The author of the stimulus explains that the number of cataract operations performed has increased greatly because--as opposed to ten years ago when the surgery was painful and not always effective--due to new technology, the operation now "restores vision dramatically and is less expensive."
We are looking for the answer choice that does not support a challenge to the author's explanation of the increase in the number of cataract operations. In other words, we are looking for the answer choice that does not weaken. Thus, our correct answer can either not affect the author's explanation or strengthen it.
Answer choices A through D all weaken the author's explanation. Let's look at answer choice (A) for an example.
"(A) The overall population of the nation has increased from what it was ten years ago."
This answer choice would support a challenge to the author's explanation of the increase in the number of cataract operations, i.e. weaken the author's explanation. If the overall number of people has increased, then it is not because of new technology that the number of cataract operations performed has increased greatly. It is merely because there are more people, so, naturally, the amount of cataract operations needed has increased accordingly, as well.
Now let's breakdown the correct answer: (E)
"(E) People who have had unsuccessful cataract surgery are left with more seriously impaired vision than they had before the surgery."
This answer choice does not support any possibly challenge to the author's explanation. In fact, this answer choice actually strengthens the author's explanation, since now that new technology has advanced cataract surgery in such a way that it dramatically restores vision, i.e. there are less "unsuccessful cataract surgeries that leave people with more seriously impaired vision than they had before the surgery," the number of cataract operations performed has greatly increased. So, the author's explanation is supported.
Thus, answer choice (E) is our correct answer because it does NOT support a challenge to the author's explanation.
Hope that was helpful! Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Claudia-FrankelMay 27, 2020
Could you please explain answer choice E again? I'm still confused on how it weakens. How do we know that answer choice E refers to unsuccessful surgeries from before the recent advances and not from surgeries happening today? If these were surgeries happening in the not so distant past can't we say that it does weaken the claim that the new technology dramatically restores vision?
SamirahJanuary 5, 2022
@Claudia Hi! I think (E) is the correct answer because it has no bearing on the argument and since this is a Bizarro Weaken question, we're looking for the answer choice that either strengthens or has no effect on the argument.
Jordan-SchlingerJanuary 17, 2022
That is correct Samarah! Bizzaro questions do NOT have to strengthen or weaken an argument, if they have no effect whatsoever they can be right too. If the answer simply said "I believe the sky is green." It would be right as it has no bearing whatsoever on the problem.
