Guidebook writer

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Guidebook writer

by JJJooe » Wed Aug 26, 2009 8:02 pm
Guidebook writer: I have visited hotels throughout the country and have noticed that in those built before 1930 the quality of the original carpentry work is generally superior to that in hotels built afterward. Clearly carpenters working on hotels before 1930 typically worked with more skill, care, and effort than carpenters who have worked on hotels built subsequently.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the guidebook writer's argument?

A. The quality of original carpentry in hotels is generally far superior to the quality of original carpentry in other structures, such as houses and stores.

B. Hotels built since 1930 can generally accommodate more guests than those built before 1930.

C. The materials available to carpenters working before 1930 were not significantly different in quality from the materials available to carpenters working after 1930.

D. The better the quality of original carpentry in a building, the less likely that building is to fall into disuse and be demolished.

E. The average length of apprenticeship for carpenters has declined significantly since 1930.





the OA is D...does it mean that the hotels the guidebook writer visited are not representative of the hotels built before 1930 and afterward?

thanks!
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by brad@knewton » Thu Aug 27, 2009 2:58 pm
The answer is (D) because it introduces the possibility that many hotels built prior to 1930 fell into disarray and were demolished. Thus, the writer was able to visit only those hotels which were still standing (the ones with superior craftsmanship).

You are correct: (D) suggests that many pre-1930 hotels are not standing, and the writer visited an unrepresentative sample of pre-1930s hotels.

Incidentally, good test takers should have been able to predict a couple possible answers here, especially the idea displayed in (C). Although a strengthener (and as such, wrong), the quality of materials used should have immediately jumped out to you as a possibility.

Remember, the GMAT is a thinking person's test; if the first time you think about a question is in the reading of answer (A), you aren't approaching the test efficiently.

Hope that helps.
Brad McIlquham
Director of Curriculum, Knewton
https://www.knewton.com

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by JJJooe » Thu Aug 27, 2009 7:39 pm
thanks