critical reasoning.. weaken question (Microwave Ovens)

[kgarg191]

I feel the manhattan gmat explanation here isn't entirely correct. Most likely I am wrong. But if the someone from the manhattan staff can clarifies this, it would be great.

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Q4 in cat 4.
Almost every modern kitchen today is equipped with a microwave oven, mainly because microwave ovens offer a fast and convenient way of cooking and reheating food. Indeed, it has become a standard appliance in most households. Studies have shown, however, that microwave ovens are not completely safe and their use has occasionally resulted in serious injury. Because of this, some consumer advocates argue that microwave ovens should not be so readily accepted as a standard appliance until they can be certified to be completely safe.

Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument of the consumer advocates?

A. Microwave ovens have taken much of the joy out of cooking.

B. There have been many reported incidences of people who have been scalded by liquids superheated in microwave ovens.

C. Absolute safety is the only criterion by which an appliance should be judged to be acceptable as "standard."

D. There is no such thing as a completely safe appliance.

E. Stoves and ovens that use natural gas consume energy much more efficiently than microwave ovens.

Explanation.
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I agree with this part of the explanation
The consumer advocates’ conclusion is based on an assumption (i.e., an implied premise) that "an appliance should be accepted as standard only if it is found to be completely safe." The most effective way to strengthen such a conclusion is to show that such an assumption is indeed true.


But I have problem with this explanation that C is the correct choice.
(C) CORRECT. This choice best strengthens the argument by making explicit the assumption upon which the consumer advocates’ argument was based.

I think C is not stating the assumption, rather it is distorting the assumption by going too far and saying consumer advocates says it is the "only criterion". They never say it is the only criteria. They say it is "a necessary criteria" for microwaves to qualify as a standard appliance.

Given this, if C still is the correct answer, considering that it goes too far by saying "the only criteria" ?

However, it is not a find an assumption question. It is a strengthen question. And hence, irrespective of the fact that it distorts the assumption, the statement choice "C", if true, strengthens the argument. Is that the reason why "C" is correct? Also, this question does go against the advice of staying away from extreme words in answer choices.[/color]

[jnelson0612]

Check out my reply to a similar question about this problem in this thread: please-help-tie-these-two-strengthen-cr-s-together-t13037.html

Let's discuss further once you read through this.