Summarize Argument
The solicitor concludes that Loux probably would not have cared if Zembaty sold Stoke Farm to clear the estate’s debts. Why? Because Loux never said she wanted to keep the farm, the only one she owned, and Zembaty has a legal obligation to sell some of the estate in order to repay debts.
Notable Assumptions
The solicitor assumes there’s no other combination of assets less desirable to Loux’s grandson that could be sold to cover those debts instead. In addition, he assumes Loux would have no objection to Zembaty selling pieces of the estate to fulfill the legal obligation.
A
The estate’s debts could not have been cleared without selling the Stoke Farm.
This strengthens the argument because it implies that Zembaty has a legal obligation to sell the farm. The solicitor doesn’t suggest Loux would object to selling the farm simply because Zembaty is obligated to do so.
B
Loux repeatedly told her grandson that she would take care of him in her will.
This is irrelevant because Loux may still leave other assets to her grandson, other than the farm. This doesn’t suggest Loux’s grandson would oppose selling the farm.
C
Loux was well aware of the legal requirements the executor of her will would have to satisfy.
This strengthens the argument by implying Loux would not have opposed Zembaty selling some of her assets.
D
The Stoke Farm was the main cause of the estate’s debts.
Selling the farm may still help raise money to cover those debts, regardless of their origin. This doesn’t say the Stoke Farm has zero or negative financial value.
E
Loux’s grandson had repeatedly expressed his desire to own a farm.
This suggests the farm is more desirable to Loux’s grandson than her other assets, meaning Loux would likely object to its sale. It challenges the solicitor’s assumption that the farm is undesirable to Loux’s grandson.
Joyce: As more knowledge became available in previous centuries, the need for specialists to synthesize and explain it to nonspecialists increased. So computers will probably create a greater dependency on experts.
Speaker 1 Summary
Mary thinks that computers will make it easier for ordinary people to acquire knowledge with no need for experts. Why? Because people will have access to more information than ever before. Mary is assuming that greater access to information will lead to greater ability to acquire knowledge without involving experts.
Speaker 2 Summary
Joyce thinks that computers will increase people’s need for experts. Why? Because in the past, a greater availability of knowledge led to a greater need for experts to explain that knowledge to non-experts. Joyce is assuming that the same thing will happen with computers.
Objective
We’re looking for a point of disagreement. Mary and Joyce disagree about whether computers will decrease or increase the need for people to rely on experts to acquire knowledge.
A
computers will contribute only negligibly to the increasing dissemination of knowledge in society
Neither speaker makes any claim about the overall impact of computers on the dissemination of knowledge in society. Both Mary and Joyce limit their arguments to how experts will be involved.
B
computers will increase the need for ordinary people seeking knowledge to turn to experts
Mary disagrees with this: her argument is meant to establish that computers will decrease people’s need for experts. Joyce agrees with this: she uses history to claim that people’s need for experts will increase. This is the point of disagreement.
C
computers will make more information available to ordinary people
Mary states this as a premise, so clearly agrees. Joyce also seems to agree, though: her argument implies that computers will make more knowledge available to ordinary people. Joyce certainly doesn’t claim otherwise.
D
dependency on computers will increase with the increase of knowledge
Neither speaker talks about dependency on computers or how an increase of knowledge would affect such a dependency.
E
synthesizing knowledge and explaining it to ordinary people can be accomplished only by computer experts
Neither speaker says that only computer experts can synthesize and explain knowledge to ordinary people. Joyce indicates that there will be a need for experts to synthesize and explain, but doesn’t say that only experts can do this, and doesn’t specify computer experts.
Summarize Argument
The author argues that for athletes to become champions, they must have a superior mastery of athletic techniques. To support this, the author tells us that high-level athletes have similar muscular strength, so strength alone doesn’t make a champion. Instead, athletic techniques help athletes use their strength more efficiently. That means that mastery of athletic techniques can act as a differentiating factor between top athletes and true champions.
Identify Conclusion
The conclusion is that “a requirement for an athlete to become a champion is a superior mastery of athletic techniques.”
A
Only champion athletes have a superior mastery of athletic techniques.
This confuses the necessary and sufficient conditions of the conclusion. Just because champions must have superior mastery, that doesn’t mean someone who isn’t a champion cannot; there may be additional requirements to be a champion.
B
Superior muscular strength is a requirement for an athlete to become a champion.
The author never actually states whether or not superior strength is required to be a champion. It may be a tempting assumption, but the argument is focused on superior mastery of techniques. Strength may or may not be required.
