The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class letter delivery cost only three cents. Since then, the price has increased nearly tenfold, with an actual decrease in the speed and reliability of service.
Each of the following statements, if true, would tend to weaken the argument above EXCEPT:
(A) The volume of mail handled by the postal service has increased dramatically over the last forty years.
(B) Unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel for trucks and planes have put severe upward pressures on postal delivery costs.
(C) Private delivery services usually charge more than does the postal service for comparable delivery charges.
(D) The average delivery time for a first-class letter four decades ago was actually slightly longer than it is today.
(E) The average level of consumer prices overall has increased more than 300 percent over the last forty years.
E
E
A
The premises of the argument are increased cost, decreased speed, and decreased reliability. The conclusion is that the postal service must be mismanaged. The best attacks will either challenge the premises, as D does, or suggest an alternative explanation other than mismanagement, as B does.
A is not the best answer. An increased volume of mail is an alternative explanation for the speed decrease.
E is not the best answer. 300% inflation does not fully explain a “tenfold” price increase, but it does weaken one of the premises.
C is the best answer. The statement doesn’t attack any of the premises, or offer any alternative explanation. To better see the attack’s flaw, consider that the competitors’ rising prices could also be caused by mismanagement.
MF is right…..
can you please look in to my argument for August 3 CR question…
C is correct because answer choice should point towards mismanagement. If the prvate delivery services charging more than that by the postal service then it meaqns there is a mismanagement from postal services.
B
A and B weakens the argument
C also weaken the arguement because its says private players are charging more which means postal service is not mismanaged… infact it is very well managed
D is restating the premice.. thats why wrong….
and we left with E
and E says 300% inflation and and postal service has its price by ten times which means 7 times more then usally and that means It is very much mismanaged…
SO I go for E
GMAT TEAM please give us correct answer with explaination…
Answer is C…
The answer is E.
All other options weaken the argument
e
I believe E is correct.
it should be C. C is not directly related to the argument. Public vs private is not a part of the argument.
E should be the ans.
I think its D
If considered true it is challenging the premise that delivery time has increased or badly managed
C is the answer…
It is irrelevant to the topic
I am not sure though.. C
I think C.
Take GMAT please provide the correct ans. with explanation.
D
D…
should b ‘C’
C
e
C as the rest support the statement given above..its only d C statement that is nt supportin d main argument.
c
Dear MF your explanation is good
C…100%
gmat team answer plz
C
it’s option D
I will go with C
E …
i think its D:
OPTION: B
“A”