Analysis of an Argument Questions for the GMAT.docx

Analysis of an Argument Questions for the GMAT.docx

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AnalysisofanArgumentQuestionsfortheGMAT

AnalysisofanArgumentQuestionsfortheGMAT.Exam

ThisdocumentcontainsallAnalysisofanArgumentquestionsusedontheGMAT.exam.Eachquestionisfollowed

bythisstatement:

Discusshowwellreasonedyoufindthisargument.Inyourdiscussionbesuretoanalyzethelineofreasoningand

theuseofevidenceintheargument.Forexample,youmayneedtoconsiderwhatquestionableassumptions

underliethethinkingandwhatalternativeexplanationsorcounterexamplesmightweakentheconclusion.Youcan

alsodiscusswhatsortofevidencewouldstrengthenorrefutetheargument,whatchangesintheargumentwould

makeitmorelogicallysound,andwhat,ifanything,wouldhelpyoubetterevaluateitsconclusion.

ThefollowingappearedaspartofanannualreportsenttostockholdersbyOlympicFoods,aprocessoroffrozen

foods:

“Overtime,thecostsofprocessinggodownbecauseasorganizationslearnhowtodothingsbetter,theybecome

moreefficient.Incolorfilmprocessing,forexample,thecostofa3-by-5-inchprintfellfrom50centsforfive-day

servicein1970to20centsforone-dayservicein1984.Thesameprincipleappliestotheprocessingoffood.And

sinceOlympicFoodswillsooncelebrateits25thbirthday,wecanexpectthatourlongexperiencewillenableusto

minimizecostsandthusmaximizeprofits.”

ThefollowingappearedinamemorandumfromthebusinessdepartmentoftheApogeeCompany:

“WhentheApogeeCompanyhadallitsoperationsinonelocation,itwasmoreprofitablethanitistoday.Therefore,

theApogeeCompanyshouldclosedownitsfieldofficesandconductallitsoperationsfromasinglelocation.Such

centralizationwouldimproveprofitabilitybycuttingcostsandhelpingthecompanymaintainbettersupervisionofall

employees.”

Thefollowingappearedinamemorandumissuedbyalargecity’scouncilonthearts:

“Inarecentcitywidepoll,15percentmoreresidentssaidthattheywatchtelevisionprogramsaboutthevisualarts

thanwasthecaseinapollconductedfiveyearsago.Duringthesepastfiveyears,thenumberofpeoplevisitingour

city’sartmuseumshasincreasedbyasimilarpercentage.Sincethecorporatefundingthatsupportspublictelevision,

wheremostofthevisualartsprogramsappear,isnowbeingthreatenedwithseverecuts,wecanexpectthat

attendanceatourcity’sartmuseumswillalsostarttodecrease.Thussomeofthecity’sfundsforsupportingthearts

shouldbereallocatedtopublictelevision.”

ThefollowingappearedinanannouncementissuedbythepublisherofTheMercury,aweeklynewspaper:

“Sinceacompetinglower-pricednewspaper,TheBugle,wasstartedfiveyearsago,TheMercury’scirculationhas

declinedby10,000readers.ThebestwaytogetmorepeopletoreadTheMercuryistoreduceitspricebelowthatof

TheBugle,atleastuntilcirculationincreasestoformerlevels.TheincreasedcirculationofTheMercurywillattract

morebusinessestobuyadvertisingspaceinthepaper.”

Thefollowingappearedinareportpresentedfordiscussionatameetingofthedirectorsofacompanythat

manufacturespartsforheavymachinery:

“Thefallingrevenuesthatthecompanyisexperiencingcoincidewithdelaysinmanufacturing.Thesedelays,inturn,

aredueinlargeparttopoorplanninginpurchasingmetals.Considerfurtherthatthemanagerofthedepartmentthat

handlespurchasingofrawmaterialshasanexcellentbackgroundingeneralbusiness,psychology,andsociology,

butknowslittleaboutthepropertiesofmetals.Thecompanyshould,therefore,movethepurchasingmanagertothe

salesdepartmentandbringinascientistfromtheresearchdivisiontobemanagerofthepurchasingdepartment.”

Thefollowingappearedaspartofanarticleinamagazinedevotedtoregionallife:

“CorporationsshouldlooktothecityofHelioswhenseekingnewbusinessopportunitiesoranewlocation.Evenin

therecentrecession,Helios’sunemploymentratewaslowerthantheregionalaverage.Itistheindustrialcenterof

theregion,andhistoricallyithasprovidedmorethanitsshareoftheregion’smanufacturingjobs.Inaddition,Helios

isattemptingtoexpanditseconomicbasebyattractingcompaniesthatfocusonresearchanddevelopmentof

innovativetechnologies.”

Thefollowingappearedinthehealthsectionofamagazineontrendsandlifestyles:

“Peoplewhousetheartificialsweeteneraspartamearebetteroffconsumingsugar,sinceaspartamecanactually

contributetoweightgainratherthanweightloss.Forexample,highlevelsofaspartamehavebeenshowntotriggera

cravingforfoodbydepletingthebrainofachemicalthatregisterssatiety,orthesenseofbeingfull.Furthermore,

studiessuggestthatsugars,ifconsumedafteratleast45minutesofcontinuousexercise,actuallyenhancethe

body’sabilitytoburnfat.Consequently,thosewhodrinkaspartame-sweetenedjuicesafterexercisewillalsolosethis

calorie-burningbenefit.Thusitappearsthatpeopleconsumingaspartameratherthansugarareunlikelytoachieve

theirdietarygoals.”

