Police Chief of Megalopolis: Five years ago, the city's police department introduced innovative policing strategies. Since then, the crime rate...
GMAT Critical Reasoning : (CR) Questions
Source: Mock
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Police Chief of Megalopolis:
Five years ago, the city's police department introduced innovative policing strategies. Since then, the crime rate in Megalopolis has declined significantly. Our new strategies should be credited with bringing about the decline. It has been objected that there have been significant declines during the past five years in crime rates throughout the nation and that therefore Megalopolis' crime rate would probably have declined even without the new policing strategies. Once we had introduced the new strategies, however, they were soon adopted by police departments in cities throughout the nation, and it was only then that crime rates in those cities began to decline.
In the police chief's argument, the two boldface portions play which of the following roles?
Solution
Understanding the Passage
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Five years ago, the city's police department introduced innovative policing strategies. Since then, the crime rate in Megalopolis has declined significantly." |
|
| "Our new strategies should be credited with bringing about the decline." |
|
| "It has been objected that" |
|
| (Boldface 1) "there have been significant declines during the past five years in crime rates throughout the nation" |
|
| "and that therefore Megalopolis' crime rate would probably have declined even without the new policing strategies." |
|
| "Once we had introduced the new strategies, however," |
|
| (Boldface 2) "they were soon adopted by police departments in cities throughout the nation" |
|
| "and it was only then that crime rates in those cities began to decline." |
|
Overall Structure
The Police Chief is defending their conclusion against a counterargument. They present their position, acknowledge an objection, then provide a counter-response that turns the objection into support for their original conclusion.
Main Conclusion: The new policing strategies should be credited with bringing about the crime decline in Megalopolis.
Boldface Segments
- Boldface 1: there have been significant declines during the past five years in crime rates throughout the nation
- Boldface 2: they were soon adopted by police departments in cities throughout the nation
Boldface Understanding
Boldface 1:
- Function: Part of a counterargument that challenges the Police Chief's conclusion by providing alternative evidence
- Direction: Opposite direction - it opposes the author's conclusion (even though the author is just reporting others' views)
Boldface 2:
- Function: Key evidence in the Police Chief's rebuttal that supports their original conclusion
- Direction: Same direction - it supports the author's conclusion
Structural Classification
Boldface 1:
- Structural Role: Counterevidence - factual evidence cited by opponents to undermine the main conclusion
- Predicted Answer Patterns: "evidence cited against the conclusion," "part of an objection," "counterevidence"
Boldface 2:
- Structural Role: Supporting evidence - factual claim used to defend the main conclusion
- Predicted Answer Patterns: "evidence supporting the conclusion," "part of the author's defense," "supporting fact"
Answer Choices Explained
A
The first presents a phenomenon whose interpretation is at issue in the argument; the second presents a claim that the police chief denies.
"The first presents a phenomenon whose interpretation is at issue in the argument" - ✓ CORRECT - The nationwide crime decline is indeed a phenomenon that both sides interpret differently
"the second presents a claim that the police chief denies" - ✗ WRONG - The Police Chief doesn't deny that other cities adopted their strategies; this is actually a fact they use to support their argument
"the second presents a claim that the police chief denies" - ✗ WRONG - The Police Chief doesn't deny that other cities adopted their strategies; this is actually a fact they use to support their argument
B
The first presents a phenomenon whose interpretation is at issue in the argument; the second presents evidence that has been used to undermine the police chief's interpretation of that phenomenon.
"The first presents a phenomenon whose interpretation is at issue in the argument" - ✓ CORRECT - The nationwide decline is interpreted differently by critics vs. the Police Chief
"the second presents evidence that has been used to undermine the police chief's interpretation of that phenomenon" - ✗ WRONG - The second boldface actually supports the Police Chief's interpretation, not undermines it
"the second presents evidence that has been used to undermine the police chief's interpretation of that phenomenon" - ✗ WRONG - The second boldface actually supports the Police Chief's interpretation, not undermines it
C
The first presents evidence, the accuracy of which the police chief questions; the second supplies a reason for the police chief to question the accuracy of that evidence.
"The first presents evidence, the accuracy of which the police chief questions" - ✗ WRONG - The Police Chief doesn't question whether nationwide crime decline occurred; they accept this as true
"the second supplies a reason for the police chief to question the accuracy of that evidence" - ✗ WRONG - This compounds the error from the first part since the premise is incorrect
"the second supplies a reason for the police chief to question the accuracy of that evidence" - ✗ WRONG - This compounds the error from the first part since the premise is incorrect
D
The first presents evidence that has been used to support the hypothesis that has been proposed as an alternative to the police chief's hypothesis; the second provides evidence to weaken that support.
"The first presents evidence that has been used to support the hypothesis that has been proposed as an alternative to the police chief's hypothesis" - ✓ CORRECT - The nationwide decline is used by critics to support the alternative hypothesis that external factors, not Megalopolis' strategies, caused the decline
"the second provides evidence to weaken that support" - ✓ CORRECT - By showing other cities adopted Megalopolis' strategies before their crime declined, this undermines the alternative explanation and supports the Police Chief's original hypothesis
"the second provides evidence to weaken that support" - ✓ CORRECT - By showing other cities adopted Megalopolis' strategies before their crime declined, this undermines the alternative explanation and supports the Police Chief's original hypothesis
E
The first and the second each provide evidence that has been offered to support an objection to the police chief's view.
"The first and the second each provide evidence that has been offered to support an objection to the police chief's view" - ✗ WRONG - While the first boldface does support an objection, the second boldface actually supports the Police Chief's view, not the objection
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