Self-study
A recent taste test reveals that most people like low-fat chocolate ice cream as much as its full-fat counterpart. ████████ █████ ████ ███████ ███ █████ █████ ████ ██████ ██████ ██ ███████ ███████ █████████ ███████████ ██ █ ███████ ██████ ████████ █████ ███ ████ █████████ ██ █ ████ ███████ ███████ █████████ ██████ ███ ████████ ████████ █████████ ██ ███████ ███ ██████ ████ ██████████ ████████ █████ ███ ██████████ ██ █████ ███ ██ ███ ████ ██ ████
Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The author hypothesizes that the complexity of chocolate probably masks differences in taste between full-fat and low-fat chocolate ice cream. This is based on the fact that in a taste test, most people like low-fat chocolate ice cream as much as full-fat versions. But with vanilla ice cream, people tend to dislike the taste of low-fat versions compared ot full-fat versions. In addition, chocolate is known to be a very complex flavor.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that there’s no other explanation besides complexity of flavor for the differing reactions between low-fat chocolate and low-fat vanilla. The author also assumes that vanilla is not as complex a flavor as chocolate.
6.
Which one of the following, ██ █████ ████ ███████████ ███ █████████
a
Most people prefer ████████ █████████ ███ █████ ██ ████████ ███████ ███ ██████
Whether more people like chocolate vs. vanilla is not at issue. The issue is what explains why people like low-fat vs. full-fat chocolate equally, whereas they like full-fat vanilla more than low-fat vanilla.
b
The subjects of ███ ████████ █████ ████ ███ ████████ ██ ███ ██████████ ██ ███ ████████
Whether the subjects in previous tests knew about the fat differences has no clear impact on what explains why people like low-fat and full-fat chocolate ice cream equally.
c
The more distinct █████████ ████████ ██ ███████ █ ███████ ███ ██████ ██████ ████ ███
This suggests a more complex flavor will be more liked than a less complex flavor. But we’re concerned with comparisons between high-fat and low-fat within the same flavor. Why do people like low-fat vanilla less than high-fat vanilla, but like both versions of chocolate equally?
d
Vanilla is known ██ ██ █ █████████████ ████ ███████ ██████ ████ ██████████
If vanilla were just as complex as chocolate, the author’s hypothesis about complexity masking taste wouldn’t make sense, because people dislike low-fat vanilla compared to high-fat. (D) defends the argument by confirming that vanilla is less complex than chocolate.
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
Most people are █████ ██ ███ ████████ ████████████ ██ █████████ ████████
People’s awareness of complexities of flavors has no clear impact. They may be aware, but we have no reason to think this relates to complexity of flavor helping to mask taste differences between high-fat and low-fat ice creams.