City Official: At City Hospital, uninsured patients tend to have shorter stays and fewer procedures performed than do insured patients,...
GMAT Critical Reasoning : (CR) Questions
Source: Official Guide
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City Official: At City Hospital, uninsured patients tend to have shorter stays and fewer procedures performed than do insured patients, even though insured patients, on average, have slightly less serious medical problems at the time of admission to the hospital than uninsured patients have. Critics of the hospital have concluded that the uninsured patients are not receiving proper medical care. However, this conclusion is almost certainly false. Careful investigation has recently shown two things: insured patients have much longer stays in the hospital than necessary, and they tend to have more procedures performed than are medically necessary.
In the city official's argument, the two boldface portions play which of the following roles?
Solution
Understanding the Passage
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
| "At City Hospital, uninsured patients tend to have shorter stays and fewer procedures performed than do insured patients, even though insured patients, on average, have slightly less serious medical problems at the time of admission to the hospital than uninsured patients have." |
|
| (Boldface 1) "Critics of the hospital have concluded that the uninsured patients are not receiving proper medical care." |
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| "However, this conclusion is almost certainly false." |
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| (Boldface 2) "Careful investigation has recently shown two things: insured patients have much longer stays in the hospital than necessary, and they tend to have more procedures performed than are medically necessary." |
|
Overall Structure
The city official is rejecting critics' interpretation of hospital data by providing an alternative explanation. The logic flows: Facts → Critics' conclusion → Official's disagreement → Evidence supporting alternative explanation.
Main Conclusion: The critics' conclusion that uninsured patients receive inadequate care is false.
Boldface Segments
- Boldface 1: Critics of the hospital have concluded that the uninsured patients are not receiving proper medical care
- Boldface 2: Careful investigation has recently shown two things: insured patients have much longer stays in the hospital than necessary, and they tend to have more procedures performed than are medically necessary
Boldface Understanding
Boldface 1:
- Function: Presents the critics' conclusion that the city official wants to refute
- Direction: Opposite direction (opposes the author's ultimate position since the official disagrees with this conclusion)
Boldface 2:
- Function: Provides evidence that supports the official's position and explains why the critics are wrong
- Direction: Same direction (supports the author's conclusion by showing insured patients get excessive, not just adequate, care)
Structural Classification
Boldface 1:
- Structural Role: A conclusion being disputed/refuted by the main argument
- Predicted Answer Patterns: "a conclusion that the argument disputes," "a view that the argument opposes"
Boldface 2:
- Structural Role: Evidence supporting the main argument's position
- Predicted Answer Patterns: "evidence supporting the argument's conclusion," "findings that support the author's position"
Answer Choices Explained
A
The first states the conclusion of the city official's argument; the second provides support for that conclusion.
- 'The first states the conclusion of the city official's argument' - ✗ WRONG - The first boldface presents the critics' conclusion, not the city official's conclusion. The official actually disagrees with this statement.
- 'The second provides support for that conclusion' - ✗ WRONG - The second boldface is the official's main conclusion, not supporting evidence. The supporting evidence comes after this statement.
B
The first is used to support the conclusion of the city official's argument; the second states that conclusion.
- 'The first is used to support the conclusion of the city official's argument' - ✗ WRONG - The first boldface doesn't support the official's argument; it presents the critics' opposing view that the official argues against.
- 'The second states that conclusion' - ✓ CORRECT - The second boldface does state the official's main conclusion that the critics are wrong.
C
The first was used to support the conclusion drawn by hospital critics; the second states the position that the city official's argument opposes.
- 'The first was used to support the conclusion drawn by hospital critics' - ✗ WRONG - The first boldface IS the critics' conclusion, not evidence supporting it. The evidence supporting the critics' conclusion comes from the treatment disparity data mentioned earlier.
- 'The second states the position that the city official's argument opposes' - ✗ WRONG - The second boldface states the official's own position, not what the official opposes.
D
The first was used to support the conclusion drawn by hospital critics; the second provides support for the conclusion of the city official's argument.
- 'The first was used to support the conclusion drawn by hospital critics' - ✗ WRONG - Same issue as Choice C - the first boldface IS the critics' conclusion, not supporting evidence for it.
- 'The second provides support for the conclusion of the city official's argument' - ✗ WRONG - The second boldface IS the official's conclusion, not evidence supporting it.
E
The first states the position that the city official's argument opposes; the second states the conclusion of the city official's argument
- 'The first states the position that the city official's argument opposes' - ✓ CORRECT - The first boldface presents the critics' conclusion that the official disagrees with and argues against.
- 'The second states the conclusion of the city official's argument' - ✓ CORRECT - The second boldface directly states the official's main conclusion that the critics are wrong.
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