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- Fri Jan 21, 2011 12:00 am
#36816
Complete Question Explanation
Assumption. The correct answer choice is (D)
The argument concludes that, since vampire myths existed long before Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the
ability to become a bat is not an essential part of vampire myths.
The argument assumes some older vampire myths did not include bats as essential. Without this
assumption, the observation that vampire myths existed before Bram Stoker’s Dracula does not establish
the conclusion. Since we are asked for a necessary assumption, we must address this gap, otherwise
known as a supporter assumption.
Answer choice (A): This choice might be attractive, but we must not confuse “strictly nocturnal” with
“turning into bats.”
Answer choice (B): The corroboration of other sources on bats certainly does not lend credibility to
the argument that bats are not essential parts of vampire myths, so this choice is wrong. Logically, this
choice is meaningless, as it does not necessarily help establish anything about the European mythology,
because the Central and South American myths could have arisen later.
Answer choice (C): The argument would not assume that vampire myths did not exist elsewhere,
because it is possible that the existence of different vampire myths could help prove that bats are
inessential.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. At least one of the earlier myths must not
portray vampires as able to turn into bats, if the advent of Bram Stoker’s Dracula is to mean anything
about whether bats are essential to the vampire myth. If all of the previous myths contained vampires
with this ability, it would seem more likely that this ability actually is essential.
Answer choice (E): This fact might be helpful in determining where Stoker got his ideas, but it
establishes nothing without knowing whether bats were used before him.
Assumption. The correct answer choice is (D)
The argument concludes that, since vampire myths existed long before Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the
ability to become a bat is not an essential part of vampire myths.
The argument assumes some older vampire myths did not include bats as essential. Without this
assumption, the observation that vampire myths existed before Bram Stoker’s Dracula does not establish
the conclusion. Since we are asked for a necessary assumption, we must address this gap, otherwise
known as a supporter assumption.
Answer choice (A): This choice might be attractive, but we must not confuse “strictly nocturnal” with
“turning into bats.”
Answer choice (B): The corroboration of other sources on bats certainly does not lend credibility to
the argument that bats are not essential parts of vampire myths, so this choice is wrong. Logically, this
choice is meaningless, as it does not necessarily help establish anything about the European mythology,
because the Central and South American myths could have arisen later.
Answer choice (C): The argument would not assume that vampire myths did not exist elsewhere,
because it is possible that the existence of different vampire myths could help prove that bats are
inessential.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. At least one of the earlier myths must not
portray vampires as able to turn into bats, if the advent of Bram Stoker’s Dracula is to mean anything
about whether bats are essential to the vampire myth. If all of the previous myths contained vampires
with this ability, it would seem more likely that this ability actually is essential.
Answer choice (E): This fact might be helpful in determining where Stoker got his ideas, but it
establishes nothing without knowing whether bats were used before him.