GMAT Verbal: Strengthen/Weaken Arguments 2

Question 1

A city claims that adding bike lanes reduced traffic accidents because accidents fell 20% the year after lanes were added. Which option most weakens this argument?

Accepted Answer

The city also lowered the speed limit citywide that same year

Answer

An alternative cause (the speed-limit drop) for the same drop in accidents undermines the claimed causal link.

Question 2

An ad argues that a supplement boosts memory because users scored higher on a memory test than non-users. Which assumption must be true for this to hold?

Accepted Answer

Users and non-users were comparable in memory before taking it

Answer

The argument assumes the two groups were similar beforehand, so the difference reflects the supplement rather than pre-existing gaps.

Question 3

A manager argues that remote work lowers productivity because output dropped after the firm went remote. Which finding most strengthens the argument?

Accepted Answer

Output per employee stayed low even after remote workers got better equipment

Answer

Ruling out a plausible alternative (poor equipment) and still seeing low output supports the claim that remote work itself is responsible.

Question 4

A study concludes coffee causes insomnia because heavy coffee drinkers report more sleeplessness. Which option most weakens this conclusion?

Accepted Answer

People with insomnia drink more coffee to stay alert during the day

Answer

It reverses the causation: insomnia may cause coffee consumption rather than the other way around.

Question 5

A politician argues a new tax cut will boost spending because past tax cuts were followed by higher consumer spending. Which most weakens the argument?

Accepted Answer

The past cuts coincided with large stimulus checks that drove the spending

Answer

Attributing the prior spending to stimulus checks removes the tax cut as the cause, undermining the prediction.

GMAT Practice Test

GMAT Practice Test

GMAT Verbal: Strengthen/Weaken Arguments 2