C
No athlete can become a champion without a superior mastery of athletic techniques.
This is a good restatement of the conclusion. The rest of the argument leads to this claim by showing that raw strength isn’t the deciding factor, and that technique can increase athletes’ efficient use of strength.
D
The differences in muscular strength between top athletes are not great.
This is not supported by anything else in the argument, so cannot be the conclusion. Instead, it is used as support for the conclusion by eliminating differences in strength as a factor in who becomes a champion.
E
Athletic techniques help athletes use limited resources efficiently.
This is not supported by anything else in the argument, so cannot be the conclusion. It is used to help explain how mastery of technique can improve athletes’ performance, thus making technique a factor in being a champion.
Summarize Argument
The author concludes that newspaper sales will drop if personalized electronic news is widely available. Why? Because this new media type offers personalization and will deliver news much more efficiently than newspapers.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes this new service will deliver news that is interesting to newspaper readers. In addition, he assumes newspaper subscribers will be able to afford the new service and will consider it a replacement for newspapers.
A
In reading newspapers, most people not only look for stories on specific topics but also like to idly browse through headlines or pictures for amusing stories on unfamiliar or unusual topics.
This challenges the author’s assumption that newspaper subscribers will consider personalized news a replacement for newspapers. The services described will not allow people to casually browse for stories on topics they don’t subscribe to.
B
Companies offering personalized electronic news services will differ greatly in what they charge for access to their services, depending on how wide a range of topics they cover.
This doesn’t say those prices will be too expensive for newspaper subscribers. It’s possible even the most expensive personalized news service will be more affordable than a current newspaper subscription.
C
Approximately 30 percent of people have never relied on newspapers for information but instead have always relied on news programs broadcast on television and radio.
This implies at least some people are satisfied consuming only television news. It doesn’t challenge the prediction that newspaper sales will drop.
D
The average monthly cost of subscribing to several channels on a personalized electronic news service will approximately equal the cost of a month’s subscription to a newspaper.
This strengthens the argument because it means the personalized news service will not be too expensive for the typical newspaper subscriber to afford. It eliminates one possible reason to doubt the author’s prediction.
E
Most people who subscribe to personalized electronic news services will not have to pay extra costs for installation since the services will use connections installed by cable and telephone companies.
This strengthens the argument because it means the personalized news service will not carry upfront costs for most customers. It eliminates one possible reason to doubt the author’s prediction.
Summarize Argument
The nutritionist claims that home juicers are not worth the expense. Why? Because they don’t provide tremendous health benefits, given there’s no evidence that juice separated from the pulp has different health properties from juice attached to the original fruit or vegetable.
Notable Assumptions
The nutritionist assumes that people praise the health benefits of home juicers because they think the homemade juice is healthier than whole fruits and vegetables, and that people have no other reason for buying them.
A
Most people find it much easier to consume a given quantity of nutrients in liquid form than to eat solid foods containing the same quantity of the same nutrients.
This challenges the nutritionist’s assumption that home juicers could only have health benefits if the juice they produce is unusually healthy. Rather, the juicers are beneficial because they process nutrients into a form that’s easier for people to consume.
B
Drinking juice from home juicers is less healthy than is eating fruits and vegetables because such juice does not contain the fiber that is eaten if one consumes the entire fruit or vegetable.
This strengthens the nutritionist’s argument. It implies homemade juices are actually less healthy than whole fruits and vegetables, supporting her claim that the juicers make food no healthier.
C
To most people who would be tempted to buy a home juicer, $300 would not be a major expense.
This does not imply the juicer is a worthwhile purchase. If it brings no benefit to the consumer, it will be a waste of money no matter how minor the cost.
D
The nutritionist was a member of a panel that extensively evaluated early prototypes of home juicers.
This doesn’t imply the nutritionist is being insincere and it doesn’t affect her argument. She advises against buying the juicers by arguing they bring no health benefit—her purpose for making the argument is irrelevant.
E
Vitamin pills that supposedly contain nutrients available elsewhere only in fruits and vegetables often contain a form of those compounds that cannot be as easily metabolized as the varieties found in fruits and vegetables.
This puts fruits, vegetables, and their juices in the same category. It compares them to vitamin pills, making no distinction between the health benefits of fruits and vegetables and the health benefits of their juices.
Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
The author thinks it’s likely that stress causes both acne and chocolate-eating, rather than chocolate consumption causing acne. To support this, they offer two pieces of evidence. First, stress hormones can cause acne. Second, chocolate enjoyers eat more chocolate when stressed.
