aki

Thanks a lot! This surely helps! :grad:

No worries!! Good luck to u too and thanks for your email! I don't feel quite ready but we'll see... PS: Are you living in Irving in california?

Hi! This is the first essay I have written in real conditions and I guess it's not terrific... My test is on Monday (6 June) so if anybody could help me with some feedback it would be great! Thanks! The following appeared in a magazine article on trends and lifestyles. "In general, people are not as concerned as they were a decade ago about regulating their intake of red meat and fatty cheeses. Walk into the Heart's Delight, a store that started selling organic fruits and vegetables and whole-grain flours in the 1960's, and you will also find a wide selection of cheeses made with high butterfat content. Next door, the owners of the Good Earth Café, an old vegetarian restaurant, are still making a modest living, but the owners of the new House of Beef across the street are millionaires." Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion. The magazine article emphasizes on the fact that nowadays people are not as concerned as they used to be about regulating their intake of red meat and fatty cheese. In order to support this idea, the author compares the success rate of different kinds of restaurants and focuses on the fact that the most successful is indeed the one that is specialized in red meat. However, knowing the concerns of our society, it is hard to believe this argument especially without enough concrete sources. First of all, as mentioned earlier, the content of the article sounds quite intriguing because most of the educated people in today's society are aware that a healthy life starts with a good nutrition. Most of the nutritionists even remind us that an excessive intake of red meat and fatty cheese is not good for health. Therefore, how can the author of the article conclude that people are not as concerned as before on these issues? In order to support this idea, the author of the article should probably mention some figures and even some scientific arguments. Apart from that, one explanation to better understand this argument and eventually agree with it could be that the panel used to draw the conclusion was a panel influenced by specific socio-economic factors. Indeed, research has shown that middle class people that have newly acquired wealth tend to consume more and more red meat and fatty nutriments. This is partly due to the fact that throughout their childhood they did not have the occasion to consume that kind of food. Now that they are more at ease financially, they wish to enjoy by eating red meat or any other fatty food. To conclude I would say that being an educated reader, it is hard to believe such an article. Only if the author includes more facts and figures, supported by strong sources, does the argument hold.

Hi! This is the first essay I have written in real conditions and I guess it's not terrific... My test is on Monday (6 June) so if anybody could help me with osme advice it would be great! Thanks! "A business should not be held responsible for providing customers with complete information about its products or services; customers should have the responsibility of gathering information about the products or services they may want to buy." Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading. The statement mentioned above is a very delicate one. The consumer indeed demands more and more freedom in its acts, which in return forces the businesses to adapt to his or her request. A close examination of this issue reveals that the responsibility of the customers to gather information themselves can be defended based on the type of product or service they are looking for. One of the arguments to agree with this statement would come from the defenders of the consumers' rights. This group of people argue that there is too much advertisement on each and every single medium (television, radio, newspapers). Visual and noise pollution have become a true societal problem. Therefore people claim the right to make up their mind themselves by carefully gathering information about the products and services they are most interested in. The example of a television purchase is a good one. Because people tend to have more and more knowledge on this kind of product, they can manage to collect data to forge an opinion without the business being forced to provide complete information. It can be noticed that this kind of reasoning can easily be applied to many types of purchases (computers, flights, et cetera). However, as soon as we talk about services, the situation can become slightly different. Today's competitive environment makes the supply stronger than ever before and as people become more and more demanding, services companies need to come up with convincing arguments. While looking for financial services for example, people look for elements such as customer satisfaction, human interaction and references. In this case, providing information to customers becomes a responsibility, not only because the customers want it but also because it is a question of gaining market shares against its competitors. While there are arguments to be made on both sides, it is clear that today's society is changing and the needs are becoming complex. Therefore, the responsibility of businesses is not only to provide information on some specific products or services but also to carefully assess the behaviour of the potential customers in order to reach the desired effect; the ultimate goal being a win-win situation for all parties.

