Summary
The author concludes that the agency is unlikely to strengthen the banking system through its attempt to sell the banks it took over. This is based on the fact that if the former owners of the banks buy them back, the banking system won’t be strengthened.
Missing Connection
We know that if the former owners of the banks buy them back, the banking system won’t be strengthened. We’re trying to conclude that the banking system won’t be strengthened by the sale of the banks. What’s missing is the trigger for the premise — we want to know that the former owners of the banks will buy them back.
A
the agency may be unable to sell some of the banks
(A) doesn’t establish that the former owners will buy the banks back. So (A) doesn’t prove that the banking system won’t be strengthened from the sale. Don’t assume that if some banks can’t be sold, that the banking system isn’t strengthened. You don’t know that from the premises.
B
a single company could buy more than one of the banks
(B) doesn’t establish that the former owners will buy the banks back.
C
the country’s overall economy is not much stronger than it was when the large banks failed
(C) doesn’t establish that the former owners will buy the banks back.
D
the banks sold by the agency will be financially weaker than the country’s other banks for some time
(D) doesn’t establish that the former owners will buy the banks back.
E
all of the bidders for the banks are their former owners
(E) establishes that the former owners will buy the banks back. If all bidders (potential buyers) for the banks are former owners, then once the banks are sold, they must go to former owners. This triggers the sufficient condition of the premise (former owners buy banks back), which allows us to conclude that the banking system will not be strengthened.
Summarize Argument
The author concludes that Grodex should probably conduct employee-training seminars using innovative educational methods. This is because children taught using innovative methods learn to think more creatively than children taught using other methods. In addition, most jobs at Grodex require the ability to think creatively, but don’t require a strong ability to memorize.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that the effects of innovative methods on children are similar to the effects such methods would have on employees at Grodex.
A
most of the employees at Grodex began in high school to learn the creative thinking skills that they later used on the job
This doesn’t help connect the effects on children to effects on employees at Grodex.
B
corporations that conduct training seminars for employees using innovative educational methods are generally more successful than are corporations that do not conduct training seminars
This compares seminars using the innovative methods vs. no seminars at all. But we’re interested in a comparison between seminars using the innovative methods vs. seminars that use other methods.
C
less than half of the employees at Grodex regularly attend the company’s training seminars
The proportion of employees who attend seminars doesn’t help connect the effects on children with the effects on employees at Grodex.
D
the effects of teaching methods in the education of adults are generally very similar to the effects of those methods in the education of children
This strengthens by affirming the author’s assumption that the effects on children are similar to the effects innovative methods would have on employees at Grodex. If this assumption were not true, the argument wouldn’t be able to rely on the premise concerning children.
E
knowing how to think creatively helps people to compensate for deficiencies in memorization skills
This doesn’t help connect the effects on children to effects on employees at Grodex.
Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
The fact that, in a few centuries, there will be ten people for every square meter will only be temporarily solved by humans learning how to colonize other planets. Colonizing other planets will only temporarily solve Earth’s population crisis because if the population keeps doubling every 30 years, and half of Earth's population moves to Mars in 2500, Earth will be just as crowded as before by 2530.
Identify Conclusion
The conclusion is the essayist’s criticism of a potential solution to the fact that Earth’s population may soon grow to where there are ten people for every square meter of Earth’s surface. The essayist disputes the claim that colonizing other planets will be a solution for Earth’s overpopulation. The essayist’s conclusion is that this potential solution is flawed because colonizing other planets will only "be a temporary solution at best."
A
If Earth’s population continues to grow geometrically, then in a few centuries the population density of Earth’s surface will be ten people per square meter.
This is context. The essayist explains how Earth’s population is growing to introduce a possible solution—colonizing other planets. This context helps us understand the essayist’s main point: colonizing other planets won’t solve overpopulation in the long term, only temporarily.
B
Due to the continuing geometric growth of Earth’s population, the problem of overpopulation of Earth will probably persist.
The essayist doesn’t make this claim. The essayist argues that if Earth's population keeps growing, one proposed solution may not be enough. However, the essayist doesn’t say for sure that Earth's population will grow this way or that overpopulation will “probably” be a problem.
C
If Earth’s population continues to double every 30 years, and if at some point half of the population of Earth emigrated elsewhere, then after 30 years Earth would be just as crowded as it had been before the emigration.
This is a premise. The fact that Earth will be just as crowded again after half the population moves to another planet supports the main conclusion that colonizing other planets is only a temporary fix for overpopulation. It explains why this solution won’t help in the long term.
D
The population of Earth’s surface will probably continue to grow geometrically even if temporary solutions to population growth, such as colonizing other planets, are adopted.
This is an assumption the essayist makes. The essayist assumes that Earth's population will keep doubling, even after some people hypothetically move to Mars. If this assumption is true, the essayist argues that colonizing other planets will only temporarily fix overpopulation.
E
Learning how to colonize other planets would, at best, be a temporary solution to the overcrowding of Earth.
This accurately states the main conclusion. The essayist disagrees that colonizing other planets will solve Earth's future overpopulation, believing it would only be a temporary solution for such overcrowding because the growing population will eventually replace those who leave.
Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The author hypothesizes that the complexity of chocolate probably masks differences in taste between full-fat and low-fat chocolate ice cream. This is based on the fact that in a taste test, most people like low-fat chocolate ice cream as much as full-fat versions. But with vanilla ice cream, people tend to dislike the taste of low-fat versions compared ot full-fat versions. In addition, chocolate is known to be a very complex flavor.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that there’s no other explanation besides complexity of flavor for the differing reactions between low-fat chocolate and low-fat vanilla. The author also assumes that vanilla is not as complex a flavor as chocolate.
A
Most people prefer full-fat chocolate ice cream to full-fat vanilla ice cream.
Whether more people like chocolate vs. vanilla is not at issue. The issue is what explains why people like low-fat vs. full-fat chocolate equally, whereas they like full-fat vanilla more than low-fat vanilla.
B
The subjects of the previous tests were not informed of the difference in fat content.
Whether the subjects in previous tests knew about the fat differences has no clear impact on what explains why people like low-fat and full-fat chocolate ice cream equally.
C
The more distinct compounds required to produce a flavor, the better people like it.
This suggests a more complex flavor will be more liked than a less complex flavor. But we’re concerned with comparisons between high-fat and low-fat within the same flavor. Why do people like low-fat vanilla less than high-fat vanilla, but like both versions of chocolate equally?
D
Vanilla is known to be a significantly less complex flavor than chocolate.
If vanilla were just as complex as chocolate, the author’s hypothesis about complexity masking taste wouldn’t make sense, because people dislike low-fat vanilla compared to high-fat. (D) defends the argument by confirming that vanilla is less complex than chocolate.
E
Most people are aware of the chemical complexities of different flavors.
People’s awareness of complexities of flavors has no clear impact. They may be aware, but we have no reason to think this relates to complexity of flavor helping to mask taste differences between high-fat and low-fat ice creams.