Identify Conclusion
The conclusion is that “it is likely that common wisdom has mistaken an effect for a cause.” In other words, eating chocolate is probably an effect of stress (which also causes acne), rather than causing acne itself.
A
People are mistaken who insist that whenever they eat large amounts of chocolate they invariably suffer from an outbreak of acne.
The author doesn't say that people are mistaken about experiencing acne outbreaks during high-chocolate periods, and doesn't deny that chocolate consumption and acne can correlate. This simply isn’t a claim the author makes.
B
The more chocolate a person eats, the more likely that person is to experience the hormonal changes associated with stress.
The argument is not designed to prove that there is a correlation between stress and eating chocolate. Rather, this is used as a premise to support the conclusion that stress leads to both chocolate-eating and acne, rather than chocolate causing acne.
C
Eating large amounts of chocolate is more likely to cause stress than it is to cause outbreaks of acne.
This is not stated in the argument; the author isn’t saying that eating chocolate causes anything. Instead, the claim is that eating chocolate can be a result of stress.
D
It is less likely that eating large amounts of chocolate causes acne than that both the chocolate eating and the acne are caused by stress.
This accurately paraphrases the conclusion. The evidence given in the argument is meant to support the claim that stress causes both acne and chocolate-eating, as a rebuttal to the “common wisdom” of chocolate causing acne.
E
The more stress a person experiences, the more likely that person is to crave chocolate.
This isn’t quite what the argument says about stress and chocolate consumption, but even if it were, that relationship is used as support for the overall conclusion. It is not supported by anything else, so it is not the conclusion.
Company policy: An employee of our company must be impartial, particularly when dealing with family members. This obligation extends to all aspects of the job, including hiring and firing practices and the quality of service the employee provides customers.
Summary
Employees must be unbiased in all aspects of their job, especially when dealing with family.
Notable Valid Inferences
Employees must not be biased when performing their jobs. This means not offering family members special treatment (whether preferential or unfavorable) simply due to their familial relationship.
A
refusing to hire any of one’s five siblings, even though they are each more qualified than any other applicant
This violates the company’s policies. Employees cannot be biased when performing their duties. This includes overlooking the best candidate for a role simply because they are family.
B
receiving over a hundred complaints about the service one’s office provides and sending a complimentary product to all those who complain, including one’s mother
This does not violate the policy, which implies all complainants should be treated equally—including an employee’s mother.
C
never firing a family member, even though three of one’s siblings work under one’s supervision and authority
This does not violate the policy. There is no information to suggest there is reason for the family members to be fired in the first place.
D
repeatedly refusing to advance an employee, claiming that he has sometimes skipped work and that his work has been sloppy, even though no such instances have occurred for over two years
This does not violate the policy, as there is no information to suggest this action is the result of bias. The company may require that performance from 2+ years ago be considered when deciding promotions.
E
promoting a family member over another employee in the company
This does not violate the policy, as there is no information to suggest this action is the result of bias. It may be that the family member is the most qualified employee for the promotion.
Most antidepressant drugs cause weight gain. While dieting can help reduce the amount of weight gained while taking such antidepressants, some weight gain is unlikely to be preventable.
Summary
Most antidepressant drugs cause weight gain. Dieting may help lower the amount of weight gained while taking antidepressants. Despite dieting, some weight gain is unlikely to be preventable.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
Most antidepressant drugs will cause some unpreventable weight gain.
A
A physician should not prescribe any antidepressant drug for a patient if that patient is overweight.
This is unsupported because the stimulus gives us no information to answer the value statement of whether physicians should or should not prescribe antidepressants in a given circumstance.
B
People who are trying to lose weight should not ask their doctors for an antidepressant drug.
This is unsupported because the stimulus cannot help us answer the value statement of whether patients should value weight loss over however they benefit from an antidepressant drug.
C
At least some patients taking antidepressant drugs gain weight as a result of taking them.
This is strongly supported because we know that most antidepressant drugs will cause at least some unpreventable weight gain.
D
The weight gain experienced by patients taking antidepressant drugs should be attributed to lack of dieting.
This is anti-supported because the stimulus states that weight gain will occur regardless of dieting.
E
All patients taking antidepressant drugs should diet to maintain their weight.
This is unsupported because while we know that most antidepressant drugs can cause some weight gain, we don’t know that all patients on any antidepressant drugs will have weight gain. Further, we don’t know that dieting would be of any help.