A CR problem concerning "misleading"

[george19801980]

In one state, all cities and most towns have antismoking ordinances. A petition entitled "Petition for Statewide Smoking Restriction" is being circulated to voters by campaign workers who ask only, "Do you want to sign a petition for statewide smoking restriction?" The petition advocates a state law banning smoking in most retail establishments and in government offices that are open to the public.

Which of the following circumstances would make the petition as circulated misleading to voters who understand the proposal as extending the local ordinances statewide?

A. Health costs associated with smoking cause health insurance premiums to rise for everyone and so affect nonsmokers.
B. In rural areas of the state, there are relatively few retail establishments and government offices that are open to the public.
C. The state law would supersede the local antismoking ordinances, which contain stronger bans than the state law does.
D. There is considerable sentiment among voters in most areas of the state for restriction of smoking.
E. The state law would not affect existing local ordinances banning smoking in places where the fire authorities have determined that smoking would constitute a fire hazard.

I don't understand the logic implied and don't know how to choose the answer. Please help.

[Willy]

In one state, all cities and most towns have antismoking ordinances. A petition entitled "Petition for Statewide Smoking Restriction" is being circulated to voters by campaign workers who ask only, "Do you want to sign a petition for statewide smoking restriction?" The petition advocates a state law banning smoking in most retail establishments and in government offices that are open to the public.

Which of the following circumstances would make the petition as circulated misleading to voters who understand the proposal as extending the local ordinances statewide?

A. Health costs associated with smoking cause health insurance premiums to rise for everyone and so affect nonsmokers.
B. In rural areas of the state, there are relatively few retail establishments and government offices that are open to the public.
C. The state law would supersede the local antismoking ordinances, which contain stronger bans than the state law does.
D. There is considerable sentiment among voters in most areas of the state for restriction of smoking.
E. The state law would not affect existing local ordinances banning smoking in places where the fire authorities have determined that smoking would constitute a fire hazard.

I don't understand the logic implied and don't know how to choose the answer. Please help.

We want a circumstance that would make the petition as circulated misleading to voters and answer choice C does the same.

The real problem in this question is to understand what argument is saying. People are asked to sign a petition that advocates a state law banning smoking in most retail establishments and in government offices that are open to the public.

And we are asked to find a answer choice that would make the petition as circulated misleading to voters. Ask yourself how it will be misleading, it can only be misleading when you are TOLD something else and in actually it is DOING the opposite.

You are told that state law will ban smoking in most retail establishments and in government offices that are open to the public. But what if the state law that petition is proposing is weaker than the already existing law? That is what is said in option C. i.e. The state law would supersede the local antismoking ordinances, which contain stronger bans than the state law does.

Hope I am making some sense.

P.S. - Please provide source of the question otherwise MGMAT team will remove this question. Thank you.

[george19801980]

We want a circumstance that would make the petition as circulated misleading to voters and answer choice C does the same.

The real problem in this question is to understand what argument is saying. People are asked to sign a petition that advocates a state law banning smoking in most retail establishments and in government offices that are open to the public.

And we are asked to find a answer choice that would make the petition as circulated misleading to voters. Ask yourself how it will be misleading, it can only be misleading when you are TOLD something else and in actually it is DOING the opposite.

You are told that state law will ban smoking in most retail establishments and in government offices that are open to the public. But what if the state law that petition is proposing is weaker than the already existing law? That is what is said in option C. i.e. The state law would supersede the local antismoking ordinances, which contain stronger bans than the state law does.

Hope I am making some sense.

P.S. - Please provide source of the question otherwise MGMAT team will remove this question. Thank you.

Thanks a lot, Willy.
I read the problem from another gmat forum. Is it not allowed here,due to sth like copyright?

[Willy]

Thanks a lot, Willy.
I read the problem from another gmat forum. Is it not allowed here,due to sth like copyright?

You are welcome! :)

Yes, problem is because of copyright issues. I believe we are not allowed to post 'another gmat forum' as a source.

[jnelson0612]

Willy has done a very good job explaining this, but what is the original source of this question? Unfortunately I will have to remove the question from the forum if someone cannot supply the source. Thanks!

[soulwangh]

Willy has done a very good job explaining this, but what is the original source of this question?

It is from PREP2012.

[RonPurewal]

Assuming "PREP2012" means the GMAT PREP software, that's fine, but then the thread is in the wrong folder.

In that case,
(a) any further questions should be posted in the correct folder,
(b) any further references should refer to GMAT PREP as "GMAT PREP", and not by any other name. (There are lots and lots and lots of resources out there with very similar-looking names. This is not a good time for abbreviations.)

So, this thread is now retired. If you're reading this and you have a question about the problem, please post it in the correct folder. Thanks.