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.