GMAT SAMPLE.doc

AA61/402In this argument the author reached a conclusion that in order to help maximize fitness levels in our towns residents, we should equip our new community fitness center with the state-of-the art exercise machines which the Muscle Monthly fitness magazine features pictures. That is because the state-of-the art exercise machines frequently sells out, according to the owner of Skyview Newsstand. Close scrutiny, however, reveals several logical flaws of this argument.In the first place, the author falsely assumed that the sold-out of MM indicated the popularity of state-of-the-art exercise machines. At the first glance, it seems reasonable. But on the second thought, its quite doubtable. Frequently sold-out of the magazine may probably just because of the worship towards the bodybuilders in the book, and nothing to do with the machines. Also, the author failed to provide strong evidence to prove those bodybuilders did use state-of-the-art machines to shape their bodies. The only evidence offered to support this assumption is the pictures in the magazine. Its quite possible that bodybuilders pictured use other equipment for their workouts and are just posing with the machines in the advertisement. Secondly, even if the builders did use the machines to shape their bodies, it just suitable for bodybuilders but not to help maximize the fitness levels of the towns residents. This assumption is highly questionable. Machines designed to increase muscle development are significantly different from those designed to increase fitness. Thirdly, even if the machines are quite popular and helpful to maximize fitness levels, its just helpful to the other towns residents according to the survey of the owner of SN but not ours. For example, although people in our community and people in other community all go to gym and use exercise machines, they may not necessarily want to use the same kind of machines. Therefore, we can conclude that the author makes a false analogy. To sum up, the conclusion that we should equip our new community fitness center with the state-of-the art exercise machines which the Muscle Monthly fitness magazine features pictures, although has some merits in the light of common sense and experience from daily life, is not convincing because the authors fails to consider the important factors discussed above. In order to improve his/her argument, the author should correct the false analogy and maybe collect information from a serious randomly sampling statistics rather than using the owner of Skyview Newsstands claim.6/384The authors conclusion is that the city of Helio is a good choice for corporations seeking new business opportunities or a new location. To substantiate this assertion, the author points out that Helios unemployment rate remained lower than the regional average even in the recent recession. Also, the author points out that Helio is the industrial center of the region and provide more manufacturing jobs than its share. Moreover, Helio is attempting to attract companies that focus on research and development of innovative technologies. Close scrutiny, however, reveals several logical flaws of this argument.To begin with, hs unemployment rate was lower than the regional average doesnt mean that hs unemployment rate is the lowest in this area. Even though its the truth, but the author fails to establish the causal relationship between low unemployment rate and great opportunity for new corporations. Probably, Helio is historically labor-hungry; consequently, new corporations would not be able to obtain enough labor forces in this city. Lacking better evidence, it is equally possible that the significantly low unemployment rate in Helio will force the new corporations to provide much more money to attract employees from other local corporations. As a result, the new companies may suffer a greater cost in Helio than in other places. If true, the conclusion will be seriously undermined.Moreover, the author turns on the assumption that Helio is suitable for corporations that focus on research and development of innovative technologies. Nevertheless, it is not necessarily the case. Lacking more sufficient information, it is entirely possible that there are not enough workers with skills of new techniques, since the city has traditionally provided large amount of manufacturing jobs. Also, the author cannot preclude the possibility that the resource required by researches and development of new technologies is too scarce in Helio to permit the development of such companies. Without better evidence, the authors prediction that Helio is ideal place for new business opportunities is dubious at best.In sum, based on the reasons I listed above, the argument is unwarranted as it stands. To bolster it, the author should provide better evidence that (1) there are enough labor resource in Helio to meet the need of new corporations (2) the workers in Helio have the skills required by researches and development of innovative technologies.28/387The authors conclusion is that in order to make more commuters ride the shuttle buses to the subway rather than drive there, the transit company must either reduce the shuttle bus fares or increase the price of parking at the subway stations. To illustrate this conclusion, the author points out that while commuter use of the new subway train is exceeding the projection, the use of shuttle buses is below the projected volume. Close scrutiny, however, reveals several logical flaws of this argument.To begin with, the argument depends on the assumption that the bus fares and the price of parking are the only reasons that caused the little use of shuttle buses. However, this is not necessarily the case. The author fails to consider and rule out other criteria for determining the use of shuttle buses, such as the bus condition, service, scheduling and so forth. Lacking better evidence