imskpwr wrote:GMATGuruNY wrote:imskpwr wrote:Tsumi bats are a rare breed of omnivorous bat found only in high temperate climates. Most Tsumi bats living in captivity develop endocrine imbalances from their normal zoo diets, which consist mostly of fruits and berries. The healthiest way to feed the bats, therefore, is to provide them primarily with nuts, grub, and vegetables and only minimal amounts of fruits and berries.
Which of the statements below does NOT reflect an assumption upon which the argument depends?
(A) Those who care for Tsumi bats in captivity should avoid feeding them diets that produce endocrine imbalances.
(B) Tsumi bats living in captivity will not be malnourished on diets that contain minimal fruits and berries.
(C) Tsumi bats living in captivity will consume diets that consist of nuts, grubs, and vegetables but no fruits or berries.
(D) Tsumi bats living in captivity will be adequately nourished on a diet that consists primarily of nuts, grubs, and vegetables.
(E) For Tsumi bats living in captivity, no health problem stemming from diets consisting mostly of nuts, grubs, and vegetables would surpass in severity the health problems associated with endocrine imbalances.
To determine which of the five answer choices are assumptions, apply the NEGATION TEST.
An assumption is WHAT MUST BE TRUE for the conclusion to be valid.
Thus, when an assumption is NEGATED, the conclusion will be rendered INVALID.
The conclusion is that the bats should be provided
primarily with nuts, grub, and vegetables and only minimal amounts of fruits and berries so that the bats do not
develop endocrine imbalances.
The following negations invalidate this conclusion:
(A)
Those who care for Tsumi bats in captivity should FOCUS on feeding them diets that produce endocrine imbalances.
(B)
Tsumi bats living in captivity WILL BE MALNOURISHED on diets that contain minimal fruits and berries.
(D)
Tsumi bats living in captivity WILL BE MALNOURISHED on a diet that consists primarily of nuts, grubs, and vegetables.
(E)
For Tsumi bats living in captivity, MANY HEALTH PROBLEMS stemming from diets consisting mostly of nuts, grubs, and vegetables WILL SURPASS IN SEVERITY the health problems associated with endocrine imbalances.
The following negation does NOT invalidate the conclusion:
(
C) Tsumi bats living in captivity will not consume diets that consist of...no fruits or berries.
Since the diet proposed in the passage will INCLUDE nuts and berries, the negation of
C is irrelevant.
The correct answer is
C.
This is certainly the easiest way to solve this question.
Even though, I did this q with a different approach and my approach is flawed. I appreciate if you can help me in finding that flaw.
Further, this is an ASSUMPTION q so, If my reasoning is wrong here, the same reasoning will lead to wrong results in other ASSUMPTION FAMILY qs(strengthern, weaken, etc).
It seems that you deemed A, B and D out of scope too readily.
An assumption is something that MUST BE TRUE for the conclusion to be valid.
To determine which answer choices must be true, the negation test often is the easiest approach.
An alternate approach is to frame each answer choice as follows:
To conclude that [insert conclusion], it must be true that [insert answer choice].
Applying this strategy to A, B and D, we get:
A: To conclude that
the healthiest way to feed the bats is to provide them primarily with nuts, grub, and vegetables and only minimal amounts of fruits and berries, it must be true that
those who care for Tsumi bats in captivity should avoid feeding them diets that produce endocrine imbalances..
Yes.
The only problem with the CURRENT diet is that it leads to endocrine imbalances.
Thus, to conclude that the diet should be changed, it must be true that those who care for Tsumi bats in captivity should avoid feeding them diets that produce endocrine imbalances.
B: To conclude that
the healthiest way to feed the bats is to provide them primarily with nuts, grub, and vegetables and only minimal amounts of fruits and berries, it must be true that
Tsumi bats living in captivity will not be malnourished on diets that contain minimal fruits and berries.
Yes.
For the suggested diet to be the healthiest way to feed the bats, it must be true that the bats will not be malnourished if given only minimal amounts of fruits and berries.
D: To conclude that
the healthiest way to feed the bats is to provide them primarily with nuts, grub, and vegetables and only minimal amounts of fruits and berries, it must be true that
Tsumi bats living in captivity will be adequately nourished on a diet that consists primarily of nuts, grubs, and vegetables..
Yes.
For the suggested diet to be the healthiest way to feed the bats, it must be true that the bats will be adequately nourished on a diet that consists primarily of nuts, grubs, and vegetables.
Since A, B and D must be true, eliminate A, B and D.
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