts,
Can you please share your thoughts why exactly Option D is wrong ? (It seems close to me!)

We want to determine whether Mexican artisans learned a technique from Ecuadorian artisans.

D is wrong because the question of whether metal tools were used in western Mexico doesn't concern us. It's possible that they were made there and immediately traded to another region. It's possible that the tools were considered beautiful and were purely ornamental. All we care about is how the technique was learned.

Hi Dave,
I think, we can also eliminate D for the following reason :

Option D simply doesn't help to address what we're looking for -- whether Mexican learned this technique from Ecuadorian ?
Even if D is true, it could well be the case that the Mexican didn't learn this technique from Ecuadorian, rather Ecuadorian made those metal rings which were later imported to Mexico or Ecuadorian went to Mexico to make those metal rings as foreign workers. Point is, we simply don't know what actually happened even if metal tools were used (or NOT used) in the seventh-century settlements in western Mexico.

This explanation to eliminate D should be correct, I think. Right ?

[GMATGuruNY]

Metal rings recently excavated from seventh-century settlements in the western part of Mexico were made using the same metallurgical techniques as those used by Ecuadorian artisans before and during that period. These techniques are sufficiently complex to make their independent development in both areas unlikely. Since the people of these two areas were in cultural contact, archaeologists hypothesize that the metallurgical techniques used to make the rings found
in Mexico were learned by Mexican artisans from Ecuadorian counterparts.

Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the archaeologists' hypothesis?

(A) Whether metal objects were traded from Ecuador to western Mexico during the seventh century
(B) Whether travel between western Mexico and Ecuador in the seventh century would have been primarily by land or by sea
(C) Whether artisans from western Mexico could have learned complex metallurgical techniques from their Ecuadorian counterparts without actually leaving western Mexico
(D) Whether metal tools were used in the seventhcentury settlements in western Mexico
(E) Whether any of the techniques used in the manufacture of the metal rings found in western Mexico are still practiced among artisans in Ecuador today

Premise:
Metal rings recently excavated in Mexico were made using the same metallurgical techniques as those used by Ecuadorian artisans.
Conclusion:
The metallurgical techniques used to make the rings found in Mexico were learned by Mexican artisans from Ecuadorian counterparts.

Rephrase the answer choices as basic statements.
The correct rephrase will STRENGTHEN or WEAKEN the conclusion, enabling us to evaluate the validity of the argument.

A, rephrased:
Metal objects were traded from Ecuador to western Mexico.
Here, the metal rings found in Mexico could be the result of TRADE between the two countries, WEAKENING the conclusion that Mexican artisans made the metal rings using techniques learned from their Ecuadorian counterparts.

The correct answer is A.

B, rephrased:
Travel between western Mexico and Ecuador in the seventh century would have been primarily by land or by sea.
This information does not strengthen or weaken the conclusion that the metallurgical techniques used to make the rings found in Mexico were learned by Mexican artisans from Ecuadorian counterparts.
Eliminate B.

C, rephrased:
Artisans from western Mexico could have learned complex metallurgical techniques from their Ecuadorian counterparts without actually leaving western Mexico.
This information seems to reaffirm the PREMISE that Mexico and Ecuador were in cultural contact.
A premise is a FACT: it cannot be strengthened or weakened.
Eliminate any answer choice that attempts to strengthen or weaken a premise.
Eliminate C.

D, rephrased:
Metal tools were used in the seventh century settlements in western Mexico.
This information does not strengthen or weaken the conclusion that metallurgical techniques were learned by Mexican artisans from Ecuadorian counterparts.
Eliminate D.

E, rephrased:
Some of the techniques used in the manufacture of the metal rings found in western Mexico are still practiced among artisans in Ecuador today.
This information tells us nothing about what happened in the 17th century and thus does not strengthen or weaken the conclusion that the metallurgical techniques used to make the rings found in Mexico were learned by Mexican artisans from Ecuadorian counterparts.
Eliminate E.

[RBBmba@2014]

Hi Dave/Mitch,
Can you please quickly confirm whether I'm correct in my reasoning here: https://www.beatthegmat.com/evaluate-th ... tml#812153 ?

Look forward to hear from you! Much thanks in advance.

[GMATGuruNY]

Option D simply doesn't help to address what we're looking for -- whether Mexican learned this technique from Ecuadorian ?

This line of reasoning is correct.

[RBBmba@2014]

Option D simply doesn't help to address what we're looking for -- whether Mexican learned this technique from Ecuadorian ?

This line of reasoning is correct.

Thanks Mitch!

And can you please quickly shed light on my other part of the explanation ? Here's it FYQR :

Even if D is true, it could well be the case that the Mexican didn't learn this technique from Ecuadorian, rather Ecuadorian made those metal rings which were later imported to Mexico or Ecuadorian went to Mexico to make those metal rings as foreign workers. Point is, we simply don't know what actually happened even if metal tools were used (or NOT used) in the seventh-century settlements in western Mexico.

This explanation to eliminate D should be correct, I think. Right ?

[GMATGuruNY]

And can you please quickly shed light on my other part of the explanation ? Here's it FYQR :

Even if D is true, it could well be the case that the Mexican didn't learn this technique from Ecuadorian, rather Ecuadorian made those metal rings which were later imported to Mexico or Ecuadorian went to Mexico to make those metal rings as foreign workers. Point is, we simply don't know what actually happened even if metal tools were used (or NOT used) in the seventh-century settlements in western Mexico.

This explanation to eliminate D should be correct, I think. Right ?

The statements above are all reasonable.