Thefollowingappearedintheeditorialsectionofacorporatenewsletter:

“Thecommonnotionthatworkersaregenerallyapatheticaboutmanagementissuesisfalse,oratleastoutdated:

a

recentlypublishedsurveyindicatesthat79percentofthenearly1,200workerswhorespondedtosurvey

questionnairesexpressedahighlevelofinterestinthetopicsofcorporaterestructuringandredesignofbenefits

programs.”

Thefollowingappearedintheopinioncolumnofafinancialmagazine:

“Onaverage,middle-agedconsumersdevote39percentoftheirretailexpendituretodepartmentstoreproductsand

services,whileforyoungerconsumerstheaverageisonly25percent.Sincethenumberofmiddle-agedpeoplewill

increasedramaticallywithinthenextdecade,departmentstorescanexpectretailsalestoincreasesignificantly

duringthatperiod.Furthermore,totakeadvantageofthetrend,thesestoresshouldbegintoreplacesomeofthose

productsintendedtoattracttheyoungerconsumerwithproductsintendedtoattractthemiddle-agedconsumer.”

Thefollowingappearedintheeditorialsectionofalocalnewspaper:

“Thispastwinter,200studentsfromWaymarshStateCollegetraveledtothestatecapitolbuildingtoprotestagainst

proposedcutsinfundingforvariousstatecollegeprograms.Theother12,000Waymarshstudentsevidentlyweren’t

soconcernedabouttheireducation:

theyeitherstayedoncampusorleftforwinterbreak.Sincethegroupwhodid

notprotestisfarmorenumerous,itismorerepresentativeofthestate’scollegestudentsthanaretheprotesters.

Thereforethestatelegislatureneednotheedtheappealsoftheprotestingstudents.”

Thefollowingappearedintheeditorialsectionofalocalnewspaper:

“InthefirstfouryearsthatMontoyahasservedasmayorofthecityofSanPerdito,thepopulationhasdecreasedand

theunemploymentratehasincreased.Twobusinesseshaveclosedforeachnewbusinessthathasopened.Under

Varro,whoservedasmayorforfouryearsbeforeMontoya,theunemploymentratedecreasedandthepopulation

increased.Clearly,theresidentsofSanPerditowouldbebestservediftheyvotedMontoyaoutofofficeand

reelectedVarro.”

ThefollowingappearedaspartofapromotionalcampaigntoselladvertisingspaceintheDailyGazettetogrocery

storesintheMarstonarea:

“AdvertisingthereducedpriceofselectedgroceryitemsintheDailyGazettewillhelpyouincreaseyoursales.

Considertheresultsofastudyconductedlastmonth.ThirtysaleitemsfromastoreindowntownMarstonwere

advertisedinTheGazetteforfourdays.Eachtimeoneormoreofthe30itemswaspurchased,clerksaskedwhether

theshopperhadreadthead.Two-thirdsofthe200shoppersaskedansweredintheaffirmative.Furthermore,more

thanhalfthecustomerswhoansweredintheaffirmativespentover$100atthestore.”

Thefollowingappearedaspartofacampaigntoselladvertisingtimeonalocalradiostationtolocalbusinesses:

“TheCumquatCafébeganadvertisingonourlocalradiostationthisyearandwasdelightedtoseeitsbusiness

increaseby10percentoverlastyear’stotals.Theirsuccessshowsyouhowyoucanuseradioadvertisingtomake

yourbusinessmoreprofitable.”

Thefollowingappearedaspartofanewspapereditorial:

“TwoyearsagoNovaHighSchoolbegantouseinteractivecomputerinstructioninthreeacademicsubjects.The

schooldropoutratedeclinedimmediately,andlastyear’sgraduateshavereportedsomeimpressiveachievementsin

college.Infuturebudgetstheschoolboardshoulduseagreaterportionoftheavailablefundstobuymore

computers,andallschoolsinthedistrictshouldadoptinteractivecomputerinstructionthroughoutthecurriculum.”

ThefollowingappearedasapartofanadvertisementforAdams,whoisseekingreelectionasgovernor:

“ReelectAdams,andyouwillbevotingforprovenleadershipinimprovingthestate’seconomy.Overthepastyear

alone,70percentofthestate’sworkershavehadincreasesintheirwages,5,000newjobshavebeencreated,and

sixcorporationshavelocatedtheirheadquartershere.Mostoftherespondentsinarecentpollsaidtheybelievedthat

theeconomyislikelytocontinuetoimproveifAdamsisreelected.Adams’sopponent,Zebulon,wouldleadourstate

inthewrongdirection,becauseZebulondisagreeswithmanyofAdams’seconomicpolicies.”

ThefollowingappearedaspartofanarticleintheeducationsectionofaWaymarshcitynewspaper:

“Throughoutthelasttwodecades,thosewhoearnedgraduatedegreesfounditverydifficulttogetjo