Q5 - An analysis of the number

[dan]

5. (B)
Question type: Explain a Result
Explain a result questions generally involve a result that is unexpected, or begs for an explanation. In this case, it’s unexpected that elderly people who have been in a community for a long time would have significantly worse health than those who recently moved in to the community. Four answers will, in some way, explain this result _ one answer will not.

(B) is the correct answer because it is the only answer that doesn’t relate to the conclusion, and therefore doesn’t help explain it. It doesn’t matter that most people who have recently moved to the community are young, because we are specifically discussing elderly who moved into the community. This answer is outside the scope of the argument and evidence.

(A) explains this result, because it shows why those who recently moved might be, on average, healthier.
(C) explains this result, because it shows why the health of the long-time community members might be, on average, worse.
(D) explains this result, because it shows why those who recently moved might be healthier.
(E) explains this result, because it shows why those who recently moved might be healthier.

[PRADEEPCHANDY]

How is A explaining the result

A says that those who have means to relocate have better health - it does not say - that those who relocated have better health?

how can we equate " means to relocate" to "relocate"

[dan]

Keep in mind that the four wrong answers will "contribute" to an explanation, but won't necessarily completely explain the phenomenon. For an EXCEPT question of this sort, we want to eliminate any answer that could, even in the smallest way, contribute to an explanation. Your barometer should be: Does this answer choice make the situation at hand more believable, less believable, or have no impact?

If people who have the means to relocate tend to be healthier in general than people who don't, then the phenomenon makes more sense. More believable, even if just a little bit.

Answer (B) on the other hand provides no contribution to an explanation. The relative number of old and young people in the town has nothing to do with why the old people who move there tend to be healthier than the old people who have lived there all their lives. No impact.

Hope that helps.

[PRADEEPCHANDY]

i understand the answer now - thanks

[griffin3575]

I think the source of confusion is that A can be referencing both of the groups. For example, just because the elderly group has lived in the community all their lives does not necessarily imply they do not have the means to move. Perhaps they are very wealthy but choose to stay in the community because they just like living there. So if we try to explain the result from the perspective of the elderly group who has always lived in the community, it does not completely explain why they are in worse health.

However, when looking at it from the perspective of the movers, A clearly would explain why the movers are in better health than the other group.

Thus, A does tend to explain the result in the stimulus, even though it only explains half of the result.