A
The argument assumes what it is attempting to demonstrate.
B
The argument overlooks that what is not in principle susceptible to proof might be false.
C
The argument fails to specify how it is that underinflation or overinflation harms tire tread.
D
The argument rejects the possibility that what has not been proven is nevertheless true.
E
The argument fails to precisely define the terms “underinflation” and “overinflation.”
Economist: In free market systems, the primary responsibility of corporate executives is to determine a nation’s industrial technology, the pattern of work organization, location of industry, and resource allocation. They also are the decision makers, though subject to significant consumer control, on what is to be produced and in what quantities. In short, a large category of major decisions is turned over to business executives. Thus, business executives have become public officials.
Summarize Argument
The economist concludes that business executives have become public officials. She supports this by saying that business executives are responsible for key decisions like industrial technology, work organization, industry location, and resource allocation. They also decide what and how much to produce, although consumers have some influence.
Notable Assumptions
In order for business executives to be considered public officials, the economist must assume that the “large category of major decisions” that they are responsible for is sufficient for making someone a public official. In other words, she must assume that, just because business executives make these decisions, they are public officials.
A
Most of the decisions made by business executives in free market systems are made by the government in countries with centrally planned economies.
The economist’s argument only addresses business executives in free market systems. So the decision-making in countries with centrally planned economies is not relevant.
B
Making decisions about patterns of work organization, resource allocation, and location of industry is not the core of a public official’s job.
This weakens the economist’s argument by pointing out her key assumption. She assumes that making the decisions mentioned is a sufficient reason to call someone a public official. But if these decisions aren’t the core of a public official’s job, her argument falls apart.
C
The salaries of business executives are commensurate with the salaries of high-ranking public officials.
It doesn’t matter that business executives and high-ranking public officials have similar salaries. We’re only concerned with the decisions made by business executives and whether those decisions make them public officials.
D
What a country produces and in what quantities is not always completely controlled by corporate executives.
We already know that decisions about a country’s production, though made by business executives, are “subject to significant consumer control.” The question is whether making decisions about these things means that business executives are public officials.
E
Public officials and business executives often cooperate in making decisions of national importance.
Whether public officials and business executives work together in making decisions is irrelevant. We need to know if making these decisions is enough reason to say that business executives are public officials.
Matilda: The current poor condition of the university libraries is the fault of the library officials, not the students. Students should not have to pay for the mistakes of careless library administrators.
A
library administrators are to blame for the poor condition of the university libraries
B
library improvements could be most quickly effected through charging students additional fees
C
students will ultimately benefit from the library improvements that could be funded by additional student fees
D
those not responsible for the current condition of the libraries should bear the cost for remedying it
E
funds for library improvements could be raised without additional student fees
Curator: The decision to restore the cloak of the central figure in Veronese’s painting from its present red to the green found underneath is fully justified. Reliable x-ray and chemical tests show that the red pigment was applied after the painting had been completed, and that the red paint was not mixed in Veronese’s workshop. Hence it appears likely that an artist other than Veronese tampered with Veronese’s painting after its completion.
Art critic: But in a copy of Veronese’s painting made shortly after Veronese died, the cloak is red. It is highly unlikely that a copyist would have made so major a change so soon after Veronese’s death.
Summary
When responding to the claim that an artist other than Veronese tampered with Veronese’s painting after its completion, the art critic offers evidence that the cloak of the central figure was actually red in a copy made shortly after Veronese’s death. Furthermore, it’s highly unlikely that this change was made so soon after Veronese’s death.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
The restoration of Veronese’s painting will fail to restore it to the appearance it had before Veronese’s death.
A
The copy of Veronese’s painting that was made soon after the painter’s death is indistinguishable from the original.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know from the stimulus whether the copied version is indistinguishable from the original. We only know about the change in the cloak color.
B
No painting should be restored before the painting is tested with technologically sophisticated equipment.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know from the stimulus whether the art critic believes testing the painting is necessary in order for the painting to be restored.
C
The proposed restoration will fail to restore Veronese’s painting to the appearance it had at the end of the artist’s lifetime.
This answer is strongly supported. The art critic claims that it is unlikely for the a copyist to change the cloak color so soon after Veronese’s death and that the cloak the copyist replicated was likely red to begin with.
D
The value of an artist’s work is not necessarily compromised when that work is tampered with by later artists.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know from the stimulus how valuable Veronese’s artwork is.
E
Veronese did not originally intend the central figure’s cloak to be green.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know anything about Veronese’s intentions from the stimulus. The stimulus discusses the cloak color on a factual basis, what color it is versus isn’t.