Summarize Argument
The author concludes that it is reasonable to restrict the use of calculators because they make calculations easier. While easier calculations lets students focus on mathematical principles instead of the process of applying them, engaging in the application process actually helps students remember the principles. This supports the sub-conclusion that support for calculators as a tool for learning math is misguided.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that ensuring students remember mathematical principles is more important than a simple learning process. In other words, increasing the likelihood that students remember the principles is worth complicating the learning process.
A
Some students who know how to use calculators also thoroughly understand the mathematical principles that calculators obey.
This does not affect the argument. The author argues that not using calculators increases the likeliness of students remembering the principles—the argument isn’t about whether they understand them.
B
Slide rules, which are less technologically sophisticated analogues of calculators, were widely used in the learning of mathematics several decades ago.
This does not affect the argument. The fact that slide rules were used several decades ago to learn math does not tell us about the advantages or disadvantages of using calculators when learning mathematical principles.
C
It is much more important that students retain the knowledge of general principles than that this knowledge be easily acquired.
This strengthens the argument by supporting the author’s assumption that students’ ability to remember mathematical principles is a higher priority than an easier learning process.
D
Habits that are acquired by laborious and sometimes tedious practice are not as valuable as those that are painlessly mastered.
This weakens the argument. It attacks the author’s assumption that there is value in the laborious process of applying mathematical principles (i.e., by increasing students’ retention of the material). Instead, it says easily-acquired habits are more valuable.
E
Teachers’ enthusiasm for new educational aids is often not proportional to the pedagogical effectiveness of those devices.
This does not affect the argument. The author’s argument is not about teachers’ enthusiasm, but about the reasonableness of restricting calculator use. We are looking for an answer choice that strengthens the idea that restricting calculator use is reasonable.
Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
The commentator concludes that it is not true that there is a liberal bias in current journalism. To support this, the commentator claims that newspapers, magazines, radio, and television companies need to target a broad customer base because they depend on selling news and advertising. This need to appeal to a broad customer base is what keeps them impartial, according to the commentator, and since they face these market pressures to be impartial, there is not a liberal bias in the media.
Identify Conclusion
The commentator concludes that there is not a liberal bias in current journalism; despite what many believe, “this is not the case.”
A
The individual political orientations of journalists do not constitute acceptable evidence regarding media bias.
The argument does not address this claim. This answer discusses what constitutes acceptable evidence; the argument does not make a judgement on whether journalists’ views are acceptable evidence.
B
Major media face significant market pressures.
This is offered as support for the main conclusion. This is a premise.
C
Current journalism does not have a liberal political bias.
This is the main conclusion. The commentator’s argument is that other people are wrong when they claim that there is a liberal bias in the media. Answer C encapsulates this idea.
D
Major media must target the broadest customer base possible in order to maximize profits.
Similar to B, this acts as support for the main conclusion, so this is a premise.
E
It is often maintained that current journalism has a liberal bias.
This serves as context for the argument; this the idea that the commentator is arguing against.
Summarize Argument
The university administration’s rationale for the school’s tuition increase is unconvincing. The university said the increase is due to increased costs associated with teachers’ salaries and need-based aid for students, but the budget does not reflect these claims.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that, while faculty salaries are only a small part of the school’s spending, it did not increase significantly enough from the previous year to justify the tuition increase.
A
With this year’s budget, the university has increased its total spending on scholarship aid by 5 percent.
This does not affect the argument. The author already notes that the budget shows a significant increase in scholarship aid (specifically, to academic scholarships).
B
With this year’s budget, the university increased the allotment for faculty salaries by 5 percent while tuition was increased by 6 percent.
This weakens the argument by attacking the assumption that, while faculty salaries are a small part of the university’s budget, the amount spent on them did not significantly increase this year, which could potentially justify the tuition increase. (B) says this may be the case.
C
Faculty salaries at the university have increased in line with the national average, and substantial cuts in government student-loan programs have caused financial difficulties for many students at the university.
This does not affect the argument. (C) says the increase in faculty salaries is not unusually large and, while students may be facing financial difficulties, the budget shows that the school is not putting more money to need-based aid.
D
Of the substantial items in the budget, the greatest increase was in administrative costs, facilities maintenance costs, and costs associated with the provision of athletic facilities.
This strengthens the argument by showing that the administration’s explanation is unreliable. While the school justified the increase by citing increased spending on need-based aid and faculty salaries, the costs outlined in (D) are actually the largest increases in the budget.
E
Because enrollment projections at the university are very unreliable, it is difficult to accurately estimate the amount of money the university will collect from tuition fees ahead of time.
