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Flashcards: Analyzing Argumentative Claims, Bias, and Support in Business Passages
While hotels have traditionally held a firm grip on the market of vacation-goers, the emergence of companies fostering short-term rentals are dramatically changing the landscape of the travel industry. Before the advent of the modern online forum, short-term rentals were an arrangement limited by sheer logistics. Information about the availability of (and desire for) a short-term rental was difficult to transmit and share. However, with the current explosion of social media and cyber enterprise, the business model of short-term rentals has blossomed.
In 2011, 40% of travelers reported that they would be staying in a short-term rental during the year, as opposed to a traditional hotel. By 2013, this figure had jumped up to a staggering 49%. The short-term rental business is a $24 billion market, holding 8% of the total market of U.S. travel. Rapidly expanding and growing with the innovations of creative renters, the question that hangs in the air is what this means for communities. Short-term rentals have had a polarizing effect in many ways, becoming a source of joy for venturists and cause of dismay for many homeowners.
In recent news, there have been incredible scandals in which short-term renters have abused the property loaned to them, causing thousands of dollars' worth of property damage. Other accusations include disturbing the peace and the commission of criminal acts. Homeowners' Associations (HOAs) have been up in arms, and the legal backlash has been significant. New York enacted firm restrictions on short-term renters, and many HOAs now embed limits on the purposes that a space may be used for, barring short-term rentals.
However, this reaction is an over-reaction, and a detrimental one at that. Cities and towns that set hard limits against short-term rentals are halting the economic growth that would otherwise accompany them. Vacationers are likely to be deterred from venturing out to towns that have banned more affordable short-term rentals. While some vacationers might opt to stay at a hotel in desirable locations, as the short-term rental industry continues to grow, it will become more and more likely that vacation-goers will simply choose alternative destinations that actually allow for short-term rentals.
This is not to say, however, that short-term rentals should be completely unregulated. The key is imposing useful regulations that are mutually beneficial to both communities and to the proprietors of short-term rentals. One potential solution would be to impose reasonable taxes on visitors that use short-term rentals; having requirements for minimum stays could also ensure more consistency for the communities. This also has the added benefit of generating income for towns and cities. There is no reason why communities should see the short-term rental industry as an adversary, when it can just as easily be made into an ally.
The author would most likely agree with which of the following statements?
Although short-term rentals are popular right now, it is likely that they will diminish in value as more restrictions are enstated against them.
In general, regulations have proven to do a disservice to travel industry, as the red tape prevents commerce from moving freely, and discourages travel as a whole.
Communities should see short-term rentals as an adversary, when they can just as easily be made an ally.
Hotels and short-term rentals complement each other and can contribute to one another's mutual development.
While short-term rentals and communities would mutually benefit from regulations, a hard ban against them would be counterproductive.
All GMAT Verbal Resources
Studying for the GMAT is an absolute necessity, as the scores you receive help to form an objective measure of the abilities business programs are looking for in ideal candidates. For applicants who find greater ease in working with numbers than with words and for those who left the classroom environment months or years ago, preparing for the rigors of the GMAT’s Verbal section can seem like an uphill battle. In addition, the Verbal section tests a notably broad range of critical reasoning skills, one more expansive than what students may expect on a single test section or have experience with from previous standardized tests. Understanding exactly what is expected of you when answering each of the section’s three question types allows you to narrow your review to where it is most needed and gain confidence by improving your weakest abilities, leaving you with a well-rounded set of verbal skills and the confidence that you can use them to succeed on your test’s Verbal section. Whether you need GMAT tutoring in Atlanta, GMAT tutoring in Houston, or GMAT tutoring in San Francisco, working one-on-one with an expert may be just the boost your studies need.
The appearance of Reading Comprehension questions on this section likely come as no surprise, as being able to quickly and accurately understand what one reads is a skill necessary to success in business. The GMAT’s Reading Comprehension questions present passages of about 350 words in length drawn from topics in the natural sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, and business. While some Reading Comprehension questions test relatively straightforward concepts like main idea and argumentative claims, others require more abstract reasoning and concern elements of writing such as authorial tone, passage organization, and the purpose and effect of given selections. Still other questions demand that students pick up on subtle cues to make inferences and draw conclusions.
Sentence correction questions may come as a slight surprise on the same section featuring the analysis of prose passages, as many standardized exams split these two skills into a reading section and a writing or English section; however, one cannot deny that the ability to communicate concisely and unambiguously serves well individuals in managerial roles. The GMAT’s Sentence Correction questions provide you with a complete sentence, part or all of which is underlined. Your task is to decide whether the underlined portion of the sentence is incorrect or could be better phrased by exchanging it with one of the provided answer choices. These questions demand a rigorous attention to small grammatical details as well as a sense of how proposed changes function in the context of the sentence as a whole. Varsity Tutors also offers resources like a free GMAT Verbal Practice Tests to help with your self-paced study, or you may want to consider a GMAT tutor.
Perhaps the most surprising GMAT Verbal question type, the Critical Reasoning questions featured on this section of the exam measure a student’s skill in analyzing the logic and soundness of arguments. Critical Reasoning questions present you with a short argument a few sentences in length and concern premises, weaknesses, and implications of that argument. Familiarizing yourself with common argumental flaws such as flaws of sampling, flaws of analogy, and causal flaws can give you a framework to rely on when approaching these questions. In addition to the GMAT Verbal Flashcards and GMAT tutoring, you may also want to consider using some of our free GMAT Verbal Diagnostic Tests.
If you feel unprepared for one, two, or all of the question types that appear on the GMAT’s Verbal section, trying practice problems in your problem areas can be a first step toward mastering them. Varsity Tutors’ free GMAT Verbal flashcards are an excellent resource that you can use anywhere at any time to practice in a focused fashion on just the topics that trouble you. Our free GMAT Verbal flashcards each offer a full explanation of the reasoning used to arrive at the correct answer; this allows any flashcards you miss to become potential learning experiences. After all, any missteps you identify and correct while studying are mistakes you are not likely to make on test day. Whether you want to review an entire problem type or focus on one specific concept tested, our GMAT Verbal flashcards are organized so that you can study at the level of specificity that best suits the current needs of your review. With the help of our flashcards and other free GMAT Verbal resources, you can make yourself an expert on each GMAT Verbal question type and look forward to demonstrating your newly-sharpened skills on your exam.
