Critical Reasoning

One variety of partially biodegradable plastic beverage container is manufactured from small bits of plastic bound together by a degradable bonding agent such as cornstarch. Since only the bonding agent degrades, leaving the small bits of plastic, no less plastic refuse per container is produced when such containers are discarded than when comparable nonbiodegradable containers are discarded.

Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument above?

(A) Both partially biodegradable and nonbiodegradable plastic beverage containers can be crushed completely flat by refuse compactors.
(B) The partially biodegradable plastic beverage containers are made with more plastic than comparable nonbiodegradable ones in order to compensate for the weakening effect of the bounding agents.
(C) Many consumers are ecology-minded and prefer to buy a product sold in the partially biodegradable plastic beverage containers rather than in nonbiodegradable containers, even if the price is higher.
(D) The manufacturing process for the partially biodegradable plastic beverage containers results in less plastic waste than the manufacturing process for nonbiodegradable plastic beverage containers.
(E) Technological problems with recycling currently prevent the reuse as food or beverage containers of the plastic from either type of plastic beverage container.

We need to strengthen something that says the plastic refuse left behind by bio degradable per container when disposed is comparable to plastic refuse left behind by bio degradable per container when non bio degradable containers are disposed.Bio is not any better than non bio with respect to the plastic refuse left behind when discarded.


B does this by saying that ther is more plactic to begin with in bio which tell us that there is more chance that during disposal it may leave behind as much refuse if not more compared to the non bio one.


IMO in verbal the best way to approach questions(atleast the slightly tougher ones and the more tougher/confusing ones is by process of elimination. Also "stay close" to what's asked and how each choice relates to that

A) Both partially biodegradable and nonbiodegradable plastic beverage containers can be crushed completely flat by refuse compactors.

The argument refers to plastic refuse between bio and non bio so crushing has nothing to do with it

ELIMINATE

(B) The partially biodegradable plastic beverage containers are made with more plastic than comparable nonbiodegradable ones in order to compensate for the weakening effect of the bounding agents.

KEEP

(C) Many consumers are ecology-minded and prefer to buy a product sold in the partially biodegradable plastic beverage containers rather than in nonbiodegradable containers, even if the price is higher.

Something that talks about price can never tell us anything about the plastic refuse left behind

ELIMINATE

(D) The manufacturing process for the partially biodegradable plastic beverage containers results in less plastic waste than the manufacturing process for nonbiodegradable plastic beverage containers.

Thats great but the what happens when they aree disposed i.e ho much plastic is left behind by each. This does not give us any clue

ELIMINATE

(E) Technological problems with recycling currently prevent the reuse as food or beverage containers of the plastic from either type of plastic beverage container.

Something that talks about how both bio and non bio have some common characteristics when it comes to Technological problems with recycling

ELIMINATE


Lets say even if u r not fully convinced by B u would still go wiht B since u have eliminated all other choices

Hence in GMAT its always choose the "best answer"

Hope this helps!

Regards,
CR

Great explanation Cramya. I just used PoE and was only left with B.

Appreciate your efforts Cramya, the reason for the series of yesterday's posts is that I tried to model actual gmat situation, namely when math section exhaust you out of consciousness, verbal section becomes even worse. Ususally i killed most of problems with verbal I had previously, but yesterday I overloaded myself with knotty math, then took verbal and the result is that some times I couldn't even concentrate on stimulus, precisely in passages like "plastic-mitochondria-f-science". So, I decided to elaborate some strategies "how to act" in such cases. As I see it's should be - stick to the key words and main point.

I must admit that B seems to be the answer