GMAT Critical Reasoning Discussions

MBA
4130
The survival of the publishing industry depends upon the existence of a public who will buy the printed word in the form of newspapers, books and magazines. Over the past several years, however, the advance of electronic media, particularly CD-ROMs, online computer services, and the Internet, has made 9information available to the public electronically without the need for printed materials. As the availability of electronic media increases and as it is more easily accessible, the public has less need for printed materials. So the publishing industry is threatened by the advance of the computer information age.
The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
(A) The first is the part of evidence that the argument includes, the second is the conclusion that can be drawn only from the first.
(B) The first is the second-premise that the argument includes; the second is the conclusion that is reasonably drawn form this passage.
(C) The first is the second-premise that the argument includes, the second is the inference that must be drawn from this argument.
(D) The first is the fact that must be true, the second is the inference that can be correctly drawn from this argument.
(E) The first is the part of premise that the argument depends on; the second is the conclusion that is incorrectly drawn from this argument

by tommorow i will ppst OAs for both Qs i posted timm that time keep discussing!!

my take :(B) The first is the second-premise that the argument includes; the second is the conclusion that is reasonably drawn form this passage.

you are doing an excellent job ,man !!...pl post more questions on this type.. i was really scared of these kinda of questions....
thanks
Dipak
4132

Solve this..
In a political system with only two major parties, the entrance of a third-party candidate into an election race damages the chances of only one of the two major candidates. The third-party candidate always attracts some of the voters who might otherwise have voted for one of the two major candidates, but not voters who support the other candidate. Since a third-party candidacy affects the two major candidates unequally, for reasons neither of them has any control over, the practice is unfair and should not be allowed.
If the factual information in the passage above is true, which of the following can be most reliably inferred from it?
(A) If the political platform of the third party is a compromise position between that of the two major parties, the third party will draw its voters equally from the two major parties.
(B) If, before the emergence of a third party, voters were divided equally between the two major parties, neither of the major parties is likely to capture much more than one-half of the vote.
(C) A third-party candidate will not capture the votes of new voters who have never voted for candidates of either of the two major parties.
(D) The political stance of a third party will be more radical than that of either of the two major parties.
(E) The founders of a third party are likely to be a coalition consisting of former leaders of the two major parties.

4133
Solve this..
In a political system with only two major parties, the entrance of a third-party candidate into an election race damages the chances of only one of the two major candidates. The third-party candidate always attracts some of the voters who might otherwise have voted for one of the two major candidates, but not voters who support the other candidate. Since a third-party candidacy affects the two major candidates unequally, for reasons neither of them has any control over, the practice is unfair and should not be allowed.
If the factual information in the passage above is true, which of the following can be most reliably inferred from it?
(A) If the political platform of the third party is a compromise position between that of the two major parties, the third party will draw its voters equally from the two major parties.
(B) If, before the emergence of a third party, voters were divided equally between the two major parties, neither of the major parties is likely to capture much more than one-half of the vote.
(C) A third-party candidate will not capture the votes of new voters who have never voted for candidates of either of the two major parties.
(D) The political stance of a third party will be more radical than that of either of the two major parties.
(E) The founders of a third party are likely to be a coalition consisting of former leaders of the two major parties.


the answer is B..B and C are close...but C cannot be properly inferred(must be true) from the psg...
4134

Solve this..
In a political system with only two major parties, the entrance of a third-party candidate into an election race damages the chances of only one of the two major candidates. The third-party candidate always attracts some of the voters who might otherwise have voted for one of the two major candidates, but not voters who support the other candidate. Since a third-party candidacy affects the two major candidates unequally, for reasons neither of them has any control over, the practice is unfair and should not be allowed.
If the factual information in the passage above is true, which of the following can be most reliably inferred from it?
(A) If the political platform of the third party is a compromise position between that of the two major parties, the third party will draw its voters equally from the two major parties.
(B) If, before the emergence of a third party, voters were divided equally between the two major parties, neither of the major parties is likely to capture much more than one-half of the vote.
(C) A third-party candidate will not capture the votes of new voters who have never voted for candidates of either of the two major parties.
(D) The political stance of a third party will be more radical than that of either of the two major parties.
(E) The founders of a third party are likely to be a coalition consisting of former leaders of the two major parties.

