Question: Museums that house Renaissance oil paintings typically store them in environments that are carefully kept within narrow margins of temperature and humidity to inhibit any deterioration. Laboratory tests have shown that the kind of oil paint used in these paintings actually adjusts to climatic changes quite well. If, as some museum directors believe, paint is the most sensitive substance in these works, then by relaxing the standards for temperature and humidity control, museums can reduce energy costs without risking damage to these paintings. Museums would be rash to relax those standards, however, since results of preliminary tests indicate that gesso, a compound routinely used by Renaissance artists to help paint adhere to the canvas, is unable to withstand significant variations in humidity.
In the argument above, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
(A) The first is an objection that has been raised against the position taken by the argument; the second is the position taken by the argument.
(B) The first is the position taken by the argument; the second is the position that the argument calls into question.
(C) The first is a judgment that has been offered in support of the position that the argument calls into question; the second is a circumstance on which that judgment is, in part, based.
(D) The first is a judgment that has been offered in support of the position that the argument calls into question; the second is that position.
(E) The first is a claim that the argument calls into question; the second is the position taken by the argument.
“Museums that House Renaissance Oil Paintings Typically Store Them GMAT Critical Reasoning”- is a GMAT critical reasoning topic. This GMAT Critical Reasoning topic has been taken from the book “Official Guide for GMAT Reviews.”
This GMAT critical comes with five options and candidates need to choose the one which is correct. GMAT critical reasoning tests the logical and analytical skills of the candidates. 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. Candidates get 65 minutes to answer 36 MCQ questions in the critical reasoning section of the GMAT.
Answer: D
Explanation:
Situation
Renaissance paintings are kept in museums under well regulated environmental settings to prevent degradation. This is expensive. However, the paint used in these works is really quite climatically adaptable. On the other hand, gesso, a different substance frequently employed in these paintings, does not respond well to changes in people.
Reasoning
What roles do the two assertions in bold play in the argument? The first claim is made by certain museum directors rather than being expressed by the author in the argument. The argument itself states that the second bolded statement is true IF this belief is accurate. The argument goes on to provide proof that the first claim is untrue. However, and comes to the conclusion that museum directors would be foolish to accept the truth of the second claim.
Option A
The 2nd is the position taken by some museum directors, NOT by the argument or the author. So the second half of (A) is definitely wrong. Also, the 1st BF portion is a belief of some museum directors, not an objection to the author's position. Eliminate (A).
Option B
The 1st is a belief of the museum directors, not a position taken by the argument/author. The 2nd is indeed a position that the argument calls into question. But since the first half of (B) is inaccurate, we have to eliminate (B).
Option C
The first half of (C) looks good. The 1st BF portion is the belief/judgement of the museum directors. This judgement supports their position, and the argument does call that position into question. But the 2nd BF portion IS that position, not a circumstance on which the museum directors' judgement is based.
In other words, the fact that "museums can reduce energy costs without risking damage to these paintings." Does not CAUSE the museum directors to believe that paint is the most sensitive part. In fact, it's the other way around. So the second half of (C) is wrong, and we must eliminate this one.
Option D
The 1st BF portion is the belief, or judgement, of the museum directors. This belief supports their position, which is stated in the 2nd BF portion. Citing evidence that contradicts the belief of those museum directors, the author questions their position. Choice (D) is spot on!
Option E
The first half of (E) is okay. The argument does call this belief into question. But the 2nd BF portion is the position of the museum directors, not the position of the argument/author. Eliminate (E).
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