Summarize Argument
The author concludes that universities today offer a more in-depth and cosmopolitan education. She supports this by pointing out that, in the past, most university history courses only required textbooks that overlooked key parts of African, Asian, and American indigenous history and culture, but most university history courses today do not have these limitations.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that changes in history courses reflect overall changes in university education. She assumes that university education is more in-depth and global simply because history textbooks are now more in-depth and global. She assumes that other aspects of university education, like lectures or assignments, and subjects beyond history, are also more in-depth and cosmopolitan.
A
The history courses that university students find most interesting are comprehensive in their coverage of various periods and cultures.
Irrelevant. It doesn’t matter which course students find most interesting. Just because students find these courses most interesting doesn’t mean that they reflect university education overall.
B
Many students at universities whose history courses require the reading of books covering all periods and world cultures participate in innovative study-abroad programs.
Irrelevant. Universities whose history courses require books that cover all periods and cultures are likely not representative of “most universities today.” Regardless, we still don’t know whether culturally inclusive history courses reflect a cosmopolitan education.
C
The extent to which the textbooks of university history courses are culturally inclusive is a strong indication of the extent to which students at those universities get an in-depth and cosmopolitan education.
This suggests that history course material is representative of education overall. In other words, the fact that university history textbooks are more in-depth, cosmopolitan, and culturally inclusive does indicate that university education is also more in-depth and cosmopolitan.
D
Universities at which the history courses are quite culturally inclusive do not always have courses in other subject areas that show the same inclusiveness.
This weakens the argument by suggesting that university history courses are not representative of university education as a whole. If other subjects aren’t more culturally inclusive, the author can’t conclude that university education overall is more in-depth and cosmopolitan.
E
University students who in their history courses are required only to read textbooks covering the history of a single culture will not get an in-depth and cosmopolitan education from these courses alone.
Irrelevant. (E) doesn’t suggest that students who read textbooks that cover the history of many cultures will get an in-depth and cosmopolitan education. We still need to know whether history course material is representative of overall education.
Summarize Argument
The author concludes that printed books likely will not be soon replaced by books in electronic formats. This is because bookstores and libraries will offer books in the format the general public wants, and that won’t be an electronic format.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that publishers will publish books in the format bookstores and libraries stock.
A
Scholars and scientists find an electronic format for books the most convenient one for quick searching and cross-referencing.
The author concedes scholars and scientists may end up using electronic formats. We don’t care why that is.
B
Publishers will continue to print books in the format stocked by bookstores and public libraries.
In order for bookstores and libraries to continue offering books in the general public’s preferred non-electronic format, books must still be printed in that format. This tells us they will be printed in that format.
C
Scholars and scientists do not usually conduct their research in public libraries.
We know that scholars and scientists might use electronic formats. We also know libraries won’t cater to them since they’re not the general public. This adds nothing.
D
At some bookstores and libraries, the popularity of books on tape and of videos is beginning to rival that of printed books.
This weakens the author’s argument. The general public is increasingly interested in other formats.
E
Some members of the general public prefer to purchase books in an electronic format rather than borrow them from the library.
This is irrelevant. We care about the general public as a whole, and the author claims they prefer non-electronic formats.
"Surprising" Phenomenon
Why do people who follow the Beta Diet for decades suffer from below-average health?
Objective
Any hypothesis resolving this conflict must state new information about the Beta Diet or the people who follow the Beta Diet for decades. That information must result in those who follow it for decades being less healthy than average, either because the diet has a different effect over an extended period or because those people are unhealthy in the first place.
A
On average, people who have followed the Beta Diet for their entire lives are much more likely to have a variety of healthful habits than are people whose diet is more conventional.
This deepens the mystery. If consistent followers of the diet have other healthy habits, their below-average health after an extended period is even more surprising.
B
The Beta Diet is used primarily as a treatment for a condition that adversely affects overall health.
This explains why people who follow the Beta Diet for decades are likely to suffer below-average health. They are unhealthy because of a condition the diet is intended to treat.
C
People of average health who switch from a conventional diet to the Beta Diet generally find that their health improves substantially as a result.
This makes no claim about people who follow the Beta Diet for decades. A short-term health benefit does not explain health problems that occur decades later.
D
The Beta Diet provides dramatic health benefits for some people but only minor benefits for others.
This does not imply that the Beta Diet has negative effects on the health of some people. It claims only that dieters benefit to different degrees.
E
Recent research has shown that a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and skim milk is even healthier than the Beta Diet.
This does not imply that the Beta Diet is unhealthy, or responsible for the poor health of its long-term followers. It allows the possibility that the Beta Diet is healthier than the average diet over the long-term, in which case the conflict remains unresolved.