Lesson: Introduction to Argument Passages

Comment on Introduction to Argument Passages

Hi Brent,

For the below question why B is better than E ? Why can't we say that the reason for more number of surgeries in France is due to more number of doctors available in France than Italy ?

"A recent study by a renowned worldwide health think tank found that the number of surgeries performed to remove bunions in France greatly exceeded the number of such surgeries in Italy. This is true although the populations of the two countries are comparable in size, and the factors thought to contribute to the development of bunions are equally present in both countries. Bunions occur most frequently in women who wear tight-fitting shoes, and the most popular women’s shoes in both France and Italy tend to be tight-fitting. Therefore, the French have a genetic predisposition to developing bunions that the Italians lack."

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument?
(A) French women and Italian women spend roughly equal amounts of time walking in tight-fitting shoes.

(B) Italians have a cultural skepticism towards unnecessary medical treatment that French people do not have. Correct Answer

(C) Other countries, such as the United States and Canada, have a greater per capita rate of bunion surgeries than France does.

(D) A French person suffering from bunions is just as likely to have surgery to remove them as is an Italian person.

(E) France has more doctors trained to perform surgery to remove bunions than does Italy.

Kindly help me
Thanks :)
greenlight-admin's picture

The premises tell us that the two countries have similar populations AND the factors thought to contribute to the development of bunions are equally present in both countries.

CONCLUSION: French are genetically predisposed to developing bunions.

Answer choice B suggests that Italians just don't get bunion surgery. So, it's not that there are fewer cases of bunions; the Italians just don't get them removed.
This definitely weakens the conclusion.

Answer choice E suggests that the French have more bunion surgeries because there are more bunion surgeons. This COULD weaken the conclusion if it were the case that having more of something makes people more prone to using that thing. But is this true? Do people who live in cities with more gas stations buy more gas than people with fewer gas stations? Do people with 6 bathrooms in their house use the bathroom more than people with 1 bathroom? Not really.

Does that help?

Cheers,
Brent

Yes it does :) Thank you

Hi Brent,

I have worked the following passage as below, however struck between option A & B.

The Fingerprint Recognition Device (FRD), a machine that uses digital imaging to examine the ridges and patterns in fingerprints, retains information about patterns it has previously seen. This process allows it to identify any pattern it has examined in the past. Since no two people have the same fingerprints, an FRD can always reliably indicate whether it has ever seen the fingerprints of a particular person.

Which of the following is an assumption upon which the argument depends?

A) Persons employed in jobs involving heavy manual labor do not damage their fingers in ways that would substantially change their fingerprints.

B) The FRD has an elaborate set of safeguards in place to ensure that data is not lost when the machine loses power or breaks down.

C) The technology involved in producing and distributing FRDs is not prohibitively expensive.

D) The number of ridges in any given person’s fingerprints is identical, but the particular patterns they form vary.

E) No set of fingerprints has ever been examined by more than one FRD.


Conclusion: FRD can always reliably indicate whether it has ever seen the fingerprints of a particular person

Premises: It retains information about patterns it has previously seen.
No two people have same fingerprints

Wrt first premise, I thought an assumption like data wouldn't be erased from the machine.

I found option B matches with that assumption and chose it. However answer is A.
Could you kindly help

greenlight-admin's picture

What's the source of this question? I ask because it doesn't seem GRE-ish. I ask because there are TONS of official practice questions at the bottom of this page: https://www.greenlighttestprep.com/module/gre-reading-comprehension

That said, let's answer the question.

CONCLUSION: An FRD can always reliably indicate whether it has ever seen the fingerprints of a particular person.

An assumption is something that is REQUIRED in order for the conclusion to follow from the premises.

Answer choice A basically says that people's fingerprint never change.
This is a necessary assumption.
If a person's fingerprints changed substantially, then the stored information about that person's ridges and patterns would be DIFFERENT from that person's altered fingerprints.
Keep A

Answer choice B is not totally required. \Let's say there ISN'T an elaborate set of safeguards in place to ensure that data is not lost when the machine loses power or breaks down. Does this mean that the FRD definitely CANNOT indicate whether it has ever seen the fingerprints of a particular person?
No.
Just because there are not safeguards in place doesn't mean that the FRD cannot do its job. Sure, if the data WERE lost, then the FRD couldn't do its job. But, that's not what answer choice B says.

Answer: A

Cheers,
Brent

What shall be the answer of the first passage related to taxation?
greenlight-admin's picture

C is the correct answer to the taxation question.

I'm very grateful that there are only 1 to 2 argument questions per verbal section on the GRE. Besides the "select all that apply" reading comp questions, these give me a lot of trouble because I see things that the test-makers just don't catch or anticipate in the arguments. Thankfully, a good chunk of law schools accept the GRE nowadays in lieu of the LSAT. I would NEVER dream of taking the LSAT solely because 50% of that exam is made up of argument questions like these! So you can see exactly why I avoid the LSAT like the coronavirus plague.

These questions are seriously best saved for last. They eat up TONS of time, way more so than reading comp questions. The reason for this is because you have to figure out what the premises and conclusion are, write them down, and then also try to wrap your head around the insane logic and answer choices. Make sure these are saved for last, and if you need to guess (which is very likely), GUESS! Again, I better get into a law school, or there will be problems.

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