Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
While the nation's children do need a better education, the problem isn’t just the schools' fault. Both candidates agree that the school system needs some changes, but the speaker thinks her opponent is placing too much blame on the schools alone. The speaker argues that education isn’t just the responsibility of schools; other parts of society are equally responsible for educating children.
Identify Argument Part
The stimulus text is a limited concession the candidate makes to her opponent while challenging his position. The candidate agrees that the school system needs some changes, but she disagrees with her opponent because she thinks he’s putting too much blame on the schools for the poor state of education. The stimulus text shows that the candidate agrees with her opponent to some extent, but not entirely.
A
It is the main conclusion that the argument is attempting to establish about the position of the candidate’s opponent.
The stimulus text limits the candidate’s main conclusion that her opponent’s position is incorrect. It acknowledges that her opponent’s position is somewhat correct, which undermines the main conclusion rather than supporting it.
B
It is offered as an example of one of the social problems for which the argument proposes a solution.
This incorrectly labels the stimulus text as context. The stimulus text is a concession the candidate makes to her opponent, acknowledging that her opponent’s position is somewhat correct. The stimulus text does not illustrate a problem that needs correcting.
C
It is cited as establishing the candidate’s contention that far too much is being blamed on schools.
The stimulus text does not support this contention. Instead, it limits the candidate’s contention that too much blame is being placed on schools; it does not support it. The final sentence is the premise that supports the conclusion that too much blame is being placed on schools.
D
It is used to indicate how the failings of the school system are partially responsible for society’s problems.
The stimulus text expresses the candidate’s belief that schools need reform, but it does not go so far as to discuss how the failings of the school system are partially responsible for society’s problems.
E
It is a limited concession made to the candidate’s opponent in the context of a broader challenge to the opponent’s position.
In the stimulus text, the candidate concedes that her opponent is partially correct: the schools need reform. Thus, the text is a limited concession the candidate makes “in the context of” disagreeing with her opponent’s position.
Summarize Argument
The author concludes that within ten years, most new homes made in North America will have steel frameworks instead of wood ones. This is because the sizes of lumber most commonly used in home construction are getting worse in quality and are getting more expensive. In addition, steel has an advantage over wood in that steel will not warp, rot or split.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that the steel required for houses is not getting worse in quality. The author also assumes that there aren’t other disadvantages about steel compared to wood that might outweigh the disadvantages brought up about wood.
A
Over the next ten years, labor costs in the home construction industry are expected to rise significantly.
This doesn’t differentiate between steel and wood labor costs. We have no reason to think this would affect steel more than wood.
B
Steel-framed homes do not have to be treated with pesticides or other chemicals that can contribute to indoor air pollution.
This is a positive aspect about steel. If anything, this strengthen shte argument.
C
Because lumber prices have increased over the last decade, currently most new homes are built with steel frameworks.
If anything, this supports the author’s prediction that most new homes constructed will have steel frameworks.
D
Training home construction workers to work with steel is very costly.
This is a negative aspect about steel that might outweigh whatever advantages steel has over wood.
E
The number of houses built each year is expected to decrease over the next decade.
This doesn’t differentiate between steel and wood. We have no reason to think this would affect steel more than wood.
Summary
The effects of technology on language and the effects of language on culture are complex. For example, the telegraph, telephone, and television have changed how people speak to each other. Currently, electronic mail has caused a widespread loosening of language usage rules. This loosening has caused relationships between people to be more causal than ever before.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
Changes in the way people communicate with each other can cause the relationships between people to change.
A
Technology can adversely affect the nature of relationships between people.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know from the stimulus whether technology has any adverse effects. We cannot assume that a change in language use or relationships between people is adverse.
B
Changes in communication media can cause interpersonal relationships to change.
This answer is strongly supported. Electronic mail, through the loosening of language rules, caused interpersonal relationships to change.
C
A decrease in linguistic sophistication can lead to an increase in technological sophistication.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know from the stimulus whether the loosening of language rules is a direct cause of technological advancement. In fact, this relationship seems opposite from how it’s presented in the stimulus.
D
A widespread loosening of overly rigid language-usage rules can improve communication.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know from the stimulus whether communication has improved or not. We only know that communication has changed generally.
E
Changes in interpersonal relationships can cause changes in the way people speak to one another.
This answer is unsupported. If anything, the opposite relationship is presented in the stimulus: the way people speak to one another can cause changes in interpersonal relationships.
"Surprising" Phenomenon
Bats leave their caves more often on warm, food-abundant nights than on cool nights, despite seemingly not having any way of knowing it’s a warm night outside the cave.
Objective
The right answer will be a hypothesis explaining how bats know it’s warm out despite their caves not changing temperature.
A
The researchers studied only female bats, which tended to catch more insects on warm nights than did the male bats.
We don’t care about how many bugs the bats are catching. We need to know why more bats are leaving their caves on warm nights to begin with.
B
Eastern pipistrelle bats can detect changes in barometric pressure within the caves that correlate closely with changes in temperature outside the caves.
Even though the temperature in the caves doesn’t change, the barometric pressure does. And barometric pressure is closely linked to temperature changes outside the cave. Thus, bats have a way of knowing if it’s a warm night.
C
Eastern pipistrelle bats are incapable of long periods of sustained activity outside the roosting caves on very cool spring and fall evenings.
We already know bats prefer warmer nights. We need something to explain how bats know if a night is warm or not.
D
Because of the long period of winter inactivity, eastern pipistrelle bats tend to consume more insects per day in the spring and fall than in the summer.
This doesn’t explain how bats know if it’s a warm or cool night. We don’t care about how many insects they consume in total.
E
During the periods in which the researchers studied the bats, on most evenings over half of the bats left the caves in search of food.
It doesn’t matter how many total bats are leaving their caves. We need to know why more bats are leaving their caves on warmer nights, despite bats seemingly having no way of knowing the weather while in their caves.