Critical Reasoning

Source: Knewton

The number of workers diagnosed with a certain respiratory condition at a small processing plant has dropped significantly in the last year. The factory management attributes this decrease entirely to the new dust control systems, which drastically improve the air quality in the factory.

Which of the following indicates an assumption that is made in the argument above?

A: The number of workers diagnosed with a certain respiratory condition at a small processing plant has dropped significantly in the last year.
B: A new diagnostic procedure shows that many factory workers who until this year were thought to have the respiratory condition actually suffer from another condition.
C: There is a relationship between the installation of dust control systems and the occurence of a certain respiratory condition.
D: The new dust control systems improve the plant's air quality.
E: The factory management attributes the decrease in respiratory condition diagnoses entirely to the new dust control systems

OA: C

What do you think about E?

imo C....it assumes a relationship.... it justifies if that relationship is causal --dust controllers cause decline in conditions among patients

The number of workers diagnosed with a certain respiratory condition at a small processing plant has dropped significantly in the last year. The factory management attributes this decrease entirely to the new dust control systems, which drastically improve the air quality in the factory.

Which of the following indicates an assumption that is made in the argument above?

A: The number of workers diagnosed with a certain respiratory condition at a small processing plant has dropped significantly in the last year.
B: A new diagnostic procedure shows that many factory workers who until this year were thought to have the respiratory condition actually suffer from another condition.
C: There is a relationship between the installation of dust control systems and the occurence of a certain respiratory condition.
D: The new dust control systems improve the plant's air quality.
E: The factory management attributes the decrease in respiratory condition diagnoses entirely to the new dust control systems

If you see the options and argument properly....you will be able to solve this one with the definition of assumption..
Assumption -> UNSTATED premise of the argument required to strengthen the argument...

What is the first statement of the argument : The number of workers diagnosed with a certain respiratory condition at a small processing plant has dropped significantly in the last year.
What is option A : The number of workers diagnosed with a certain respiratory condition at a small processing plant has dropped significantly in the last year.

A and first statement resemble word to word...So A can not be the answer..

What is last statement of the argument : The factory management attributes this decrease entirely to the new dust control systems
What is option E : The factory management attributes the decrease in respiratory condition diagnoses entirely to the new dust control systems
E and last statement resemble word to word...So E can not be the answer..

What is the last statement of the argument : which drastically improve the air quality in the factory. Which refers to system
What is option D : The new dust control systems improve the plant's air quality.
D and last statement resemble word to word...So D can not be the answer..

Now remains option B and C..You can easily eliminate B...
Your answer is C....

What I am amazed by is the quality of the question produced by the company...
How can you produce such a question...especially assumption question when you know you are putting option word to word from the argument..

There is not a SINGLE OG question that has ever attempted to do this...
But the likes of Knewton has come up with a question!!

Still... I m simply amazed...

Not that I am defending Knewton as I think that CR is not one of the strengths of Knewton. However, this question is a part of "Before Class" test. It's intended for those GMATers who never attempted CR in their life and will get familier with the CR after the class. Just 2 penny.

Dear Members,

Are these typical GMAT questions? I was confused when I saw the answer choices. What is the tip to identify the assumption for such questions? Please assist.

I will also go with C. What is OA?

akhpad wrote:Source: Knewton

The number of workers diagnosed with a certain respiratory condition at a small processing plant has dropped significantly in the last year. The factory management attributes this decrease entirely to the new dust control systems, which drastically improve the air quality in the factory.

Which of the following indicates an assumption that is made in the argument above?

A: The number of workers diagnosed with a certain respiratory condition at a small processing plant has dropped significantly in the last year.
B: A new diagnostic procedure shows that many factory workers who until this year were thought to have the respiratory condition actually suffer from another condition.
C: There is a relationship between the installation of dust control systems and the occurence of a certain respiratory condition.
D: The new dust control systems improve the plant's air quality.
E: The factory management attributes the decrease in respiratory condition diagnoses entirely to the new dust control systems

What do you think about E?

Assumption = unstated premise. If an answer choice simply uses different words to convey what has already been used as a premise in the stimulus, its the wrong answer in assumption questions. Assumptions CANNOT be stated in the stimulus.

So (E) is wrong.

IMO (C).

I got it.

E is just a paraphrase of 2nd statement. E can not be. This was only doubt.

Well the answer is C but i see it in a little bit different way....assumption ans. should be one that helps to form the conclusion. C states the relationship that management assumed while making the conclusion. E does not do that.

P: The number of workers diagnosed with a certain respiratory condition at a small processing plant has dropped significantly in the last year.

C: The factory management attributes this decrease entirely to the new dust control systems, which drastically improve the air quality in the factory.

https://www.beatthegmat.com/knewton-infe ... tml#371296
Here instead of assumption, we have to find evidence sited in the argument and the argument is same.