A
It disputes one explanation in order to make way for an alternative explanation.
B
It is the overall conclusion of the argument.
C
It is a component of reasoning disputed in the argument.
D
It is a general principle whose validity the argument questions.
E
It denies a claim that the argument takes to be assumed in the reasoning that it rejects.
A
Many Alzheimer’s patients have normal homocysteine levels.
B
The substances into which homocysteine is converted can sometimes have harmful effects unrelated to Alzheimer’s disease.
C
B vitamins and folic acid are not metabolized by the body very efficiently when taken in the form of vitamin-mineral supplements.
D
People whose relatives contracted Alzheimer’s disease are much more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those whose relatives did not.
E
Alzheimer’s disease tends to increase the levels of homocysteine in the blood.
Sociologist: Television, telephones, and other electronic media encourage imprecise, uncritical thinking. Yet critical thinking is the only adequate protection against political demagogues, who seek to exploit people by presenting emotionally loaded language as an objective description of reality.
Summary
Television, telephones, and other electronic media encourage uncritical thinking. However, critical thinking is the only adequate protection against political demagogues, who seek to exploit people by presenting emotionally loaded language as an objective description of reality.
Notable Valid Inferences
A strong system of government cannot provide adequate protection against the influence of political demagogues.
A
There are no political demagogues in some highly technological societies.
Could be true. We don’t have any information about highly technological societies in the stimulus. It is possible that these societies do not have political demagogues.
B
Political demagogues are not the only ones who seek to exploit people by presenting emotionally loaded language as an objective description of reality.
Could be true. The stimulus does not tell us that political demagogues are the only ones who seek to exploit people. It is possible that there are others in addition to political demagogues with the same or similar objectives.
C
Highly emotional people are more easily exploited than less emotional people.
Could be true. The stimulus does not give us any information about what kinds of people are more easily exploited. It is possible highly emotional people are more easily exploited than less emotional people.
D
The mere presence of an orderly system of government in a society provides adequate protection against political demagogues.
Must be false. The stimulus tells us that critical thinking is the only adequate protection against political demagogues. Everything else, therefore, is inadequate.
E
The mere presence of electronic communications technology in a society provides adequate protection against the erosion of media freedoms.
Could be true. The stimulus is restricted to protection against political demagogues. We cannot assume protection against political demagogues is the same thing as protection from the erosion of media freedoms.