GMAT - Analytical Writing Sample Questions
Question #10
10a. Identify some of the ways that the following argument could be altered to make it a more sensible argument: "Fellow board members, global warming has become a major concern amongst scientists across the word as they are projecting temperatures will continue to rise throughout the next century. This is a major problem, but it could be a great opportunity for us to increase our company's market share. With each passing year, the temperature is expected to rise, and with more and more scientists voicing their concerns, we can be certain that this temperature increase will be significant. I propose that we immediately begin marketing campaigns in areas with colder climates warning them of the effects of global warming and informing our potential customers that they should prepare for the drastic temperature increase that will be coming by purchasing our air conditioners."
10b. There are a large number of different ways that this particular argument could be altered to make it a more sensible argument. However, the first and most important alteration to the argument would be to change the ideas presented in the last two sentences so that these sentences make more logical conclusions based on the available evidence. Therefore, the third sentence of the argument could be changed to something like "Even though this rise in temperature is expected to be small and occur over a long period of time, global warming is a legitimate concern that we may want to consider in our production methods and marketing campaigns." The last sentence could also be changed and might be altered to read something like "I propose that we immediately begin considering new methods of making our products more environmentally friendly and market our products in such a way that we can attract customers that are concerned with the state of the environment."