"Surprising" Phenomenon
Horses peaked 25,000 years ago and then rapidly declined.
Objective
The correct answer will explain why horses peaked 25,000 years ago before rapidly declining. The explanation will explain why horses peaked during a cold period and declined during a period of warming. This explanation must show that the cooler period was favorable for horses, while the warming period was in some way difficult for horses. Since the stimulus states that horses thrive in grasslands, the explanation will likely involve how grasslands respond to warming and cooling.
A
The forest-dwelling ancestor of horses was many times smaller than horses.
We’re talking about modern horses, not their descendants. We also don’t know how size impacts horses’ ability to withstand cooling and warming.
B
The only true wild horse existing today, Przewalski’s horse, inhabits the cold grasslands of Central Asia.
This suggests that horses thrive in cold grasslands, but the stimulus already more or less says that. We need to know why horses peaked 25,000 years ago.
C
Some modern species that are related to horses, such as zebras, inhabit the warm grasslands of Africa.
This is the opposite of (B), and therefore runs slightly contrary to our stimulus. Horses peaked during a cool period. It doesn’t matter if some horse relatives thrive in warm climates.
D
During cold periods there are extensive grasslands, but these tend to revert to forest when the climate warms.
Horses thrive on grasslands. Cold periods provide horses ample habitats, while warmer periods turn grasslands into forests. This explains why horses peaked during a cold period and declined rapidly during a warm one.
E
Several cycles of a cold period followed by a period of warming have occurred in the last 2 million years.
We need to know why horses peaked during one of these cycles 25,000 years ago. This doesn’t give us any explanation.
Summarize Argument
The editorial concludes that programs that encourage children to read by paying them to read should be viewed with suspicion. This is supported by the claim that such programs might make children view reading as a chore rather than as something inherently satisfying and enjoyable.
Notable Assumptions
The editorial assumes that viewing reading as a chore rather than as something inherently satisfying and enjoyable is negative. It thus assumes that children should be taught to find reading enjoyable and satisfying on its own, without external rewards.
A
Early education reading programs should focus more on getting children to read challenging books than on getting them to read a large number of books.
This fails to address the assumption that reading programs should instill an enjoyment of reading rather than use money to motivate children to read. Also, we don’t know that children would choose easy books rather than challenging ones because of the program.
B
Children will be more likely to develop into regular readers if they choose the books they read than if they do not.
This fails to address the assumption that reading programs should instill an enjoyment of reading rather than use money to motivate children to read. Also, as far as we know, children might be choosing the books that they read whether the reading programs are in place or not.
C
Parents will usually play a more important role than teachers in instilling in children a love of reading.
Parents and teachers may have different effects on children’s love of reading, but the argument is only discussing the effects of the reading programs. We don’t know whether parents or teachers are more involved in these programs.
D
The goal of early education reading programs should be to instill in children a love of reading.
This strengthens the argument by addressing the assumption that reading programs should instill an enjoyment of reading rather than use money to motivate children. If this is the case, then the reading programs should indeed be viewed with suspicion.
E
Improving children’s facility with reading will get them to enjoy reading.
This weakens the argument because, if the reading programs get children to read more books and reading more books will eventually get them to enjoy reading, then the programs do instill a love of reading in the end.
Summary
Some people claim that video games are morally corrupting because they allow people to imagine themselves transgressing conventional morality. However, this same criticism was applied in the past to many other forms of popular culture during their early stages of development.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
And just as it now seems silly to suggest that reading novels is morally corrupting, eventually the criticism surrounding video games will also fade.
A
we should expect most new forms of popular culture to be criticized as morally corrupting
We do not know if most new forms of popular culture will be criticized in their early stages. We only know that some new forms of popular culture in the past were criticized.
B
we should prefer forms of popular culture that have matured to those that are still in their early stages of development
We do not know what forms of popular culture one should prefer.
C
we can expect these concerns about video games to fade over time
If criticisms surrounding novels faded over time, then criticisms surrounding video games will also fade over time.
D
we should condemn forms of popular culture that allow people to imagine themselves transgressing conventional morality
The argument does not make a determination about what forms of popular culture we should condemn. We only know that some new forms are condemned or were condemned in the past.
E
it is silly to suggest that video games do not allow people to imagine themselves transgressing conventional morality
The argument concedes that video games allow people to imagine themselves transgressing conventional morality.