My take in Bold.... C is close but because of probability modifier, will the answer becomes a bit too strong to be the right answer.

4135
Solve this..
In a political system with only two major parties, the entrance of a third-party candidate into an election race damages the chances of only one of the two major candidates. The third-party candidate always attracts some of the voters who might otherwise have voted for one of the two major candidates, but not voters who support the other candidate. Since a third-party candidacy affects the two major candidates unequally, for reasons neither of them has any control over, the practice is unfair and should not be allowed.
If the factual information in the passage above is true, which of the following can be most reliably inferred from it?
(A) If the political platform of the third party is a compromise position between that of the two major parties, the third party will draw its voters equally from the two major parties.
(B) If, before the emergence of a third party, voters were divided equally between the two major parties, neither of the major parties is likely to capture much more than one-half of the vote.
(C) A third-party candidate will not capture the votes of new voters who have never voted for candidates of either of the two major parties.
(D) The political stance of a third party will be more radical than that of either of the two major parties.
(E) The founders of a third party are likely to be a coalition consisting of former leaders of the two major parties.

my ans: B) If, before the emergence of a third party, voters were divided equally between the two major parties, neither of the major parties is likely to capture much more than one-half of the vote...
pl post the ans explanation as well when you post OA.
4136

Some good one's...
1. An educational study that lasted 3 years found that 15 percent of students who had studied classical
logic actually used it in their daily assignments. The study shows that classical logic should no longer
be taught.
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the conclusion of the above passage?
A) The students in this survey were less educated than the average students nationwide.
B) Most educational surveys cover at least a five-year period.
C) Classical logic is most advantageous when used during examinations, but not for doing routine
homework assignments.
D) Classical Logic is extremely difficult to learn.
E) Only twelve percent of anything learned is used daily.

2.Although computer programs now play chess as well as the best human chess players, they do not
do so by simulating human thought. A computer analyzes every possible move and its consequences,
which requires incredible computing speed beyond that possessed by any person. By contrast, a
skilled human chess player recognizes the most promising possible moves and analyzes only those,
ignoring the others. So far, no computer program can replicate this ability; however, if one that could
do so were developed... (Which would most logically complete the passage above?)
A) it would remove the advantage heretofore enjoyed by the computer because of its great speed
B) it would probably be able to simulate human thought in other areas as well
C) it would probably be able to defeat even the best human chess players
D) it would underscore the differences between true human-like thought and mere computation
E) it likely would overlook promising moves occasionally and would therefore lose some games it
should win

3. In New York, a political candidate who buys saturation TV advertising will get maximum name
recognition. The statement above logically conveys which of the following?
A) TV advertising is the most important factor in political campaigns in New York.
B) Maximum name recognition in New York will help a candidate to win a higher percentage of votes
cast in the city.
C) Saturation TV advertising reaches every demographically distinct sector of the voting population of
New York.
D) For maximum name recognition a candidate need not spend on media channels other than TV
advertising.
E) A candidate's record of achievement in the New York area will do little to affect his or her name
recognition there.

4137
another boldface:

Op-ed letter: town councils are usually unable to make the right decisions when the town is privy to every vote they cast. Many citizens are unhappy when the council votes to do things like raise taxes, and many of those unhappy citizens give council-members who vote for tax hikes a difficult time outside of the town meeting. Though anonymity in voting could give council members the autonomy to vote for legislation that negatively impacts community members, not giving them anonymity makes it impossible for them to vote for legislation that the community really needs.

What roles do the two boldface portions play in the letter-writers argument?

