Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
The author rejects the paleobiologists’ belief that all dinosaurs were cold-blooded. Since some dinosaurs lived in places where only warm-blooded animals could survive, the author implies that some dinosaurs must have been warm-blooded.
Identify Argument Part
It’s a premise. The author uses the claim that only warm-blooded animals could survive in those areas to prove that the dinosaurs that lived in those areas were not cold-blooded.
A
It is presented as a potential counterexample to the argument’s main conclusion.
The last sentence supports the conclusion, so it can’t be a counter-example to it.
B
It is a premise offered in support of the argument’s main conclusion.
This accurately describes the role of the last sentence. It’s a premise supporting the author’s conclusion.
C
It is presented as counterevidence to the paleobiologists’ assertion that dinosaurs lack turbinates.
The author never suggests that dinosaurs actually have turbinates. The claim that the author counters is the paleobiologists’ claim that all dinosaurs were cold-blooded.
D
It is the argument’s main conclusion.
The main conclusion is the claim that the paleobiologists are wrong. The last sentence supports that conclusion.
E
It is an intermediate conclusion for which the claim that some dinosaur species lived in Australia and Alaska is offered as support.
The claim that some dinosaurs lived in Australia and Alaska isn’t offered to help prove that only warm-blooded animals can live in freezing temperatures.
Summary
Outsiders believe they can provide new solutions in fields they are unfamiliar with, but they are wrong. Creativity without relevant experience is useless. Effective problem-solving requires a deep understanding of the problems, which is gained through experience.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
Problem-solving requires experience (or any valid inference along this chain)
Problem solved —> have understanding —> experience in the field.
Problem solved —> have understanding —> experience in the field.
A
The more experience a person has in a field, the more creatively that person can solve problems in the field.
The stimulus does not say that more experience leads to more creativity. It only argues that creativity without experience is useless.
B
Those people who are experienced in a field rarely overlook creative solutions.
This is too strong to support. The stimulus argues that only experienced individuals can provide creative solutions, not that they always possess creative solutions.
C
Creative solutions in a field always come from people with experience in that field.
The stimulus explains that creativity without experience is useless, and problems can be solved only by people who understand them. Thus, creative solutions must come from people with experience.
D
The experience required for effective problem-solving in a field does not vary depending on the field’s complexity.
The stimulus does not mention whether experience differs based on the field’s complexity. You must make a number of assumptions to make this work.
E
Outsiders should be properly trained in a field before being given responsibility in that field.
The stimulus does not say anything about when to give outsiders responsibility. The stimulus is purely focused on the requirements to come up with creative solutions.
Summarize Argument
The author concludes that the lack of managerial skills and the lack of entrepreneurial ability can each hinder development of successful companies. This is because entrepreneurial ability is required to start a successful company, and because bad managerial skills can lead to failure after a company has been started.
Identify Argument Part
The referenced text is an example of how bad managerial skills can lead to failure of a company after it has started.
A
It is the main conclusion drawn in the argument.
The referenced text is offered as support for the conclusion. It is not the conclusion itself.
B
It is presented as an example of the phenomenon the argument seeks to explain.
Although the referenced text is an example, the argument isn’t trying to explain a phenomenon. The argument is trying to establish that lack of certain skills can hinder development of successful companies.
C
It is meant as an aside and is not supposed to provide evidence in support of the argument’s conclusion.
The referenced text is offered as support. It’s not an irrelevant side comment.
D
It is a premise that is intended to support the argument’s main conclusion directly.
The referenced text does not support the main conclusion directly; only indirectly. It’s an example supporting the claim that many entrepreneurs fail after starting a company because they lack managerial skills. This claim in turn supports the main conclusion.
E
It is an example that is offered in support of a premise that is intended to support the argument’s main conclusion directly.
This accurately describes the role. It is an example of the premise that many entrepreneurs fail for lack of managerial skills. This premise in turn supports the conclusion that both a lack of managerial skills and the lack of entrepreneurial ability are bad for companies.