Self-study
The cause of the epidemic that devastated Athens in 430 B.C. can finally be identified. ████████ ██ ███ ████████ ███████ ███ ███████ ███████████ ██ ████ ████████ █ ███████ ██ ██ █████ ███████ ██████ ████ ██████ ██ ███ ████████ ██████████ █████ ██████ █████████ █████ ████████ ██ ███ ███████ ██████ ██ ███ █████ █████ ███ █████████ ██ ███ ████████ ██ ███ ████████ █████████
Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The author's conclusion is the claim, found in the first sentence, that the cause of the Athenian epidemic can be identified, and the rest of the argument implies that the cause can specifically be identified as the Ebola virus. The evidence offered is that ancient accounts mention symptoms of Ebola, particularly one symptom--hiccups--that is not linked to any other known disease. From this evidence suggestive of Ebola, the author concludes we can identify the source of the epidemic as Ebola.
Notable Assumptions
The author's argument rests on the assumption that nothing in the Athenian accounts significantly contradicts what we know about Ebola. In other words, even if some of the known symptoms of Ebola are mentioned in the accounts, if the accounts also mention several other symptoms known not to be linked to Ebola, this would weaken the argument. Similarly, the author assumes that Ebola existed at the time of the Athenian epidemic, and did not develop later in history. Finally, the author assumes that no disease that has since died out, or is currently unknown, caused the epidemic.
7.
Each of the following, if █████ ███████ ███ ████████ ███████
a
Victims of the █████ █████ ██████████ ████ ████████ ████ ██ ███ ██████ ██ ███ ██ ███ ████████ ██ ███ ████████ █████████
Technically, this is known as an argument from silence, which is considered a relatively weak form of argument. Just because the accounts don't mention certain symptoms doesn't mean the Athenians didn't experience them. It's possible they did experience all the symptoms of Ebola, but the accounts that survive just happen not to mention these particular symptoms, for whatever reason. So the degree to which this answer choice weakens the argument depends on some assumptions about how significant these other symptoms of Ebola are, and whether they would have been likely to be recorded. But this does weaken the argument, even if very slightly.
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.
b
Not all of █████ ███ ███ ███████ ██ ███ █████ █████ ███ █████████ ████ ████████
The author never says that Ebola leads to hiccups in all cases, just that hiccups as a disease symptom are linked only to Ebola, among all known diseases. So this answer choice doesn't say anything that undermines the author’s argument.
Illusory inconsistency
Illusory inconsistency
Answer is attractive because it seems to (but doesn't actually) contradict the premises or conclusion.
c
The Ebola virus's ████ ███████ ███ ███ ████ ██ ██████ ██ ███ ████ ██ ███ ████████ █████████
If this is true, then even though the symptoms of Ebola match some of the symptoms described in accounts of the epidemic, there's no clear way for Ebola to have been in Athens at the time. This makes it seem less likely that Ebola, as opposed to some unknown disease, caused the epidemic.
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.
d
The Ebola virus ██ ████ ████ ██████████ ████ ███ ███████ ████ ██████ ███ ████████ ████████ ███ ████████ ██ ████ █████
By pointing out an important difference between Ebola and the disease that caused the Athenian epidemic, this answer choice makes it seem less likely that Ebola was the epidemic. This weakens the argument.
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
The epidemics known ██ ████ ████ ██████ ██ ███ █████ █████ ███ ███████ █████████████ ████ ███ ███ ████████ █████████
This answer choice also points out a difference between Ebola and the Athenian epidemic. Thus, it also weakens the hypothesis that Ebola caused the epidemic.
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.