(a) the first is a reason to favor the writers conclusion; the second presents that conclusion.
(b) the first is a pattern of cause and effect the writer thinks is false in this case; the second offer reasons in favor of her prediction.
(c) the first suggests a generalization that the writer thinks is true in this case; the second offers a consideration that weighs against her conclusion.
(d) the first offers a reason in favor of the writers conclusion; the second offers a generalization that she believes holds true in this instance.
(e) the first is a pattern of cause and effect the writer agrees with; the second is the conclusion


oa : C ...
4138
Some good one's...
1. An educational study that lasted 3 years found that 15 percent of students who had studied classical
logic actually used it in their daily assignments. The study shows that classical logic should no longer
be taught.
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the conclusion of the above passage?
A) The students in this survey were less educated than the average students nationwide.
B) Most educational surveys cover at least a five-year period.
C) Classical logic is most advantageous when used during examinations, but not for doing routine
homework assignments.
D) Classical Logic is extremely difficult to learn.
E) Only twelve percent of anything learned is used daily.

2.Although computer programs now play chess as well as the best human chess players, they do not
do so by simulating human thought. A computer analyzes every possible move and its consequences,
which requires incredible computing speed beyond that possessed by any person. By contrast, a
skilled human chess player recognizes the most promising possible moves and analyzes only those,
ignoring the others. So far, no computer program can replicate this ability; however, if one that could
do so were developed... (Which would most logically complete the passage above?)
A) it would remove the advantage heretofore enjoyed by the computer because of its great speed
B) it would probably be able to simulate human thought in other areas as well
C) it would probably be able to defeat even the best human chess players
D) it would underscore the differences between true human-like thought and mere computation
E) it likely would overlook promising moves occasionally and would therefore lose some games it
should win

3. In New York, a political candidate who buys saturation TV advertising will get maximum name
recognition. The statement above logically conveys which of the following?
A) TV advertising is the most important factor in political campaigns in New York.
B) Maximum name recognition in New York will help a candidate to win a higher percentage of votes
cast in the city.
C) Saturation TV advertising reaches every demographically distinct sector of the voting population of New York.
D) For maximum name recognition a candidate need not spend on media channels other than TV
advertising.
E) A candidate's record of achievement in the New York area will do little to affect his or her name
recognition there.


My choices are in BOLD
4139

My Choices and reasons in Bold

Some good one's...
1. An educational study that lasted 3 years found that 15 percent of students who had studied classical
logic actually used it in their daily assignments. The study shows that classical logic should no longer
be taught.
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the conclusion of the above passage?
A) The students in this survey were less educated than the average students nationwide.
B) Most educational surveys cover at least a five-year period.
C) Classical logic is most advantageous when used during examinations, but not for doing routine
homework assignments.
This answer shows that classical logic is most useful in areas not covered by the survey, that is why it can weaken the argument. E might be true, but it does not weaken the argument.

D) Classical Logic is extremely difficult to learn.
E) Only twelve percent of anything learned is used daily.

2.Although computer programs now play chess as well as the best human chess players, they do not
do so by simulating human thought. A computer analyzes every possible move and its consequences,
which requires incredible computing speed beyond that possessed by any person. By contrast, a
skilled human chess player recognizes the most promising possible moves and analyzes only those,
ignoring the others. So far, no computer program can replicate this ability; however, if one that could
do so were developed... (Which would most logically complete the passage above?)
A) it would remove the advantage heretofore enjoyed by the computer because of its great speed
B) it would probably be able to simulate human thought in other areas as well
C) it would probably be able to defeat even the best human chess players
Here, choice was btw B & C and i chose C because B provides a completely new idea which is not supported in the passage

D) it would underscore the differences between true human-like thought and mere computation
E) it likely would overlook promising moves occasionally and would therefore lose some games it
should win

3. In New York, a political candidate who buys saturation TV advertising will get maximum name
recognition. The statement above logically conveys which of the following?
A) TV advertising is the most important factor in political campaigns in New York.
B) Maximum name recognition in New York will help a candidate to win a higher percentage of votes
cast in the city.
C) Saturation TV advertising reaches every demographically distinct sector of the voting population of
New York.
D) For maximum name recognition a candidate need not spend on media channels other than TV
advertising.
The word "will" in the stimulus did it for this choice.