that the bus fares and the price of parking are the only attributes necessary to the less use of shuttle buses, it is entirely possible that such problem is caused by these factors rather than fares or parking price.In addition, even with the assumption discussed above, the authors conclusion about the possible solution to this problem is still open to doubt. The author presents a false dilemma by imposing an either-or choice between reducing bus fares or increasing parking price, which are not mutually exclusive alternative. It is equally possible that the company could take the two actions at the same time, thus, make the result better. Furthermore, if the author is wrong in the assumption that bus fares and parking price are the only two possible causes of the problem, then the most effective solution might include other complex measures, for example, rescheduling, providing better service on the buses, repairing the buses to get better security condition.In sum, the argument is logically flawed and therefore unwarranted as it stands. To bolster it, the author should provide more sufficient evidence that (1) the problem is caused only by shuttle bus fares and the price of parking at the subway station; (2) the company could only choose one solution between reducing bus fares and raising price of parking at the station; (3) there is no other solution to the problem rather than the two discussed above.39 The authors conclusion is that the review of the baggage-handling procedures is not important to the companys goal of maintaining or increasing the number of Avias passengers. To justify this conclusion, the author points out that on average, last year, 9 out of every 1,000 passengers who traveled on Avia Airlines filed a complaint about the procedures. Also, the author then assumes that the overwhelming majority were quite satisfied with the procedures since only 1 percent of passengers were unhappy with them. Close scrutiny, however, reveals several logical flaws of this argument.To begin with, the argument turns on the assumption that customers did not complain were actually satisfied with the procedures. However, it is not necessarily the case. It is entirely possible that people express their displeasure simply by not returning the complaint sheets or by not taking the fly of Avia Airlines any longer. The greater percentage of such people, the weaker the arguments evidence as a sign of passengers satisfaction toward the procedures is. Lacking more sufficient information about passengers attitudes, the author cannot assume that the great majority of passengers are pleased with the baggage-handling procedures.Moreover, even if that only 1 percent of passengers were unhappy with the procedures, the authors prediction that the company could maintain or increase the number of Avias passenger is still open to doubt. Given that A company carried 100000 passengers total each year, 1 percent would mean 1000 complaints. Thats quite a large number of grievances for the company. Furthermore, without sufficient information showing the customers attitudes toward the other competitive companies baggage-handling procedures, it is entirely possible that there are fewer, or even no passenger who complain the procedures of other companies. Therefore, it is totally possible that the Avia Airlines is losing its passengers to its competitors. If true, the authors prediction about the Avias market would be seriously undermined.In sum, considering the factors listed above, I have good reason to say that this argument unwarranted as it stands. To bolster it, the author should provide better evidence that (1) the passengers who did not file the complaint are actually pleased with those procedures (2) the complaint of the competitive companies are at least no less than that of Avia Airlines. 47 The authors conclusion is that moving to the new location is a good decision of the owners of Cumquat Caf. To substantiate this conclusion, the author points out that the Caf will soon celebrate its second anniversary at the new location. Also, the author reasons that the old location is not good for business development of the Caf since three different businesses have occupied such spot after the Cafs move. Close scrutiny, however, reveals several logical flaws of this argument.To begin with, the author turns on the assumption that the second anniversary in the new place is a sign of business success of the Caf. However, it is not necessarily the case. Lacking more sufficient information about the operating condition of the Caf, I have good reason to doubt whether it can attract enough customers and maintain stable revenue in the place. Probably, the Caf have decided to celebrate its second anniversary there only because the owners want to attract peoples attention to it. That is to say, the mere fact that the Caf have remained operating in the new place for two years, in itself, does not suffice to draw the conclusion that it has achieved business success there.Moreover, the author fails to establish the causal relationship between the old location and the business failure of the three later businesses. Unless the author could consider and rule out other factors for determining the business failure such as haste price policy, ineffective labor organization, out-of-date technique and so forth, it is totally possible that those businesses failed because of these factors rather than the location. If true, the authors prediction about the old location would be seriously undermined.Finally, even if those three businesses failed because of the old location, the author still commits a fallacy of false analogy by simply equating the Cumquat Caf with the three different businesses. Without better evidence showing enough similarities between the Caf and those businesses, it is unwarranted to say that if it didnt leave the old place, the Caf would suffer the same fate as those later