After observing the Earth's weather patterns and the 11-year sunspot cycle of the Sun for 36 years, scientists have found that high levels of sunspot activity precede shifts in wind patterns that affect the Earth's weather. One can conclude that meteorologists will be able to improve their weather forecasts based on this information.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?
(A) Weather forecasts are more detailed today than they were 36 years ago.
(B) Scientists can establish that sunspot activity directly affects the Earth's weather.
(C) Evidence other than sunspot activity has previously enabled meteorologists to forecast the
weather conditions that are predictable on the basis of sunspot activity.
(D) Scientists have not determined why the sunspot activity on the Sun follows an 11-year cycle.
(E) It has been established that predictable wind patterns yield predictable weather patterns.
OA is C. Could someone explain please.
Also is it a good representative of GMAT question style?
Target Test Prep is 20% off right now!
Use code FLASH20
Available with Beat the GMAT members only code
MORE DETAILS
Weaken Question - Dificult
This topic has expert replies
-
GMATMadeEasy
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 768
- Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2009 3:46 am
- Thanked: 21 times
- Followed by:7 members
-
bubbliiiiiiii
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 979
- Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:38 am
- Location: Hyderabad, India
- Thanked: 49 times
- Followed by:12 members
- GMAT Score:700
GMATMadeEasy wrote:After observing the Earth's weather patterns and the 11-year sunspot cycle of the Sun for 36 years, scientists have found that high levels of sunspot activity precede shifts in wind patterns that affect the Earth's weather. One can conclude that meteorologists will be able to improve their weather forecasts based on this information.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?
(A) Weather forecasts are more detailed today than they were 36 years ago.
This option states that weather reports are more detailed which may have included more factors in the report and thus, predicting each factor would be difficult. Contender
(B) Scientists can establish that sunspot activity directly affects the Earth's weather.
This one strengthens. - Eliminate
(C) Evidence other than sunspot activity has previously enabled meteorologists to forecast the
weather conditions that are predictable on the basis of sunspot activity.
This statements says that factors *other than* sunspot activity were helpful earlier but not sunspot activity. Thus, contender.
(D) Scientists have not determined why the sunspot activity on the Sun follows an 11-year cycle.
Out of scope.
(E) It has been established that predictable wind patterns yield predictable weather patterns.
Given in passage. out of scope.
OA is C. Could someone explain please.
To be honest, I have choosen A at my first attempt and eventually moved to C.
Also is it a good representative of GMAT question style?
I don't see any pattern evasion.
Lets see what experts and other fellow bloggers got to say.
Regards,
Pranay
Pranay
-
sameerballani
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 544
- Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 8:10 am
- Thanked: 45 times
- Followed by:2 members
Understanding:GMATMadeEasy wrote:After observing the Earth's weather patterns and the 11-year sunspot cycle of the Sun for 36 years, scientists have found that high levels of sunspot activity precede shifts in wind patterns that affect the Earth's weather. One can conclude that meteorologists will be able to improve their weather forecasts based on this information.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument above?
(A) Weather forecasts are more detailed today than they were 36 years ago.
(B) Scientists can establish that sunspot activity directly affects the Earth's weather.
(C) Evidence other than sunspot activity has previously enabled meteorologists to forecast the
weather conditions that are predictable on the basis of sunspot activity.
(D) Scientists have not determined why the sunspot activity on the Sun follows an 11-year cycle.
(E) It has been established that predictable wind patterns yield predictable weather patterns.
OA is C. Could someone explain please.
Also is it a good representative of GMAT question style?
Observing sunspotcycle + earths's weather
FOUND: High level of sunspot activity ---(precedes)---> shifts in wind patterns THAT affect earth's weather.
Therefore. now it will help in weather forecasting.
BASICALLY THEY(scientist) FEEL THAT NOW THEY HAVE UNDERSTOOD HOW SUNSPOT CYCLE AFFECTS EARTH's WEATHER (using the intermediate thing: wind patterns)
To weaken , suppose we already had any other thing say X that was affected by sunspot cycle. AND we could forecast the earth's weather by using the behavior of X.
So in that case we already have relationship between sunspot cycle and earth's weather and this study wont' be of any help.
Basically a substitute of shift in wind pattern is already present.
Option C
(C) Evidence other than sunspot activity has previously enabled meteorologists to forecast the weather conditions that are predictable on the basis of sunspot activity.
I hope this helps !!
-
amit2k9
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 461
- Joined: Tue May 10, 2011 9:09 am
- Location: pune
- Thanked: 36 times
- Followed by:3 members
C clearly shows that even with the new methodology chances are less for improvement in the weather pattern detection.
For Understanding Sustainability,Green Businesses and Social Entrepreneurship visit -https://aamthoughts.blocked/
(Featured Best Green Site Worldwide-https://bloggers.com/green/popular/page2)
(Featured Best Green Site Worldwide-https://bloggers.com/green/popular/page2)
-
David@VeritasPrep
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2193
- Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 6:30 pm
- Location: Vermont and Boston, MA
- Thanked: 1186 times
- Followed by:512 members
- GMAT Score:770
This one does not seem too different from the GMAT...
This answer is not one that we can necessarily predict -- but it works.
Conclusion: Meteorologists will be able to improve their forecasts based on the knowledge of the sunspots.
Now let's weaken this. Usually you can approach a weaken question by looking for the answer that goes to the opposite of the conclusion.
In this case the opposite of the conclusion is: "meteorologists will NOT be able to improve their forecasts."
Answer Choice C does what we are looking for...if the improvements have already been made then there will not be any more improvements in accuracy based on knowledge of sunspot activity.
This answer is not one that we can necessarily predict -- but it works.
Conclusion: Meteorologists will be able to improve their forecasts based on the knowledge of the sunspots.
Now let's weaken this. Usually you can approach a weaken question by looking for the answer that goes to the opposite of the conclusion.
In this case the opposite of the conclusion is: "meteorologists will NOT be able to improve their forecasts."
Answer Choice C does what we are looking for...if the improvements have already been made then there will not be any more improvements in accuracy based on knowledge of sunspot activity.
