Which of the following most logically completes the argument given?

Asthma, a chronic breathing disorder, is significantly more common today among adult competitive swimmers than it is among competitive athletes who specialize in other sports. Although chlorine is now known to be a lung irritant and swimming pool water is generally chlorinated, it would be rash to assume that frequent exposure to chlorine is the explanation of the high incidence of asthma among these swimmers, since __________.

Answer Choices

Correct answer marked below

young people who have asthma are no more likely to become competitive athletes than are young people who do not have asthma

competitive athletes who specialize in sports other than swimming are rarely exposed to chlorine

competitive athletes as a group have a significantly lower incidence of asthma than do people who do not participate in competitive athletics

until a few years ago, physicians routinely recommended competitive swimming to children with asthma, in the belief that this form of exercise could alleviate asthma symptoms

Correct

many people have asthma without knowing they have it and thus are not diagnosed with the condition until they begin engaging in very strenuous activities, such as competitive athletics

See the full step-by-step explanation

You can see the correct answer above. Sign in for free to unlock the complete worked solution.

Track your performance and improve

Get detailed analytics, unlock full explanations, and move up difficulty tiers as you practice.

Start for free Sign in

Explanation

Unlock the full explanation

Create a free account to reveal the correct answer, see the step-by-step explanation, and start tracking your GMAT progress.

Create free account Sign in

Comments

No comments yet

Be the first to share your thoughts and help others understand it better.

What this question tests

What it tests

Whether you can identify the option that most bolsters an argument's conclusion.

Common trap

Choosing an option that is consistent with the argument but adds no new support, or that shifts the topic.