businesses. In fact, it is entirely possible that near the old location there are many customers who frequently go to a Caf but seldom go to tanning salon, antique emporium or pet-grooming shop. If true, the conclusion that the Caf cannot succeed at the old location is dubious at best.In sum, based on the reasons I listed above, the argument is logically flawed and therefore unconvincing as it stands. To bolster it, the author should provide better evidence that (1) the Cumquat Cafs revenue has increased or at least remained stable during the two years after it moved to the new place (2) the business failure of the three later businesses is only caused by the bad location (3) the Cumquat Caf and these three businesses share enough similarities to suffer the same fate.52The authors conclusion is that Elm City should deny the application to build a shopping mall in the city. To substantiate the conclusion, the author points out that accompany with the parking shortage in the downtown area, a number of local businesses have closed since the shopping mall has opened in downtown Oak City. Also, the author points out that the arrests for crime and vagrancy have increased in the nearby Oak City Park. Close scrutiny, however, reveals several logical flaws of this argument.To begin with, the author fails to establish the causal relationship between the shopping malls opening and the closing of local businesses. The sequence of these events, in itself, does not suffice to prove that the former caused the later one. It is entirely possible that the Oak City suffers a depression in economy ever since the mall opened, and also, that the technique of local businesses had been out of date. No additional evidence linking the two events is offered in the argument, thus, leaving the possibility that the two events are merely coincident rather than causally related. Moreover, the authors conclusion is also based on the assumption that the shopping mall has caused the increase in crime and vagrancy. However, it is not necessarily the case. Firstly, the increase in arrests for crime and vagrancy is not equal to the commits of crime and vagrancy. Lacking sufficient information, the author cannot preclude the possibility that the increase of arrests resulted from the more strict policy of arrests. Secondly, it is equally possible that the depression of economy is the true reason for the increasing crime and vagrancy.Finally, even if the shopping mall did cause the closing of local business and the increasing crime and vagrancy in Oak City, the authors prediction that Elm City will suffer from the same fate as Oak City is still open to doubt. Without better evidence showing any similarity between the two cities, it is unwarranted to conclude that a shopping mall will lead to the same results in Elm City. Probably the Elm City has not enough shopping malls to meet the need of the citizens. Also, it is possible that the local businesses in Elm City have great competitive advantages and will not be forced to close by the shopping mall and that the police in Elm City are efficient in impeding the crime and vagrancy. If true, these differences may seriously undermine the conclusion based on the analogy between the two cities.Based on the reasons I listed above, the argument is logically flawed and therefore unconvincing as it stands. To bolster it, the author should provide better evidence that (1) the closing the local businesses in Oak City is caused by the shopping mall (2) the shopping mall is the only reason for the increase in arrests for crime and vagrancy (3) Oak City and Elm City share enough similarities to suffer from the same fate.70. The authors conclusion is that the company does not need to replace the HR 2 in its shampoo with a more expensive alternative. To substantiate this conclusion, the author points out that only 500 subjects were involved in the widely publicized study claiming HR 2 can contribute to hair loss after prolonged use. Also the author points out that the company has not received any complaints from customers during the past year and some of its competitors actually use more HR 2 per bottle of shampoo. Close scrutiny, however, reveals several logical flaws of this argument.To begin with, the argument turns on the assumption that customers who did not complain were actually satisfied with the shampoo containing HR 2. However, it is not necessarily the case. Lacking more evidence, it is entirely possible that people express their displeasure simply by not purchasing such shampoo any more. The greater percentage of such people, the weaker the arguments evidence as a sign of customers satisfaction with the shampoo is. Therefore, without more concrete information about the customers attitudes, the author cannot assume that the customers have no resistance to the shampoo.Moreover, lacking more information about scientific study, it is unfair to claim deny the statistical reliability of the widely publicized study for it involved only 500 subjects. Probably such kind of studies require fewer participators than others. Therefore, it is entirely possible that 500 subjects are already enough to draw a convincing conclusion about the harm to hair caused by HR 2. If true, the conclusion will be seriously undermined.Finally, lacking information about the selling condition of its competitors, I have good reason to doubt whether customers have already refused to buy shampoo produced by those companies, a reason leading to a sharp decrease in their revenues. Consequently, it is imprudent for the president to preclude the need of replacing the HR 2 in shampoo with some alternatives. Unless the author could provide other evidence showing the business success of its competitors which produce shampoo with more HR2, any prediction about the stable sale of such shampoo would be dubious at best.In sum, the argument is logically flawed and therefore unwarra