E) A candidate's record of achievement in the New York area will do little to affect his or her name
recognition there.
4140

my answers in bold

Some good one's...
1. An educational study that lasted 3 years found that 15 percent of students who had studied classical logic actually used it in their daily assignments. The study shows that classical logic should no longer be taught.
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the conclusion of the above passage?
A) The students in this survey were less educated than the average students nationwide.
B) Most educational surveys cover at least a five-year period.
C) Classical logic is most advantageous when used during examinations, but not for doing routine homework assignments.
D) Classical Logic is extremely difficult to learn.
E) Only twelve percent of anything learned is used daily.

2.Although computer programs now play chess as well as the best human chess players, they do not do so by simulating human thought. A computer analyzes every possible move and its consequences,which requires incredible computing speed beyond that possessed by any person. By contrast, a
skilled human chess player recognizes the most promising possible moves and analyzes only those,ignoring the others. So far, no computer program can replicate this ability; however, if one that could do so were developed... (Which would most logically complete the passage above?)
A) it would remove the advantage heretofore enjoyed by the computer because of its great speed
B) it would probably be able to simulate human thought in other areas as well
C) it would probably be able to defeat even the best human chess players
D) it would underscore the differences between true human-like thought and mere computation
E) it likely would overlook promising moves occasionally and would therefore lose some games it
should win

3. In New York, a political candidate who buys saturation TV advertising will get maximum name recognition. The statement above logically conveys which of the following?
A) TV advertising is the most important factor in political campaigns in New York.
B) Maximum name recognition in New York will help a candidate to win a higher percentage of votes cast in the city.
C) Saturation TV advertising reaches every demographically distinct sector of the voting population of New York.
D) For maximum name recognition a candidate need not spend on media channels other than TV advertising.
E) A candidate's record of achievement in the New York area will do little to affect his or her name recognition there.

4141
Some good one's...
1. An educational study that lasted 3 years found that 15 percent of students who had studied classical
logic actually used it in their daily assignments. The study shows that classical logic should no longer
be taught.
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the conclusion of the above passage?
A) The students in this survey were less educated than the average students nationwide.
B) Most educational surveys cover at least a five-year period.
C) Classical logic is most advantageous when used during examinations, but not for doing routine
homework assignments.
D) Classical Logic is extremely difficult to learn.
E) Only twelve percent of anything learned is used daily.

2.Although computer programs now play chess as well as the best human chess players, they do not
do so by simulating human thought. A computer analyzes every possible move and its consequences,
which requires incredible computing speed beyond that possessed by any person. By contrast, a
skilled human chess player recognizes the most promising possible moves and analyzes only those,
ignoring the others. So far, no computer program can replicate this ability; however, if one that could
do so were developed... (Which would most logically complete the passage above?)
A) it would remove the advantage heretofore enjoyed by the computer because of its great speed
B) it would probably be able to simulate human thought in other areas as well
C) it would probably be able to defeat even the best human chess players
D) it would underscore the differences between true human-like thought and mere computation
E) it likely would overlook promising moves occasionally and would therefore lose some games it
should win

3. In New York, a political candidate who buys saturation TV advertising will get maximum name
recognition. The statement above logically conveys which of the following?
A) TV advertising is the most important factor in political campaigns in New York.
B) Maximum name recognition in New York will help a candidate to win a higher percentage of votes
cast in the city.
C) Saturation TV advertising reaches every demographically distinct sector of the voting population of
New York.
D) For maximum name recognition a candidate need not spend on media channels other than TV
advertising.
E) A candidate's record of achievement in the New York area will do little to affect his or her name
recognition there.


OA's ARE :
1.C
2.C
3.D
4144
The survival of the publishing industry depends upon the existence of a public who will buy the printed word in the form of newspapers, books and magazines. Over the past several years, however, the advance of electronic media, particularly CD-ROMs, online computer services, and the Internet, has made 9information available to the public electronically without the need for printed materials. As the availability of electronic media increases and as it is more easily accessible, the public has less need for printed materials. So the publishing industry is threatened by the advance of the computer information age.
The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
(B) The first is the second-premise that the argument includes; the second is the conclusion that is reasonably drawn form this passage.
OAs are in bold!!

