Self-study
Sickles found at one archaeological site had scratched blades, but those found at a second site did not. █████ ██████ ██████ ██████ ██████ █████████ ████████ ████ ███ ████ ██ ███████ ██████ ████ ████████ █████ ████ ███ ███████ █████ ██ ███ █████ ████ ████ ████ ██ ███████ ██████ ███ ███ ███████ █████ ██ ███ ██████ ████ ████ ████
Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The phenomenon is that sickles found at one site had scratched blades, and sickles found at a second site did not. The author hypothesizes that the sickles from the first site were used to harvest grain, and the sickles from the second site were not. This is because sickle blades used to harvest grain always become scratched.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that because the sickle blades found at the first site were scratched, they must have been used to harvest grain. In extension, the author assumes there is no other function for sickle blades that could have resulted in the scratches. In other words, the author assumes that harvesting grain is necessary for scratched sickle blades.
5.
Which one of the following, ██ █████ ██ ██ █ █████████ ████████████ █████ █████████ ███ █████████
a
Some sickles that ████ ███ ███ ████ █████ ██ ███ █████ ████ ██ ███ ████ █████████ ███████
This does not affect the argument. The author’s hypothesis is only an explanation for “this evidence” (i.e., the blades that were actually found)—blades that were there but not found are outside the scope of the argument.
b
The scratches on ███ ██████ ██ ███ ███████ █████ ██ ███ █████ ████ ████████ ████ █████████ █████ ████ ██████████ ██████
This weakens the argument. It attacks the assumption that because the sickle blades at the first site had scratches, the scratches must have been from harvesting grain. Remember: harvesting grain is sufficient for scratched sickle blades, not necessary.
c
Sickles at both █████ ███ ██████ ████ ███████ ██ ███ █████ ███████ ████ ████ ██ ███████ ██████
This does not affect the argument. (C) does not imply anything about whether the sickle blades from the first site were used to harvest grain in addition to serving ritual purposes.
d
At the second ████ █████ █████ ████ ███████ ████ ████ ██ ███████ ██████
This does not affect the argument. We already know that the sickle blades at the second site were not used to harvest grain. It is reasonable to assume that other tools were used for harvesting, as the sickle blades were not.
e
The sickles found ██ ███ █████ ████ ████ ████ ██ ███ ████ ██████ ███ ████ ███ ███████ █████ ██ ███ ██████ █████
This does not affect the argument. The argument is concerned with the function of the sickle blades, not with who made them.