Self-study
Cholesterol, which is a known factor in coronary heart disease and stroke, needs a carrier, known as a lipoprotein, to transport it through the bloodstream. ███████████ ████████████ ██████ ████████ ███ ████ ██ ████████ █████ ███████ ███ ███████ ███ ██ ███ ███████████ ████████ ████ ████████████ ████████████ ██████ ████ ███████ ████████ █████ ███████ ███ ███████ ██████ ███████ ████████ █████████ █████ █████ ██ █████ ███████ ███ ██████ ███ ██████ ██ █████ ████ ██ ████ ███ ████ ███████ ████████ ███ █████ ██████ ███ ██████████ ██████████ ████ █████ ████ ██ ████████ █████ ███████ ███ ███████
Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The author hypothesizes that HDLs prevent heart disease and stroke. This is based on a few phenomena: cardio increases HDL levels, women have higher HDL levels, and both cardio and being female are correlated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes causation from correlation. There could be a number of other factors that explain the phenomena described. For example, maybe exercise just improves overall health, and maybe women tend to exercise more than men, which is why exercise and being female are correlated with fewer heart issues.
11.
Each of the following, if █████ ███████████ ███ ████████ ███████
a
HDLs, unlike LDLs, ████ ███ ████ ███████ ████████████
This strengthens the argument. (A) says HDLs, unlike LDLs, help the body get rid of something that is known to contribute to heart disease and stroke: cholesterol.
Causal mechanism
Causal mechanism
Answers that strengthen by shedding light on the "how?" of the cause and effect relationship. For example, high altitude training causes better aerobic performance. How? The causal mechanism could be that the thin air at high altitudes cause physiological changes that support better oxygenation.
b
Persons who are ██████████ ████ ██ ████ █ ██████ ████ ██ █████ █████ ███ ██ ████████ █████ ███████ ███ ███████ ███ ████ ██ ████ ███ ██████ ██ █████
This strengthens the argument by offering a correlation between low HDL levels and higher risk of fatal heart disease and stroke. This reinforces the correlation described in the stimulus (that higher HDL levels are correlated with lower risk of these conditions).
Plausibility
Plausibility
Presenting evidence that corroborates (in Strengthen) or conflicts (in Weaken) with the author's hypothesized explanation or the predictions that follow from that explanation.
c
HDLs are less ██████ ███████ ████ ███ ███████████ ████ ███ █████
This does not affect the argument. While we know that LDLs increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, we don’t know anything about how them being more easily removed from the bloodstream affects one’s likeliness to have these conditions.
d
A high level ██ ████ █████████ ███ █████████ ██████ █████ ██████████ ████ █████
This strengthens the argument. We know that LDLs increase the risk of heart disease and stroke—the idea that HDLs mitigate this risk suggests that they have the opposite impact on one’s risk of heart disease and stroke.
Plausibility
Plausibility
Presenting evidence that corroborates (in Strengthen) or conflicts (in Weaken) with the author's hypothesized explanation or the predictions that follow from that explanation.
e
Men whose level ██ ████ ██ █████ ██ ███ ███████ █████ ███ █████ ████ ████ █████ ██ ████ █ █████ ████ ██ ████████ █████ ███████ ███ ██████ ████ ████ ██ ████ ████
This strengthens the argument. (E) says men with above-average HDL levels (relative to other men) have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke than men with average HDL levels. (E) offers another correlation between high HDL levels and low risk of the conditions.
Plausibility
Plausibility
Presenting evidence that corroborates (in Strengthen) or conflicts (in Weaken) with the author's hypothesized explanation or the predictions that follow from that explanation.