WOW! Thanks a lot! The verbal is exactly what I needed! :tup:

Thanks a lot! I will give it a try! My test is on monday... :rolleyes: cheers

Yes, it helps! Thanks a lot!Do you have by any chance some pdf files of the [tooltip=Official Guide]OG[/tooltip] ? I have my test on Monday so maybe it can help me... What do you think?

Thanks for this "remark" !!! [clap] :) Do you have by any chance some pdf files of the [tooltip=Official Guide]OG[/tooltip] ? I have my test on Monday so maybe it can help me... What do you think?

mmmh.... not bad!! :tup: Any tips how to get the "click" in your mind when you see stuff like this? This is the explanation I had. It is pretty long! ------------------------------------------------- The total number of possible outcomes is the number of ways 3 marbles can be selected from 6 marbles. In this problem, the order of drawing the marbles does not matter. As you may have noticed, the characteristics of this problem are identical to the characteristics of a combination problem. The number of ways the marbles can be selected is the number of combinations of 6 marbles taken 3 at a time. Using the combination formula, the number of combinations of n objects taken r at a time is C(n,r) = n!/(r!(n-r)!) C(6,3) = 6!/(3!(3!)) C(6,3) = 720/(6 * 6) C(6,3) = 720/36 C(6,3) = 20 There are 20 possible outcomes when selecting 3 marbles out of 6 marbles. We have now determined the total number of possible outcomes. Now we have to determine the number of outcomes that result in 2 green marbles and 1 yellow marble. We can break this step into two parts: 1. Determining the number of ways to select the 2 green marbles 2. Determining the number of ways to select the 1 yellow marble. The number of ways the 2 green marbles can be selected is the number of combinations of 3 green marbles taken 2 at a time. C(3,2) = 3!/(2!(1!)) C(3,2) = 6/2 C(3,2) = 3 The number of ways the 1 yellow marbles can be selected is the number of combinations of 3 yellow marbles taken 1 at at time. The number of combinations of n objects taken 1 at a time is always n. C(3,1) = 3!/(1!(2!)) C(3,1) = 3!/2! C(3,1) = 6/2 C(3,1) = 3 We can figure out the number of ways the yellow marble and green marbles can be selected with the Multiplication Principle. The Multiplication Principle tells us that the number of ways independent events can occur together can be determined by multiplying together the number of possible outcomes for each event. The number of ways to select 2 green marbles and 1 yellow marble is (3 * 3) or 9. The probability of selecting 2 green marbles and 1 yellow marble is 9/20.

Any volunteer for this one? I have the answer but if anyone wants to try this, I think it's pretty hard.... A bag contains 3 green marbles and 3 yellow marbles. 3 marbles are selected at random. What is the probability that 2 green marbles and 1 yellow marble were selected? :grad:

OK, thanks for all the answers but I thought we could isolate x, replace it in the initial formula, then solve, get y, then use y and replace the value to get a final figure.... Is this not "allowed"? :rolleyes:

The answer here is said to be (A) but I don't understand why it cannot be D. Thanks for your help. -------------------------------- What is the average (arithmetic mean) of 3x and 6y? (1) x + 2y = 7 (2) x + y = 5 -------------------------------- The average formula I suppose here would be: (3x + 6y) / 2 Then statement 1 gives a value for x, then we solve and should get a figure....etc... I would say the same for statement 2 but the answer sheet says answer (A). Any explanation? Thanks!:idea:

i don't think you need to know all cubed values by heart but you could have tried diving 729 by 3 to see if you get a whole number and then divide one more time by three and you would realise that you can use 9^3...