The survival of the publishing industry depends upon the existence of a public who will buy the printed word in the form of newspapers, books and magazines. Over the past several years, however, the advance of electronic media, particularly CD-ROMs, online computer services, and the Internet, has made 9information available to the public electronically without the need for printed materials. As the availability of electronic media increases and as it is more easily accessible, the public has less need for printed materials. So the publishing industry is threatened by the advance of the computer information age.
The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
(D) The first is the fact that must be true, the second is the inference that can be correctly drawn from this argument.
OA is in bold!!


@cognizant_81: Could you kindly clarify which one is correct?
Thanks.
4145
The proper way to plan a scientific project is first to decide its goal and then to plan the best way to accomplish that goal. The United States space station project does not conform to this ideal. When the Cold War ended, the project lost its original purpose, so another purpose was quickly grafted onto the project that of conducting limited-gravity experiments, even though such experiments can be done in an alternative way. It is, therefore, abundantly clear that the space station should not be built.
The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument
(A) attacks the proponents of a claim rather than arguing against the claim itself.
(B) Presupposes what it sets out to prove.
(C) Faults planners for not foreseeing a certain event, when in fact that event was not foreseeable.
(D) Contains statements that lead to a self-contradiction.
(E) Concludes that a shortcoming is fatal having produced evidence only of the existence of that shortcoming


Would go with option E
(Nothing is stated regarding the alternative way being better, presence of which would have made it a logical conclusion)
4146
The proper way to plan a scientific project is first to decide its goal and then to plan the best way to accomplish that goal. The United States space station project does not conform to this ideal. When the Cold War ended, the project lost its original purpose, so another purpose was quickly grafted onto the project that of conducting limited-gravity experiments, even though such experiments can be done in an alternative way. It is, therefore, abundantly clear that the space station should not be built.
The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument
(A) attacks the proponents of a claim rather than arguing against the claim itself.
(B) Presupposes what it sets out to prove.
(C) Faults planners for not foreseeing a certain event, when in fact that event was not foreseeable.
(D) Contains statements that lead to a self-contradiction.
(E) Concludes that a shortcoming is fatal having produced evidence only of the existence of that shortcoming



I go with option (D)..because...As per the author, the proper way to plan a scientific project is first to decide its goal and then to plan the best way to accomplish that goal. Though the project lost its original purpose, as mentioned in the passage, it is said that another purpose was grafted.So this means that a new goal is decided, which is what the author wants.But he also confronts his own statement by saying that "project does not conform to this ideal".
4149
Philosopher: The eighteenth-century thesis that motion is absolute asserts that the change in an objects position over time could be measured without reference to the position of any other object. A well-respected physicist, however, claims that this thesis is incoherent. Since a thesis that is incoherent cannot be accepted as absolute.
The argument uses which one of the following argumentative techniques?
(A) Attempting to persuade by the mere use o technical terminology.
(B) Using experimental results to justify a change in definition.
(C) Relying on the authority of an expert to support a premise.
(D) Inferring from what has been observed to be the case under experimental conditions to what is in principle true.
(E) Generalizing from what is true in one region of space to what must be true in all regions of space.

my take : (C) Relying on the authority of an expert to support a premise.
4150
Another boldface:

Op-Ed letter: Town councils are usually unable to make the right decisions when the town is privy to every vote they cast. Many citizens are unhappy when the council votes to do things like raise taxes, and many of those unhappy citizens give council-members who vote for tax hikes a difficult time outside of the town meeting. Though anonymity in voting could give council members the autonomy to vote for legislation that negatively impacts community members, not giving them anonymity makes it impossible for them to vote for legislation that the community really needs.

What roles do the two boldface portions play in the letter-writers argument?

(A) The first is a reason to favor the writers conclusion; the second presents that conclusion.
(B) The first is a pattern of cause and effect the writer thinks is false in this case; the second offer reasons in favor of her prediction.
(C) The first suggests a generalization that the writer thinks is true in this case; the second offers a consideration that weighs against her conclusion.
(D) The first offers a reason in favor of the writers conclusion; the second offers a generalization that she believes holds true in this instance.
(E) The first is a pattern of cause and effect the writer agrees with; the second is the conclusion




The source of this question is
GMAT Test Prep - GMAT Practice Questions - Bolded Parts - May 26, 2011 - Bell Curves
You can see their official solution there. According to them, choice C is correct

I however do not agree with their official solution. Heres why:

What do bold face questions test:

Bold face questions test 3 things:
1. What is the first Bold Face statement? Is it a premise, prediction, principle, generalization etc.
2.What is the second Bold Face statement? Is it a premise, prediction, principle, generalization etc.
3.How are the bold face statements related to
a.the eventual and intermediate conclusions.
b.Each other.


Why, in my opinion, is Choice C incorrect?

The conclusion of this passage is: Town members cannot vote for right decisions if their votes are not anonymous. I would like to emphasize on the last part here. Another way to infer the conclusion is that the Town members may be able to vote for the right decisions provided they are allowed to cast anonymous votes.

Lets look at the second bold face: The second bold face states that anonymity in voting could give council members the autonomy to vote for legislation that negatively impacts community members essentially supporting the conclusion. Hence this is not a counter premise. This makes choice C incorrect.

Which is the correct choice?

Given the nature of the question, I would have to say that I am not sure which question is the correct choice. I would have said choice A had the entire last sentence been underlined; however, I would say that none of the choices fit for this question.

One correct choice could be, the first bold face defines a problem that the author aims to address while the second bold face is a potential solution to the problem
What is a counter-premise?

A counter-premise or an anti-premise is information presented in the argument that opposes the conclusion. Which means that if there is any information that is presented in the passage that makes the conclusion less likely, it is a counter premise. for example:

A recent experiment shows that higher proportion of kids catch flu in winter leading people to believe that cold weather causes flu. That is not true. The real reason more kids catch cold in winter is because they eat more cabbage in winter that contains the e-Coli. Another conducted experiment concluded that kids who do not eat cabbage during winter are as no more likely to catch cold in winter than in summer

Conclusion: The real reason more kids catch cold in winter is because they eat more cabbage.

The first B.F is a counter premise since it makes the conclusion less likely or opposes that conclusion.

Where can you get more information?

We offer the bold face portion free of charge on our website. I would recommend that anyone who wants to understand how to solve Bold face questions and practice 15-20 questions should register on our website.
4155
In response to mounting pubic concern, an airplane manufacturer implemented a program with the well-publicized goal of reducing by half the total yearly amount of hazardous waste generated by its passenger-jet division. When the program began in 1994, the divisions hazardous waste output was 90 pounds per production worker; last year it was 40 pounds per production worker. Clearly, therefore, charges that the manufacturers program has not met its goal are false.

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

A. The amount of nonhazardous waste generated each year by the passenger-jet division has not increased significantly since 1994.

B. At least as many passenger jets were produced by the division last year as had been produced in 1994.

C. Since 1994, other divisions in the company have achieved reductions in hazardous waste output that are at least equal to that achieved in the passenger-jet division.

D. The average number of weekly hours per production worker in the passenger-jet division was not significantly greater last year than it was in 1994.

E. The number of production workers assigned to the passenger-jet division was not significantly less in 1994 than it was last year.

my take : E. The number of production workers assigned to the passenger-jet division was not significantly less in 1994 than it was last year.

the argument is that the manufacturer has met his stated goal and for this to stand E has to be assumed. take the numbers for 1994 say total hazardous waste 180 pounds and workers 2, so 90 pounds per worker and last year say 400 pounds and 10 workers and hence 40 pounds per worker...so as can be seen the argument doesn't stand if no. of workers is significantly less in 1994..
4156
A standard problem for computer security is that passwords that have to be typed on a computer keyboard are comparatively easy for unauthorized users to steal or guess. A new system that relies on recognizing the voices of authorized users apparently avoids this problem. In a small initial trial, the system never incorrectly accepted someone seeking access to the computer's data. Clearly, if this result can be repeated in an operational setting, then there will be a way of giving access to those people who are entitled to access and to no one else.
The reasoning above is flawed because it
(A) makes a faulty comparison, in that a security system based on voice recognition would not be expected to suffer from the same problems as one that relied on passwords entered from a keyboard
( bases a general conclusion on a small amount of data
(C) fails to recognize that a security system based on voice recognition could easily have applications other than computer security
(D) ignores the possibility that the system sometimes denies access to people who are entitled to access
(E) states its conclusion in a heavily qualified way

