Summarize Argument
Metallic mirrors can’t be used when minimizing energy loss is important. Why not? The mirrors absorb light and waste energy. This is because electrons in the metallic mirror move when light strikes it. This uses energy and makes the reflected image dimmer.
Identify Conclusion
The conclusion is the practical application of the process described: “metallic mirrors cannot be used in applications in which minimizing energy loss is important”
A
Metallic mirrors reduce the effectiveness of high-powered lasers.
Lasers are just an example the author uses of applications where minimizing energy loss is important. The conclusion does not center on these devices alone.
B
Part of the light falling on metallic mirrors tends to be absorbed by them.
This is part of the premises - reasoning for why these mirrors should not be used where minimizing energy loss is important.
C
High-powered lasers require mirrors that conserve energy.
The conclusion centers on these mirrors not being used where minimizing energy loss is important. It does not talk about what mirrors should be used, nor does it focus on lasers alone.
D
A tendency to waste energy is the most significant disadvantage of metallic mirrors.
The stimulus just discusses that the mirrors do waste energy. It does not draw conclusions about how significant the disadvantage is.
E
Metallic mirrors are unsuitable for applications where it is crucial to minimize energy loss.
This accurately paraphrases the conclusion. The author establishes that they are unsuitable and explains why.
Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The author hypothesizes that the work done in Department F causes higher stress levels than work done in other departments. This is because workers in Department F are more often afflicted by a stress-related syndrome.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that workers in Department F are succumbing to the syndrome due to stress, rather than due to some other reason related to their work. He also assumes that workers in Department F aren’t being tested more frequently for the syndrome in question. If workers in Department F were tested more frequently, then that would explain the discrepancy. Last, he assumes that Department F isn’t simply comprised of people who happen to be predisposed towards the syndrome.
A
Department F has more employees than any other department in the company.
We care about relative rates. This talks about raw totals.
B
Some experts believe that the syndrome can be caused by various factors, only one of which is high stress.
We already know this is true. The author says the syndrome is “often attributed to stress.”
C
Many workers who transfer into Department F from elsewhere in the company soon begin to develop the syndrome.
Department F isn’t just comprised of people who happen to be affected by the syndrome. People in fact develop the syndrome once they transfer into Department F.
D
It is relatively common for workers in the transportation industry to suffer from the syndrome.
We don’t care how common it is among transportation employees, generally. We’re interested in the relative rates between departments.
E
Job-related stress has been the most frequently cited cause for dissatisfaction among workers at the company.
We need something that differentiates Department F from the rest of the company. This doesn’t do that.
Summarize Argument
The author concludes that if the most populous species in the pond is the bullhead catfish, then the fishing guide must believe that the species of fish in the pond that has adapted best to living in polluted water is the bullhead catfish. This is based on the fact that the fishing guide says that the most populous fish species in the pond is also the one that has adapted best to living in polluted water.
Identify and Describe Flaw
The author assumes that the fishing guide would be aware of the fact that the most populous fish species in the pond is the bullhead catfish, if that is indeed the most populous fish species in the pond. This overlooks the possibility that the fishing guide might have some other species in mind when he says that the most populous fish species is the one that has adapted best.
A
takes for granted that the local fishing guide believes that Stillwater Pond has been polluted by farm runoff for years
This is not an assumption, because the guide’s belief about how long the water has been polluted doesn’t affect the relationship between the most populous species and being the best adapted.
B
fails to take into account the possibility that the catfish in Stillwater Pond had to adapt very little to survive in polluted water
Whether the catfish had to adapt very little doesn’t affect the possibility that it’s still the most adapted. A fish can be the most adapted even if it hasn’t adapted much. Also, the argument only concerns belief about what’s most adapted, not what is actually the most adapted.
C
fails to take into account the possibility that the recent studies on fish populations in Stillwater Pond are inaccurate
The conclusion begins by saying “if” the studies are accurate. This conditions the rest of the conclusion on the hypothetical situation in which the studies are accurate. Whether they are actually accurate is irrelevant to this hypothetical situation.
D
fails to take into account the possibility that the local fishing guide mistakenly believes that some fish species other than the bullhead catfish is the most populous fish species in Stillwater Pond
If this possibility were true, then even if the catfish is the most populous species, the guide might not believe that the catfish is the most adapted. The guide might simply have a different species in mind, even if that species isn’t actually the most populous or most adapted.
E
takes for granted that Stillwater Pond has only one species of catfish living in it
The author doesn’t assume there’s only one species of catfish in the pond. The recent studies happen to identify the bullheat catfish as the most numerous species, but there can be other catfish species that are not as numerous.
Myungsook: I disagree. Converting observations into numbers is the hardest and last task; it can be done only when you have thoroughly explored the observations themselves.
Speaker 1 Summary
Clarissa argues that mathematics has been necessary to allow the natural sciences to progress. To support this, Clarissa says that scientific observations are only worth attention if they are stated in precise, quantitative terms. (It seems that this requires mathematics in some way.)
Speaker 2 Summary
Myungsook disagrees, and instead comes to the implied conclusion that observations can be worth serious attention even without being stated in precise quantitative terms. To support this idea, Myungsook tells us that observations can only be put in quantitative terms after being “thoroughly explored,” which would reasonably require paying attention to them.
Objective
A
mathematics has been a highly significant factor in the advance of the natural sciences
Clarissa would agree with this claim, but Myungsook doesn’t disagree. Myungsook doesn’t state an opinion one way or the other about the importance of mathematics to the natural sciences.
B
converting observations into quantitative terms is usually easy
Myungsook would disagree with this, but Clarissa never states an opinion. Clarissa actually doesn’t say anything about the easiness or difficulty of converting an observation into quantitative terms.
C
not all observations can be stated precisely in quantitative terms
The speakers don’t talk about this. Neither Clarissa nor Myungsook mentions anything about the limitations that may exist on what observations can be stated in quantitative terms, if any.
D
successfully doing natural science demands careful consideration of observations not stated precisely in quantitative terms
Clarissa disagrees, but Myungsook agrees: this is the disagreement. Clarissa says that scientists should only think about quantitatively stated observations. Myungsook, however, says scientists need to think about observations before they can be stated quantitatively.
E
useful scientific theories require the application of mathematics
Clarissa would probably agree with this. Myungsook, on the other hand, never talks about how necessary mathematics might be to science.