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Virulent microbes, which are transmitted mainly through drinking water, are the most common cause of waterborne diseases. According to the World Health Organization, such diseases cause almost two million deaths every year, and an estimated 65 percent of these fatalities are caused by microbial organisms. Clearly, this number can be significantly reduced if drinking water is treated with anti-microbial agents before it is supplied to consumers.
Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the conclusion drawn above?
  • a)
    Whether treating drinking water with anti-microbial agents would be more expensive than treating it with conventional water purification processes 
  • b)
    Whether the fatalities caused by waterborne diseases would be reduced if alternative forms of medical treatment were used
  • c)
    Whether the figures reported by the World Health Organization include the number of deaths caused by allergic reactions to medicines prescribed for the treatment of waterborne diseases
  • d)
    Whether drinking water is contaminated at water processing plants or while being delivered to consumers
  • e)
    Whether drinking water contains any harmful contaminants other than disease-causing microbes
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
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Virulent microbes, which are transmitted mainly through drinking water...
Virulent microbes, which are transmitted mainly through drinking water, are the most common cause of waterborne diseases. According to the World Health Organization, such diseases cause almost two million deaths every year, and an estimated 65 percent of these fatalities are caused by microbial organisms. Clearly, this number can be significantly reduced if drinking water is treated with anti-microbial agents before it is supplied to consumers.
Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the conclusion drawn above?
Argument Analysis
Pre-Thinking
Conclusion Clarification
The conclusion is that the number of fatalities caused because of MO can be significantly reduced. The conclusion is based on a condition: if drinking water is treated with anti-microbial agents before it is supplied to consumers.  We need to examine the link between the stated condition and its expected effect.
Pre-Thinking Approach
In order to evaluate the linkage, we’ll pre-think assumptions by thinking of conditions that will falsify the conclusion. The assumption then will be that these conditions don’t exist.  Accordingly, let’s look at linkage 1 and understand the conditions under which it doesn’t hold. 
Linkage#1 – if drinking water is treated with anti-microbial agents before it is supplied to consumers.
  • Falsification Condition:  What if the water is contaminated with MO after its supply to the consumer? If this were true, then the linkage would not hold.
    • Assumption: The water is contaminated with MO before it is supplied to the consumers.
With this pre-thinking in mind, let’s evaluate the answer choices.
Answer Choices
A
Whether treating drinking water with anti-microbial agents would be more expensive than treating it with conventional water purification processes 
Incorrect - Irrelevant
The argument doesn’t make any connection between the cost of the plan and its success.
B
Whether the fatalities caused by waterborne diseases would be reduced if alternative forms of medical treatment were used
Incorrect - Irrelevant
The question asks us to evaluate whether treating the drinking water with anti-microbial agents would have the desired effect. Evaluating an alternate plan cannot shed any light on the merits of the current plan.
C
Whether the figures reported by the World Health Organization include the number of deaths caused by allergic reactions to medicines prescribed for the treatment of waterborne diseases
Incorrect - Irrelevant
The choice talks about an aspect that sets in after the people have contracted WBD. However, the argument talks about a scenario that deals with the prevention of WBD.
D
Whether drinking water is contaminated at water processing plants or while being delivered to consumers
Correct
This choice is written along the lines of our pre-thinking per Linkage #1. If, the water is contaminated with MO after or during its supply to the consumers, then the number of fatalities may not reduce.
E
Whether drinking water contains any harmful contaminants other than disease-causing microbes
Incorrect - Irrelevant
Contaminants other than disease-causing microbes are not relevant to the linkage based on MO.
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Virulent microbes, which are transmitted mainly through drinking water, are the most common cause of waterborne diseases. According to the World Health Organization, such diseases cause almost two million deaths every year, and an estimated 65 percent of these fatalities are caused by microbial organisms. Clearly, this number can be significantly reduced if drinking water is treated with anti-microbial agents before it is supplied to consumers.Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the conclusion drawn above?a)Whether treating drinking water with anti-microbial agents would be more expensive than treating it with conventional water purification processesb)Whether the fatalities caused by waterborne diseases would be reduced if alternative forms of medical treatment were usedc)Whether the figures reported by the World Health Organization include the number of deaths caused by allergic reactions to medicines prescribed for the treatment of waterborne diseasesd)Whether drinking water is contaminated at water processing plants or while being delivered to consumerse)Whether drinking water contains any harmful contaminants other than disease-causing microbesCorrect answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
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Virulent microbes, which are transmitted mainly through drinking water, are the most common cause of waterborne diseases. According to the World Health Organization, such diseases cause almost two million deaths every year, and an estimated 65 percent of these fatalities are caused by microbial organisms. Clearly, this number can be significantly reduced if drinking water is treated with anti-microbial agents before it is supplied to consumers.Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the conclusion drawn above?a)Whether treating drinking water with anti-microbial agents would be more expensive than treating it with conventional water purification processesb)Whether the fatalities caused by waterborne diseases would be reduced if alternative forms of medical treatment were usedc)Whether the figures reported by the World Health Organization include the number of deaths caused by allergic reactions to medicines prescribed for the treatment of waterborne diseasesd)Whether drinking water is contaminated at water processing plants or while being delivered to consumerse)Whether drinking water contains any harmful contaminants other than disease-causing microbesCorrect answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer? for GMAT 2025 is part of GMAT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the GMAT exam syllabus. Information about Virulent microbes, which are transmitted mainly through drinking water, are the most common cause of waterborne diseases. According to the World Health Organization, such diseases cause almost two million deaths every year, and an estimated 65 percent of these fatalities are caused by microbial organisms. Clearly, this number can be significantly reduced if drinking water is treated with anti-microbial agents before it is supplied to consumers.Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the conclusion drawn above?a)Whether treating drinking water with anti-microbial agents would be more expensive than treating it with conventional water purification processesb)Whether the fatalities caused by waterborne diseases would be reduced if alternative forms of medical treatment were usedc)Whether the figures reported by the World Health Organization include the number of deaths caused by allergic reactions to medicines prescribed for the treatment of waterborne diseasesd)Whether drinking water is contaminated at water processing plants or while being delivered to consumerse)Whether drinking water contains any harmful contaminants other than disease-causing microbesCorrect answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for GMAT 2025 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Virulent microbes, which are transmitted mainly through drinking water, are the most common cause of waterborne diseases. According to the World Health Organization, such diseases cause almost two million deaths every year, and an estimated 65 percent of these fatalities are caused by microbial organisms. Clearly, this number can be significantly reduced if drinking water is treated with anti-microbial agents before it is supplied to consumers.Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the conclusion drawn above?a)Whether treating drinking water with anti-microbial agents would be more expensive than treating it with conventional water purification processesb)Whether the fatalities caused by waterborne diseases would be reduced if alternative forms of medical treatment were usedc)Whether the figures reported by the World Health Organization include the number of deaths caused by allergic reactions to medicines prescribed for the treatment of waterborne diseasesd)Whether drinking water is contaminated at water processing plants or while being delivered to consumerse)Whether drinking water contains any harmful contaminants other than disease-causing microbesCorrect answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?.
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Clearly, this number can be significantly reduced if drinking water is treated with anti-microbial agents before it is supplied to consumers.Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the conclusion drawn above?a)Whether treating drinking water with anti-microbial agents would be more expensive than treating it with conventional water purification processesb)Whether the fatalities caused by waterborne diseases would be reduced if alternative forms of medical treatment were usedc)Whether the figures reported by the World Health Organization include the number of deaths caused by allergic reactions to medicines prescribed for the treatment of waterborne diseasesd)Whether drinking water is contaminated at water processing plants or while being delivered to consumerse)Whether drinking water contains any harmful contaminants other than disease-causing microbesCorrect answer is option 'D'. 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Clearly, this number can be significantly reduced if drinking water is treated with anti-microbial agents before it is supplied to consumers.Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the conclusion drawn above?a)Whether treating drinking water with anti-microbial agents would be more expensive than treating it with conventional water purification processesb)Whether the fatalities caused by waterborne diseases would be reduced if alternative forms of medical treatment were usedc)Whether the figures reported by the World Health Organization include the number of deaths caused by allergic reactions to medicines prescribed for the treatment of waterborne diseasesd)Whether drinking water is contaminated at water processing plants or while being delivered to consumerse)Whether drinking water contains any harmful contaminants other than disease-causing microbesCorrect answer is option 'D'. 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Clearly, this number can be significantly reduced if drinking water is treated with anti-microbial agents before it is supplied to consumers.Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the conclusion drawn above?a)Whether treating drinking water with anti-microbial agents would be more expensive than treating it with conventional water purification processesb)Whether the fatalities caused by waterborne diseases would be reduced if alternative forms of medical treatment were usedc)Whether the figures reported by the World Health Organization include the number of deaths caused by allergic reactions to medicines prescribed for the treatment of waterborne diseasesd)Whether drinking water is contaminated at water processing plants or while being delivered to consumerse)Whether drinking water contains any harmful contaminants other than disease-causing microbesCorrect answer is option 'D'. 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Clearly, this number can be significantly reduced if drinking water is treated with anti-microbial agents before it is supplied to consumers.Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the conclusion drawn above?a)Whether treating drinking water with anti-microbial agents would be more expensive than treating it with conventional water purification processesb)Whether the fatalities caused by waterborne diseases would be reduced if alternative forms of medical treatment were usedc)Whether the figures reported by the World Health Organization include the number of deaths caused by allergic reactions to medicines prescribed for the treatment of waterborne diseasesd)Whether drinking water is contaminated at water processing plants or while being delivered to consumerse)Whether drinking water contains any harmful contaminants other than disease-causing microbesCorrect answer is option 'D'. 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Clearly, this number can be significantly reduced if drinking water is treated with anti-microbial agents before it is supplied to consumers.Which of the following would it be most useful to establish in order to evaluate the conclusion drawn above?a)Whether treating drinking water with anti-microbial agents would be more expensive than treating it with conventional water purification processesb)Whether the fatalities caused by waterborne diseases would be reduced if alternative forms of medical treatment were usedc)Whether the figures reported by the World Health Organization include the number of deaths caused by allergic reactions to medicines prescribed for the treatment of waterborne diseasesd)Whether drinking water is contaminated at water processing plants or while being delivered to consumerse)Whether drinking water contains any harmful contaminants other than disease-causing microbesCorrect answer is option 'D'. 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