Please forget my question. I was correct actually. It is 28% for the answer but there was a mistake in my list of answers.... Sorry for the trouble but at least youcould get an extra question!! :)

Allow me to answer this. Once you put the equation : 972 Pi = 4/3 Pi r^3 You isolate r^3 and get r^3 = 729 so r = 9 Then to finish you just replace r in the area formula for S and and get 324Pi Hope this helps cheers

The sum of 3 hours 45 minutes and 2 hours 55 minutes is approximately what percent of a day? (A) 14% (B) 16% © 24% (D) 28% (E) 72% Can anyone explain why it's (E) and not (D) ? I understand the following way: 400 minutes is what percent of a whole day (1440 minutes). So approximately 28%. But it's 72%.... probably an understanding problem.... Thanks for your help. Ciao Aki

Here is the full version again! I look forward to getting your feedback! Thanks in advance! Aki :tup: The following appeared in the advertising literature of Travelshack.com, an online magazine and vacation resort catalogue. “Your vacation resort can ill afford not to publicize its offerings on Travelshack.com. Our readership has more than doubled in the past year alone and is dominated by savvy consumers with large disposable incomes. Witness the experience of Snowbert Ski lodge. Since it began advertising itself on our Website a year ago, it is regularly booked to capacity and its annual profits have increased more than threefold from the previous year.” Explain how logically persuasive you find this argument. In discussing your viewpoint, analyze the argument’s line of reasoning and its use of evidence. Also explain what, if anything, would make the argument more valid and convincing or help you to better evaluate its conclusion. Essay starts here: Travelshack.com concludes that seen the success of its website, any vacation resort company willing to attract more customers and willing to increase profits cannot afford not to publicize on its website. However, the conclusion relies on vague arguments and the specific example provided does not provide enough evidence. First of all, the writer assumes that a doubling in readership, mainly composed of wealthy people, results in more sales for its customers. In fact, the people registering on Travelshack.com may be doing so in order to get access to articles and news, which would in return help these clients make up their mind and book their holidays with other companies. Therefore it seems that a stronger link is missing. The argument that an increased readership is equal to more sales would be strengthened if the ad provided evidence such as statistics comparing the ratio of newly registered people to the purchases. In addition, throughout the ad, the text remains vague and does not mention at all some real figures. The reader cannot sense the increase as the ad remains unclear whether the threefold increase is starting from 1 dollar or from 1 million dollars. The proportions are not the same. Therefore, a comparison between previous year’s figures and the newly achieved results would considerably strengthen the argument and convince the reader that the facts are concrete. Finally, the advertisement assumes that any holiday resort can replicate Snowbert Ski Lodge’s success story. Knowing that today’s competitive world is full of stories reflecting both, success and failure stories, the reader would know not to base its judgement solely on one example. Only if Travelshack.com provides evidence that any company advertising on it website enjoys substantial benefits, does the argument hold.

Thanks guys! It's all correct and much clearer! Conclusion, don't try to make things complicated! Bye

Sorry but your reasoning do not work.... I cannot get the 3/5 because you said: 3!*2!*2!*3!/5! = which actually equals 6/5 did u miss something or did I ? Thanks for your reply! ciao

These questions come from the test code 48 bought on the mba.com website:hmm: 11. If the sum of wo positive integers is 24 and the difference of their square is 48, what is the product of the two integers (A) 108 (B) 119 © 128 (D) 135 (E) 143 I started doing some calculations, managed to isolate the two integers and got square root of 264 and square root of 312. Their differene if squared is 48 but cannot managed to get the correct answer. Will post it later! 12. The volume of a sphere with radius r is 4/3 Pi r³ and the surface area is 4Pi r². If a spherical balloon hasa volume of 972Pi cubic centimeters, what is the surface area of the balloon in square centimeters? (A) 324 (B) 729 © 243 Pi (D) 324 Pi (E) 729 Pi I got the answer by elimination. First of all, the answer should have a Pi, so it cannot be A and B. Then E was too big to be possible so choice was left between C and D... but what is the real explanation!! 14. If the perimeter of square region S and the perimeter of circulare region C are equal, then the ratio of the area of S to the area of C is closest to (A) 2/3 (B) 4/3 © 3/4 (D) 2/3 (E) 1/2 Voila, that's it for now, I am all yours and looking forward to hearing you comments! PS:my test is on monday and I still miss some easy questions like thse....what a shame I guess... :rolleyes:

:rolleyes: sorry i must have made an error during my copy paste operation.... if you don't mind, do not hesitate to provide feedback on the other essay I posted.... I will send the question tomorrow as it's in my office. Many thanks in advance. Cheers Aki

Hello again! This is my other essay on the argument part... I would be really grateful if anyone could provide me with some feedback. I am a native French speaker so I may make a lot of mistakes!! Cheers, Aki :grad: Essay starts here: Travelshack.com concludes that seen the success of its website, any vacation resort company willing to attract more customers and willing to increase profits cannot afford not to publicize on its website. However, the conclusion relies on vague arguments and the specific example provided does not provide enough evidence. First of all, the writer assumes that a doubling in readership, mainly composed of wealthy people, results in more sales for its customers. In fact, the people registering on Travelshack.com may be doing so in order to get access to articles and news, which would in return help these clients make up their mind and book their holidays with other companies. Therefore it seems that a stronger link is missing. The argument that an increased readership is equal to more sales would be strengthened if the ad provided evidence such as statistics comparing the ratio of newly registered people to the purchases. In addition, throughout the ad, the text remains vague and does not mention at all some real figures. The reader cannot sense the increase as the ad remains unclear whether the threefold increase is starting from 1 dollar or from 1 million dollars. The proportions are not the same. Therefore, a comparison between previous year’s figures and the newly achieved results would considerably strengthen the argument and convince the reader that the facts are concrete. Finally, the advertisement assumes that any holiday resort can replicate Snowbert Ski Lodge’s success story. Knowing that today’s competitive world is full of stories reflecting both, success and failure stories, the reader would know not to base its judgement solely on one example. Only if Travelshack.com provides evidence that any company advertising on it website enjoys substantial benefits, does the argument hold.

Hi Guys! I have my GMAT test on Monday and would be keen to get a feedback on the essay I wrote. The topic comes from the KAPLAN 2005 book. Thanks a lot in advance! “Some people argue that those who do not send their children to public schools should not have to fund these schools through taxes, since neither parents nor children benefit from these schools. They ignore the fact that everyone benefits from the strong economy that a well-educated populace generates.” Essay starts here: The issue of funding public schools through taxes has often been controversial. On the one side, people sending their children to public schools do not mind paying taxes to fund these schools. And on the other side, those who do not use the services of public schools claim the right not to pay taxes for something they do not benefit from. While the reasoning of the second group can be justified, a close examination of the issue reveals that paying taxes to fund public schools should simply be considered as an obligation for every single citizen. Indeed, one of the reasons supporting this obligation is the fact that school is the essence of today’s society. By funding through taxes, whether one uses these schools, a global contribution to the society is made. In addition to that, seen that the majority of the population mainly gets access to public schools and that some people’s financial resources could be limited, everybody should accept to pay these taxes for the sake of all. Parents sending their children to private schools instead made a deliberate choice. This choice should not penalise those with children in public schools. Finally, taxes are part of our daily lives for centuries. They are present in many areas and very often a sense of frustration can grow due to the fact that many taxes are perceived as inapplicable. However, if, one day, those not using public schools do not have to pay taxes anymore to fund these schools, it can be foreseen that many other political parties or people will claim for similar rights in other areas. This extreme situation would probably cause the fall of the government, as taxes are a major source of funds. While there are arguments to be made for both sides, it is clear that even if parents decide not to send their children to public schools, paying taxes to fund public schools should be considered as acceptable. Instead of being seen as a burden by those not directly benefiting from it, it should be indeed viewed as the role of the citizen and a contribution to the society in its entirety.

Hello fellows! I just discovered this website today and i think I willlike it! Today after an intensive training in Brussels on verbal part of the GMAT the quant is next week), I feel really motivated! I am planning to take the test in Paris on the 6th of June... I am looking for as many tips and test preparations as possible....so if you have anything that may be useful to me, please do not hesitate to share your knowledge with me! Thanks a lot and hope to hear a lot from all of you! :tup: