Self-study
Archaeologists are discovering a great deal about the Sals culture. ███ ████████ ██████ ███████████ ████ █████████ ████████ ████████ ███ █████ ██ ███████ ██████ ███ ███████ █████ ████ ████████ ████ █████ ███ ██████ ███ ███ ███████ ███ ████ ███ █████ █████ ███ ████ ███ ███ █████ █████
Summary
The author concludes that the Sals did not smelt iron. This is based on the fact that the Sals did not have any distinct words for iron.
Missing Connection
The premise establishes that Sals didn’t have distinct words for iron. Does that guarantee that the Sals did not smelt iron? No. What does lacking a distinct word for a thing have to do with smelting the thing? To make the argument valid, we want to form a link to get from the premise to the conclusion:
If the Sals didn’t have a distinct word for a thing, then the Sals did not smelt the thing.
Another way to phrase the relationship we’re looking for:
If the Sals smelted the thing, then they had a distinct word for the thing.
12.
The conclusion drawn above follows █████████ ██ █████ ███ ██ ███ █████████ ██ ████████
a
If a culture ███ █ ████████ ████ ███ █ ██████ ████ ██ ███████ ████ ██████
(A) can be used to reach a conclusion that a culture DID smelt a metal. But we’re trying to prove that the Sals did NOT smelt a metal. (A) reverses what would have been a correct answer.
b
If a culture ███ ██████████ ████ █ ██████ ████ ██ ███ ███ ████ █ ████████ ████ ███ ████ ██████
(B) allows us to reach a conclusion that a culture did not have a distinct word for a metal. But we’re trying to prove that a culture did not smelt a metal. (B) doesn’t establish that the Sals didn’t smelt a metal.
c
If a culture ███████ ██████ ███ ███████ ████ ██ ███ ████████ █████ ███ ██████ ███ ███████
The conclusion is that the Sals did not smelt iron. (C) concerns only copper and bronze. It doesn’t establish that the Sals did not smelt iron.
d
If a culture ███ ███ █████ █ ██████ ████ ██ ███ ██████████ ████ ████ ██████
We’re trying to prove that the Sals did not smelt metal. (D) tells us what we can conclude IF we start off knowing that a culture not smelt a metal. But (D) doesn’t allow us to reach the conclusion that a culture did not smelt a metal.
e
If a culture ███████ █ ██████ ████ ██ ███ █ ████████ ████ ███ ████ ██████
We know that the Sals did not have a distinct word for iron. (E) asserts that having a distinct word for a metal was necessary in order for a culture to have smelted that metal. So (E), in connection with the premise, establishes that the Sals did not smelt iron.