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- Fri Apr 15, 2016 4:55 pm
#23171
Complete Question Explanation
Flaw in the Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (E)
In this stimulus the author concludes that many people are incorrect in their claim that Shakespeare's plays have always been known and loved by relatively uneducated people. Her evidence that supports this conclusion is the fine paper and good bindings of the early 18th century versions of these plays. Obviously, the relatively educated may not have been able to buy the books, but that does not in any way demonstrate that they did not know or love them. Again, once you have discovered the flaw in this stimulus, you must find the answer choice that accurately reflects this flaw.
Answer choice (A) There is no argument about the literary quality of Shakespeare's plays in the stimulus; therefore it cannot be an important element in the correct answer choice.
Answer choice (B) Again, there is no argument about aesthetics in the stimulus, so this element will not be present in the correct answer choice. Remember to which family Flaw in the Reasoning questions belong, and remember that the arrow moves from stimulus to answers.
Answer choice (C) This answer may tempt some test takers. You may reason in your mind that we determine the popularity of 20th century authors by the sale of their books, so this answer choice seems to make sense. However, that is an assumption you cannot make because nothing in the stimulus mentions the 20th century or its methods of judging popularity.
Answer choice (D) Like the first two answer choices, this choice mentions an element not present in the stimulus: literary quality. Perhaps this would be an example of faulty reasoning, but it does not apply to this stimulus.
Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer choice, and it demonstrates the importance of reading all of the answer choices and sorting them into contenders and losers before choosing an answer. A test taker who is tempted to answer (C) will probably get to answer choice (E) and realize that it is a better answer.
Flaw in the Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (E)
In this stimulus the author concludes that many people are incorrect in their claim that Shakespeare's plays have always been known and loved by relatively uneducated people. Her evidence that supports this conclusion is the fine paper and good bindings of the early 18th century versions of these plays. Obviously, the relatively educated may not have been able to buy the books, but that does not in any way demonstrate that they did not know or love them. Again, once you have discovered the flaw in this stimulus, you must find the answer choice that accurately reflects this flaw.
Answer choice (A) There is no argument about the literary quality of Shakespeare's plays in the stimulus; therefore it cannot be an important element in the correct answer choice.
Answer choice (B) Again, there is no argument about aesthetics in the stimulus, so this element will not be present in the correct answer choice. Remember to which family Flaw in the Reasoning questions belong, and remember that the arrow moves from stimulus to answers.
Answer choice (C) This answer may tempt some test takers. You may reason in your mind that we determine the popularity of 20th century authors by the sale of their books, so this answer choice seems to make sense. However, that is an assumption you cannot make because nothing in the stimulus mentions the 20th century or its methods of judging popularity.
Answer choice (D) Like the first two answer choices, this choice mentions an element not present in the stimulus: literary quality. Perhaps this would be an example of faulty reasoning, but it does not apply to this stimulus.
Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer choice, and it demonstrates the importance of reading all of the answer choices and sorting them into contenders and losers before choosing an answer. A test taker who is tempted to answer (C) will probably get to answer choice (E) and realize that it is a better answer.
