Self-study
Conclusion Moderate exercise lowers the risk of blockage of the arteries due to blood clots, since Support anything that lowers blood cholesterol levels also lowers the risk of hardening of the arteries, Support which in turn lowers the risk of arterial blockage due to blood clots; and, Support if the data reported in a recent study are correct, moderate exercise lowers blood cholesterol levels.
Summary
The author concludes that moderate exercise lowers the risk of blockage of arteries due to blood clots. This is based on the following:
If it lowers blood cholesterol levels, it lowers the risk of arterial blockage due to blood clots.
If the data reported in a recent study are correct, moderate exercise lowers blood cholesterol levels.
Missing Connection
To prove that moderate exercise lowers the risk of blockage of arteries due to blood clots, we want to know that moderate exercise lowers blood cholesteral levels. There is a way to prove that — if the data reported in a recent study are correct, then moderate exercise lowers blood cholesterol levels. But do we know whether the data reported in the recent study is correct? No — that’s what’s missing. We want to know that the data is correct.
18.
The conclusion drawn above follows █████████ ██ █████ ███ ██ ███ █████████ ██ ████████
a
The recent study ████████████ ███ ████████████ ███████ ████████ ███ █████ ███████████ ███████
We want to know that the data reported in the recent study is correct. Whether the study investigated the relationship between exercise and blood cholesterol levels doesn’t tell us anything about whether the data is correct.
b
Blockage of the ████████ ███ ██ █████ █████ ███ ██ ██████████
The argument concerns lowering the risk of blockage of arteries due to blood clots. Whether such blockage can be completely prevented is a separate issue from whether the risk of such blockage can be decreased. In any case, we’re looking for an answer that establishes the data in the study is correct, and (B) doesn’t establish this.
c
Lowering blood cholesterol ██████ ██████ ███ ████ ██ ████████ ██ ███ █████████
This is supported by the premises, but it’s not new information that makes the argument valid. We want to know that the data reported in the study is correct, so that we can establish that moderate exercise lowers blood cholesterol. (C) doesn’t tell us anything about the data.
d
The data reported ██ ███ ██████ █████ ███ ████████
(D) allows us to infer that moderate exercise lowers blood cholesterol levels. This inference, combined with the premise establishing that anything that lowers blood cholesterol levels lowers risk of arterial blockage due to blood clots, establishes that moderate exercise lowers such risk of blockage.
e
Hardening of the ████████ █████████ ███ ████ ██ ████████ ██ ███ ████████ ███ ██ █████ ██████
This may be supported by the premises, but it’s not new information that makes the argument valid. We want to know that the data reported in the study is correct, so that we can establish that moderate exercise lowers blood cholesterol. (E) doesn’t do this.