- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 8917
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Sat Jul 01, 2017 8:12 am
#36668
Complete Question Explanation
Strengthen—CE. The correct answer choice is (D)
As always, it is extremely important to identify the conclusion in any stimulus where an argument is
present. In this case, the author concludes that cave dwellers probably chased and tackled animals much
like rodeo riders today, due to the fact that the skeletons of cave dwellers display injuries similar to those
suffered by rodeo riders. Since the injuries are similar, the author believes these injuries were caused
by similar activities. Answer choice (D) expresses this principle accurately and helps to strengthen the
author’s claim.
Answer choice (A): Although the author’s conclusion is drawn from a study of skeletal remains, this
principle does not help to justify the author’s argument. Establishing the primary source of evidence is
irrelevant. Whether the evidence came from skeletal remains, tools, or cave art, the argument depends
upon strengthening the causal link between archaeological evidence and modern observation.
Answer choice (B): There are several problems with this answer. First, the author makes no claim about
the relative importance of studying a particular aspect of prehistoric life. There is no justification for
determining that food-gathering is the most important aspect. Second, chasing and tackling animals may
have nothing to do with food-gathering. Perhaps these activities were sport for prehistoric cave dwellers.
This principle does not help justify the argumentation in any way.
Answer choice (C): If an answer choice is going to strengthen an argument, the argument should appear
more believable when that answer is considered alongside the other premises. For example, imagine if
the stimulus read: “skeletal fractures present are most like the type and distribution of fractures sustained
by rodeo riders. If direct evidence as to the cause of a phenomenon is available, then indirect evidence
should not be sought. Therefore, it is likely that these cave dwellers engaged in activities similar to
rodeo riders – chasing and tackling animals.” Does this answer choice provide additional support for the
conclusion? No. It might support the claim that researchers should ignore certain kinds of evidence, but
that is not the author’s argumentation. To strengthen the conclusion there must be further support for the
causal relationship that the author proposes.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. As with answer choice (C), try adding this
principle into the stimulus immediately preceding the conclusion. Notice how well this principle
leads from the author’s premise to the conclusion – it even matches the word “probably” with the
word “likely” in the conclusion. “If there is a similarity between two effects, then there is probably a
similarity between their causes. keletal fractures present [in cave dwellers] are most like the type and
distribution of fractures sustained by rodeo riders. Therefore, it is likely that these cave dwellers engaged
in activities similar to rodeo riders – chasing and tackling animals.” The author’s reasoning now seems
more solid and the conclusion is thereby strengthened.
Answer choice (E): There is no information presented in the stimulus about how frequently prehistoric
hominids participated in hazardous activities or how often the hominids were injured, so the correlation
between these activities is irrelevant to the author’s argument.
Strengthen—CE. The correct answer choice is (D)
As always, it is extremely important to identify the conclusion in any stimulus where an argument is
present. In this case, the author concludes that cave dwellers probably chased and tackled animals much
like rodeo riders today, due to the fact that the skeletons of cave dwellers display injuries similar to those
suffered by rodeo riders. Since the injuries are similar, the author believes these injuries were caused
by similar activities. Answer choice (D) expresses this principle accurately and helps to strengthen the
author’s claim.
Answer choice (A): Although the author’s conclusion is drawn from a study of skeletal remains, this
principle does not help to justify the author’s argument. Establishing the primary source of evidence is
irrelevant. Whether the evidence came from skeletal remains, tools, or cave art, the argument depends
upon strengthening the causal link between archaeological evidence and modern observation.
Answer choice (B): There are several problems with this answer. First, the author makes no claim about
the relative importance of studying a particular aspect of prehistoric life. There is no justification for
determining that food-gathering is the most important aspect. Second, chasing and tackling animals may
have nothing to do with food-gathering. Perhaps these activities were sport for prehistoric cave dwellers.
This principle does not help justify the argumentation in any way.
Answer choice (C): If an answer choice is going to strengthen an argument, the argument should appear
more believable when that answer is considered alongside the other premises. For example, imagine if
the stimulus read: “skeletal fractures present are most like the type and distribution of fractures sustained
by rodeo riders. If direct evidence as to the cause of a phenomenon is available, then indirect evidence
should not be sought. Therefore, it is likely that these cave dwellers engaged in activities similar to
rodeo riders – chasing and tackling animals.” Does this answer choice provide additional support for the
conclusion? No. It might support the claim that researchers should ignore certain kinds of evidence, but
that is not the author’s argumentation. To strengthen the conclusion there must be further support for the
causal relationship that the author proposes.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. As with answer choice (C), try adding this
principle into the stimulus immediately preceding the conclusion. Notice how well this principle
leads from the author’s premise to the conclusion – it even matches the word “probably” with the
word “likely” in the conclusion. “If there is a similarity between two effects, then there is probably a
similarity between their causes. keletal fractures present [in cave dwellers] are most like the type and
distribution of fractures sustained by rodeo riders. Therefore, it is likely that these cave dwellers engaged
in activities similar to rodeo riders – chasing and tackling animals.” The author’s reasoning now seems
more solid and the conclusion is thereby strengthened.
Answer choice (E): There is no information presented in the stimulus about how frequently prehistoric
hominids participated in hazardous activities or how often the hominids were injured, so the correlation
between these activities is irrelevant to the author’s argument.