Maria: I agree that the stock market provides the opportunity to make large profits quickly, but one is just as likely to take a huge loss. I think it is better to invest in savings bonds, which provide a constant, reliable income over many years.
Speaker 1 Summary
The stock market is the best place to invest your money. Why? Because you can make a large profit quickly in the stock market.
Speaker 2 Summary
I think savings bonds are the best place to invest your money. Why? Because they provide constant, reliable income over many years.
Objective
We need a statement that Antonia and Maria disagree on. They disagree about what is the best place to invest money. Antonia thinks the best place is the stock market because you could make a large profit quickly. Maria thinks the best place is through savings bonds because they provide reliable income.
A
the stock market is often volatile but provides the opportunity to make a large profit quickly
Both speakers agree with this statement. This is the reason why Antonia concludes that the stock market is the best place to invest. Maria also agrees that a person could profit quickly in the stock market, but does not think it is the best place to invest.
B
savings bonds can provide a large return on one’s investment
Antonia does not express an opinion on this statement. Antonia only speaks to the stock market being able to turn a large profit quickly.
C
the stock market provides the opportunity for an investor to make a constant, reliable income over many years
Neither speaker expresses an opinion on this statement. We only know from the stimulus that both speakers believe the stock market could turn a large profit quickly.
D
it is safer to invest in savings bonds than to invest in the stock market
Antonia does not express an opinion on this statement. We don’t know what Antonia’s beliefs are about savings bonds from the stimulus.
E
it is preferable to pick an investment offering a reliable income over a riskier opportunity to make a large profit quickly
Antonia and Maria disagree on this statement. Antonia would disagree and conclude that the stock market is preferable. Maria would agree and conclude that savings bonds are preferable.
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Summarize Argument
The author concludes that therapists who treat violent criminals can’t simultaneously honor their client’s right to confidentiality and be concerned about the criminals’ future victims. As support, the author claims that reporting unreported crimes violates the client’s right to confidentiality and breaks their trust, but not reporting these crimes keeps criminals out of prison and able to commit more crimes.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that concern for the client’s rights to confidentiality and concern for the welfare of future crime victims are mutually exclusive. It could be possible that there is a way to both respect client’s right to privacy while also protecting future victims.
A
Most therapists who treat violent criminals are assigned this task by a judicial body.
If (A) is true, the apparent contradiction between right to privacy and protection of victims still exists; (A) does not add information that allows right to privacy to coexist with protection of victims. Further, the argument discusses criminals who are currently out of prison.
B
Criminals are no more likely to receive therapy in prison than they are out of prison.
The argument is concerned with criminals who were out of prison. This comparison with a different group (criminals in prison) is irrelevant to the argument.
C
Victims of future violent crimes also have a right to confidentiality should they need therapy.
The argument is concerned with whether criminals’ rights to confidentiality puts potential future crime victims at risk; future victims’ confidentiality rights wouldn’t come with that same risk, so (C) is irrelevant.
D
The right of victims of violent crimes to compensation is as important as the right of criminals in therapy to confidentiality.
The idea of compensation is irrelevant to the argument; the argument discusses the relationship between confidentiality and safety.
E
A therapist who has gained a violent criminal’s trust can persuade that criminal not to commit repeat offenses.
(E) is correct because it shows how confidentiality for criminals can coexist with safety for potential future victims. Therapists can be concerned with both their clients’ rights to confidentiality and the welfare of future victims.
Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The author concludes that the average citizen of this town is more likely than in the past to become a victim of violent crime. (This is a restatement of the first sentence, which you could also view as the conlcusion). This conclusion is based on the fact that compared to last year, local law enforcement agencies have responded to more calls involving violent crimes.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that the increased calls involving violent crimes is due to an actual increase in violent crime. (It could be due to something else, such as a greater tendency among the population to call the police when they see violent crime.) The author also assumes that any increase in the number of violent crimes actually increased the rate of crime. It’s possible the population has just grown disproportionately, such that the rate of crime has actually gone down.
A
The town’s overall crime rate appears to have risen slightly this year compared to the same period last year.
The argument is about violent crimes, not just crimes generally, so there’s no clear impact. If anything, this might strengthen the argument by showing that the overall crime rate has increased, which might include violent crime, too.
B
In general, persons under the age of 65 are less likely to be victims of violent crimes than persons over the age of 65.
But the average person can still be more likely to be a victim this year, even if there are different likelihoods between different age groups.
C
As a result of the town’s community outreach programs, more people than ever are willing to report violent crimes to the proper authorities.
This provides an alternate explanation for the increased calls involving violent crimes. These calls might not reflect an increase in actual crimes, but just an increase in the willingness to call about violent crimes.
D
In response to worries about violent crime, the town has recently opened a community center providing supervised activities for teenagers.
The town’s response doesn’t reveal anything about the crime rate. Maybe the town thinks there’s been an increase in violent crime? That doesn’t suggest whether there has or hasn’t been an increase in violent crime.
E
Community officials have shown that a relatively small number of repeat offenders commit the majority of violent crimes in the town.
A small number of people committing most of the crimes can still lead to a higher violent crime rate compared to last year.
Theo: Popular music is not supposed to reflect reality; it performs other artistic functions, such as providing consoling fantasies and helping people create some romance in their often difficult lives. You should understand popular music before you condemn it.
Speaker 1 Summary
Popular music is bad art. Why? Because it fails to represent reality accurately by greatly exaggerating the role love plays in everyday life.
Speaker 2 Summary
Popular music serves other artistic functions, it is not supposed to reflect reality. You should understand popular music before you criticize it.
Objective
We need a statement that Maria and Theo disagree on. They disagree whether art needs to represent reality accurately to be considered good art. Maria thinks popular music is bad art because it does not represent reality. Theo thinks an accurate representation is not required because popular music serves other artistic functions.
A
most good art creates consoling illusions
Neither speaker expresses an opinion on this statement. Both speakers limit their arguments to popular music. We don’t know what Maria or Theo believe about most good art.
B
some bad art exaggerates the role love plays in everyday life
Theo does not express an opinion on this statement. We don’t know from the stimulus what Theo thinks bad art does.
C
art should always represent reality as it could be, not as it is
Neither speaker expresses an opinion on this statement. We don’t know what Maria or Theo think art should always do.
D
art need not represent reality accurately to be good art
Maria and Theo disagree on this statement. Maria disagrees because she concludes popular music is bad art for the sole reason that it does not accurately represent reality. Theo would agree because popular music serves other artistic purposes.
E
popular music should not be considered to be an art form
Neither speaker expresses an opinion on this statement. Maria thinks that popular music is bad art, but that does not mean that she thinks popular music should not be considered art at all.
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