CR:Weaken EXCEPT

[rahul_devas]

The subway system in New City has recently been running a severe budget deficit. Analysts have concluded that, to avoid a crisis, subway revenues must increase by 50% from the current level, beginning with the coming quarter. Subway riders are currently charged a flat fare per ride; the chairperson of New City's transit authority has concluded that a 50% increase in this fare, effective at the beginning of the coming quarter, will be sufficient to avert any crisis.

Each of the following, if true, calls into question the chairperson's conclusion EXCEPT

A)Subway fares are paid with single-ride tokens that are purchased in advance and do not expire.

B)On the most heavily traveled routes in New City's downtown, express bus fares range from 25 to 40 percent greater than current subway fares

C)Under New City's tax code, subway fare increases of more than 25 percent trigger reductions in the amount of tax money allocated to the subway system.

D)New City's economy is adding many more jobs in suburban areas, which are inaccessible by subway, than in the urban areas that the subway system serves.

E)Mobile phones, upon which a significant percentage of New City's workers have come to depend for essential communication while commuting, will be banned on the subway from the coming quarter onward




A) does not necessarily weaken the conclusion if only a few people have bough coupons in advance. The number of people who bought coupons is so less that it does not affect the revenues.

D) may weaken the conclusion that the number of people who get the newly created jobs in suburban is considerable and they stop taking the subway as they used to before, then it is possible that the income generated will be affected resulting in the proposed plan not generating expected revenue.

Can experts pls clarify?

Thanks
Rahul

[rahul_devas]

The source is MGMAT CAT verbal.

[tim]

what do you want us to clarify? you've quoted the solution. what didn't you get about it?

[rahul_devas]

what do you want us to clarify? you've quoted the solution. what didn't you get about it?

Hi tim,

The answer for the above question was given as (D) in the explanation(All choices other than (D) weaken the argument). The point I was trying to make was that the question was flawed.



(D) can actually weaken the argument and (A) Can be interpreted in such a way that it does not weaken the argument.

[jlucero]

what do you want us to clarify? you've quoted the solution. what didn't you get about it?

Hi tim,

The answer for the above question was given as (D) in the explanation(All choices other than (D) weaken the argument). The point I was trying to make was that the question was flawed.



(D) can actually weaken the argument and (A) Can be interpreted in such a way that it does not weaken the argument.

If you want to say that (D) would weaken the conclusion, you would have to say that people change jobs and no one replaces those people at their current jobs. Plus the statement actually says that they are adding more jobs in the suburbs than in the city, implying that there are more jobs being added in the city. Without any other information about job less, (D) tells you that there might be MORE people using the subway. (D) could just as well tell you that there are more new jobs in Texas than in NYC, this doesn't hurt the conclusion at all unless you specifically said people are moving from NYC to Texas to take those jobs.

On the other hand, (A) requires a very small assumption. If we need to immediately increase our revenue by 50%, we will charge people 50% more (no margin for error), if a single person buys their tokens in advance, the subway revenues would not increase by 50% (49.9999% maybe). And more likely, if people CAN buy tokens in advance and learn of the price hike, it's not a large assumption that people would begin buying lots of tokens now, if they knew they had to use them soon.

[750plus]

Can anyone please explain option (E)

I am unable to understand how option (E) is weakening the argument.

Thank You.

[elenas903]

Can anyone please explain option (E)

I am unable to understand how option (E) is weakening the argument.

Thank You.

Mobile phones, upon which a significant percentage of New City's workers have come to depend for essential communication while commuting, will be banned on the subway from the coming quarter onward.

Please explain the depend for idiom in E