Different CR!!!

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Different CR!!!

by [email protected] » Sun Feb 05, 2012 4:46 am
Almost every modern kitchen today is equipped with a microwave oven, mainly because microwave ovens offer a fast and convenient way of cooking and reheating food. Indeed, it has become a standard appliance in most households. Studies have shown, however, that microwave ovens are not completely safe and their use has occasionally resulted in serious injury. Because of this, some consumer advocates argue that microwave ovens should not be so readily accepted as a standard appliance until they can be certified to be completely safe.

Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument of the consumer advocates?

A] Microwave ovens have taken much of the joy out of cooking.

B] There have been many reported incidences of people who have been scalded by liquids superheated in microwave ovens.

C] Absolute safety is the only criterion by which an appliance should be judged to be acceptable as "standard."

D] There is no such thing as a completely safe appliance.

E] Stoves and ovens that use natural gas consume energy much more efficiently than microwave ovens.


OA IS C.


Understand this CR. I went for the option B and got smacked... this is 700 level CR>>>
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by msrdon » Mon Feb 06, 2012 9:27 am
Ans C

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by chris@magoosh » Mon Feb 06, 2012 5:32 pm
To see why (C) is a stronger answer than (B), we have to focus on the wording in the conclusion:

Because of this, some consumer advocates argue that microwave ovens should not be so readily accepted as a standard appliance until they can be certified to be completely safe.

The consumer advocate's logic is for something to be a standard appliance it has to be 100% safe. Definitely a tall order - but we are looking for something that strengthens this position.

For an appliance to be granted the exalted tag "standard", what if safety was the only criterion? Well, then the advocate's position is strengthened. This is essentially answer (C).

On the other hand the position would have been weakened if there were other criteria for an appliance to be deemed standard (e.g. 98% of households have to carry one, etc.)

Answer choice (B) clearly is relevant to the topic - it underscores the fact that microwaves are not safe. It does not, however, directly address the conclusion. That people get burned by scalding liquid doesn't help make the connection between 100% safe and standard appliance the way (C) does.