This does not affect the argument, which is about whether the administration’s explanation is believable. (E) does not elaborate on the explanation or its reliability, making it irrelevant to the argument.
Summary
Students asked to tell a lie in a discussion group overestimated how many people in the group could tell that they were lying. Similarly, volleyball players that perform unusually poorly expect teammates to notice this more than the teammates actually do. Finally, a student wearing a funny T-shirt was noticed only by a small number of people in a room, contrary to what the student expected.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
People tend to think that their appearance is noticed by others more often than what actually happens.
A
People tend to be far less aware of their own appearance and behavior than are other people.
This answer is anti-supported. We know from the stimulus that people tend to be more aware of their own appearance, not less aware.
B
People tend not to notice the appearance or behavior of others.
This answer is unsupported. It’s not that people in these experiments didn’t notice the appearance or behavior of others, it’s that there is a significant difference in perception. People perceive others to be aware of their appearance more often than others actually are.
C
We are actually less observant of the appearance and behavior of others than we think ourselves to be.
This answer is unsupported. This answer gets it “backwards” and is from the other perspective of whether a person accurately assesses how aware they are of other people.
D
People will notice the appearance or behavior of others only if it is specifically highlighted in some way.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know from the stimulus what is necessary in order for others to notice a person’s appearance or behavior.
E
People tend to believe their appearance and behavior are noticed by others more often than is actually the case.
This answer is strongly supported. People generally over-expect others to notice their appearance or behavior.
Mathematics professor: I disagree. My applied statistics course covers much of the same material taught in the applied statistics courses in social science departments. In fact, my course uses exactly the same textbook as those courses!
Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
The math professor concludes that non-social science departments should teach applied statistics. This in contrast to the psychologist, who thinks that social science departments are best at teaching their students how to apply statistics to their disciplines. The math professor disagrees, because his applied statistics course covers the exact same content as those taught by the social science departments.
Identify and Describe Flaw
Even if the math professor’s statistics course covers the same material, it may not teach students to apply it to a social science as effectively as a course taught by an expert in the field. That was the point made by the psychology professor, and the math professor didn’t address it.
A
The response gives no evidence for its presumption that students willing to take a course in one department would choose a similar course in another.
Student preference is never mentioned in the response, so this can’t be the flaw.
B
The response gives no evidence for its presumption that social science students should have the same competence in statistics as mathematics students.
The math professor never says anything about student competence, so this can’t be the flaw.
C
The response does not effectively address a key reason given in support of the psychology professor’s position.
The psychology professor’s main claim—that a social science expert is best suited to teach students how to apply statistics in that field—is never addressed.
D
The response depends for its plausibility on a personal attack made against the psychology professor.
No personal attack is made, so this can’t be the flaw.
E
The response takes for granted that unless the course textbook is the same the course content will not be the same.
This is saying: If the content is the same, then the textbook is the same. The math professor doesn’t take this for granted. At most, he’s saying that, if the textbook is the same, the course is the same.
Summary
The stimulus can be diagrammed as follows:
Notable Valid Inferences
If you have a judge’s head on one side, you must have a tree on the other side.
If you have an explorer’s head on one side, you can have a building or a tree on the other side.
If you have a building on one side, you can have a building, a tree, or an explorer’s head on the other side.
If you have a tree on one side, you can have a tree, a judge’s head, an explorer’s head, or a building on the other side.
If you have an explorer’s head on one side, you can have a building or a tree on the other side.
If you have a building on one side, you can have a building, a tree, or an explorer’s head on the other side.
If you have a tree on one side, you can have a tree, a judge’s head, an explorer’s head, or a building on the other side.
A
All those with an explorer’s head on one side have a building on the other.
This could be false. A coin with an explorer’s head on one side could have a building OR a tree on the other side.
B
All those with a tree on one side have a judge’s head on the other.
This could be false. Any coin with a tree on one side could have a tree, a building, an explorer’s head, or a judge’s head on the other side. (We know JH→T, but it would be confusing the sufficient and necessary conditions to claim that T→ JH).
C
None of those with a tree on one side have an explorer’s head on the other.
This could be false. A coin with a tree on one side can have a tree, a building, an explorer’s head, or a judge’s head on the other side.
D
None of those with a building on one side have a judge’s head on the other.
This must be true. Any coin with a judge’s head on one side must have a tree on the other side, so a coin with a judge’s head on one side would not have a building or an explorer’s head on the other side.
E
None of those with an explorer’s head on one side have a building on the other.
This could be false. A coin with an explorer’s head on one side could have a building or a tree on the other side.