is it B) bases a general conclusion on a small amount of data ??
4157
The brains of identical twins are genetically identical. When only one of a pair of identical twins is a schizophrenic, certain areas of the affected twins brain are smaller than corresponding areas in the brain of the unaffected twin. No such differences are found when neither twin is schizophrenic. Therefore, this discovery provides definitive evidence that schizophrenia is caused by damage to the physical structure of the brain.

If the statements on which the conclusion above is based are all true, each of the following could be true EXCEPT:
(A) People who lack a genetic susceptibility for the disease will not develop schizophrenia.
(B) Medications can control most of the symptoms of schizophrenia in most patients but will never be able to cure it.
(C) The brains of schizophrenics share many of the characteristics found in those of people without the disorder.
(D) It will eventually be possible to determine whether or not someone will develop schizophrenia on the basis of genetic information alone
(E) Brain abnormalities associated with schizophrenia are the result of childhood viral infections that inhibit the development of brain cells

E) Brain abnormalities associated with schizophrenia are the result of childhood viral infections that inhibit the development of brain cells....not sure though..
4158
The source of this question is
GMAT Test Prep - GMAT Practice Questions - Bolded Parts - May 26, 2011 - Bell Curves
You can see their official solution there. According to them, choice C is correct

I however do not agree with their official solution. Heres why:

What do bold face questions test:

Bold face questions test 3 things:
1. What is the first Bold Face statement? Is it a premise, prediction, principle, generalization etc.
2.What is the second Bold Face statement? Is it a premise, prediction, principle, generalization etc.
3.How are the bold face statements related to
a.the eventual and intermediate conclusions.
b.Each other.


Why, in my opinion, is Choice C incorrect?

The conclusion of this passage is: Town members cannot vote for right decisions if their votes are not anonymous. I would like to emphasize on the last part here. Another way to infer the conclusion is that the Town members may be able to vote for the right decisions provided they are allowed to cast anonymous votes.

Lets look at the second bold face: The second bold face states that anonymity in voting could give council members the autonomy to vote for legislation that negatively impacts community members essentially supporting the conclusion. Hence this is not a counter premise. This makes choice C incorrect.

Which is the correct choice?

Given the nature of the question, I would have to say that I am not sure which question is the correct choice. I would have said choice A had the entire last sentence been underlined; however, I would say that none of the choices fit for this question.

One correct choice could be, the first bold face defines a problem that the author aims to address while the second bold face is a potential solution to the problem
What is a counter-premise?

A counter-premise or an anti-premise is information presented in the argument that opposes the conclusion. Which means that if there is any information that is presented in the passage that makes the conclusion less likely, it is a counter premise. for example:

A recent experiment shows that higher proportion of kids catch flu in winter leading people to believe that cold weather causes flu. That is not true. The real reason more kids catch cold in winter is because they eat more cabbage in winter that contains the e-Coli. Another conducted experiment concluded that kids who do not eat cabbage during winter are as no more likely to catch cold in winter than in summer

Conclusion: The real reason more kids catch cold in winter is because they eat more cabbage.

The first B.F is a counter premise since it makes the conclusion less likely or opposes that conclusion.

Where can you get more information?

We offer the bold face portion free of charge on our website. I would recommend that anyone who wants to understand how to solve Bold face questions and practice 15-20 questions should register on our website.


I kind of agree with your explanation.. The main reason to post this q. here was the confusion in the options ..

If I have to interpret the second boldface and the last sentence in HINDI:

Anonymity dene se right decision ho bhi sakta hain nahi bhi, par na dene se toh right decision pakkka he nahi hoga ...

R dese statements counter to each other ?