bsudharsan wrote:
As proof of the severe damage inflicted on Country Y's automobile industry by competition from foreign automakers, a panelist pointed to a 29 percent fall in sales of Country Y-made cars in its province X over the past year.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument of the panelist?
(A) Public transportation was made free in X 13 months ago, and 11 months ago major improvements to public transportation were also made in X.
(B) A majority of people in X prefer Country Y-made cars to foreign ones.
(C) Total car sales witnessed a drastic decrease in X over the last year.
(D) Fewer than 5 percent of X's drivers report having negative feelings for Country Y-made cars.
(E) Country Y's car sales have always plummeted before beginning to rise.
To solve this question, let us deploy IMS's four-step technique.
STEP #1 ->
IDENTIFY THE QUESTION TYPE BY READING THE QUESTION STEMThe question stem states, 'Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument of the panelist.' Clearly, we are dealing with an assumption question.
Now that we know what the question type is, let us proceed to the second step.
STEP #2 ->
DECONSTRUCT THE ARGUMENTIn a weakening question, it is a must to deconstruct the argument by figuring out the conclusion and the premise. So, let us now read and deconstruct the argument.
CONCLUSION: Severe damage is inflicted on Country Y's automobile industry by competition from foreign automakers.
PREMISE: A 29 percent fall in sales of Country Y-made cars occurred in its province X over the past year.
Now that the argument is deconstructed, let us proceed to the third step.
STEP #3 ->
FRAME A SHADOW ANSWERIn order to frame a shadow answer, we need to know what the right answer should do. The panelist states that the damage that is inflicted on Country Y's automobile industry resulted in a 29 percent fall in sales of Country-Y made cars in X, a province in the country, over the past year. The strongest weakener would therefore be an option that gives us a situation stating the 29 percent fall in sales of Country Y-made cars that happened in province X need not have anything to do with the damage inflicted by foreign automobile competitors on Country Y's automobile industry.
SHADOW ANSWER: A situation that gives us a reason to believe that the stated percentage decrease in sales of the country Y-made cars that happened in province X need/does not have anything to do with the damage inflicted by foreign automobile competitors on Country Y's automobile industry over the past year.
Now that we know what the right answer should be doing, let us proceed to the final step.
STEP #4 ->
ELIMINATE INCORRECT ANSWER OPTIONSAnswer options that do not match the shadow answer can be eliminated.
(A) Public transportation was made free in X 13 months ago, and 11 months ago major improvements to public transportation were also made in X. -
WEAKENS/MATCHES THE SHADOW ANSWER -
Remember, we are looking for an answer that gives us a reason to believe that the decrease in the sales of the country Y-made cars in province X the past year need/does not have anything to do with the damage inflicted by foreign automobile competitors. If public transportation was made free and if major improvements were also made to public transportation about a year ago in X, more people would be inclined to use public transport, and if more people were inclined to use public transport, the 29 percent fall in sales of Country Y-made cars in its province X could be attributed to the stated changes made to public transportation in X as opposed to the damage inflicted by competition from foreign automakers. -
KEEP(B) A majority of people in X prefer Country Y-made cars to foreign ones. -
NOT A MATCH -
Even if a majority of people in X prefer Country Y-made cars to foreign ones, the panelist's argument will not be impacted. -
ELIMINATE (B) Total car sales witnessed a drastic decrease in X over the last year. -
NOT A MATCH -
Total car sales encompass sales of both foreign and country-made cars. As per the argument, country-made cars have witnessed a 29 percent fall in sales the last year. So, if total car sales did witness a drastic decrease, it could even be solely on account of the fall in sales of country-made cars. -
ELIMINATE (C) Fewer than 5 percent of X's drivers report having negative feelings for Country Y-made cars. -
NOT A MATCH -
Not worried about the feelings of X's drivers. -
ELIMINATE (E) Country Y's car sales have always plummeted before beginning to rise. -
NOT A MATCH -
Not worried about what happens after sales plummet. -
ELIMINATE Hence, A is the correct answer.