Concerned citizen: The Mayor, an Outspoken Critic of the Proposed GMAT Critical Reasoning

Question: Concerned citizen: The mayor, an outspoken critic of the proposed restoration of city hall, is right when he notes that the building is outdated, but that the restoration would be expensive at a time when the budget is already tight. We cannot afford such a luxury item in this time of financial restraint, he says. However, I respectfully disagree. The building provides the last remaining link to the days of the city’s founding, and preserving a sense of municipal history is crucial to maintaining respect for our city government and its authority. So to the question, “Can we really afford to?” I can only respond, “Can we afford not to?”

Which one of the following most accurately characterizes a flaw in the concerned citizen’s argument?

(A) The argument is solely an emotional appeal to history.
(B) The argument ambiguously uses the word “afford.”
(C) The argument inappropriately appeals to the authority of the mayor.
(D) The argument incorrectly presumes that the restoration would be expensive.
(E) The argument inappropriately relies on the emotional connotations of words such as “outdated” and “luxury.”

“Concerned citizen: The mayor, an outspoken critic of the proposed restoration of city hall, is right when he notes that the building” – is a GMAT Critical question. To answer the question, a candidate can either find a piece of evidence that would weaken the argument or have logical flaws in the argument. GMAT critical reasoning tests the logical and analytical skills of the candidates. This topic requires candidates to find the argument's strengths and weaknesses or the logical flaw in the argument. The GMAT CR section contains 10 -13 GMAT critical reasoning questions out of 36 GMAT verbal questions.

Answer: A
Explanation:

The GMAT's critical reasoning section gauges a candidate's logic and analytical skills. To generate a logical response, the candidate must employ reasoning and deduction abilities.

The text states,
Citizen of concern: The mayor, a vocal opponent of the planned renovation of city hall, is correct that the structure is out-of-date, but the renovation would be pricey at a time when money is already tight. He claims that, given our current financial situation, we cannot afford such a luxury item. I sincerely disagree, though. In order to maintain respect for our city administration and its authority, it is essential to preserve the edifice that serves as the last remaining link to the days of the city's creation. Therefore, the question "Can we really afford to?" arises. Can we afford to not do it? is all I can say in response.

Let's examine each choice individually.

A: Correct
Option A is correct. If the CZ had not offered two justifications, this would have been a strong contender. One is a historical justification, but there is also a convincing case being made that restoring the structure will support upholding the CG's authority and respect.

B: Incorrect
Option B is not the correct answer. The word AFFORD is not used in an ambiguous manner in the argument. It's a word play. It sounds like something someone may say in an essay as a rejoinder. However, the argument alters how the word "afford" is employed. The mayor employs it in the context of a straightforward budget computation. The CZ interprets it in a more amorphous way.

C: Incorrect
This is an incorrect answer. Nope, there isn't a single error in this argument or, dare I say, even a single mention of this issue. Only the CZ's authority is indicated

D: Incorrect
This is an irrelevant option.

E: Incorrect
This is an irrelevant option. Nope, nothing was mentioned about the words outdated or luxury in this way in the response of the CZ. If the mayor had relied on such a method and the CZ had criticized that method, then we might be able to consider this.

Hence, A is the correct answer.

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