- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 8917
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Fri Mar 24, 2017 1:59 pm
#33680
Complete Question Explanation
Assumption. The correct answer choice is (C)
The section begins with the editorialist’s judgment, in the last sentence of the stimulus, that an outrage has occurred. The outrage is that 60 percent of the heating system technicians employed by the contractor chosen by the city to upgrade the heating systems in the city’s public buildings are unqualified. The editorialist reaches this conclusion based on evidence that a mere 40 percent of the contractor’s technicians are certified by the Heating Technicians Association.
This is an Assumption question. Since the term “unqualified” appeared for the first time in the conclusion, we can say that this is a Supporter Assumption question. Our task is to link the new term, “unqualified,” with the argument’s premise, which was that only 40 percent of the technicians are certified.
Essentially, the editorialist assumes that if a heating technician is not certified by the Heating Technicians Association, then the technician is unqualified. Our prephrase is that the correct answer choice will explicitly state this assumption.
Answer choice (A): This answer choice is incorrect because the difference in pay between certified and uncertified technicians does not tell us anything about whether the uncertified technicians are qualified to work on the heating systems in the public buildings.
Answer choice (B): Here, the implication of the answer choice is that the contractor is at the bottom of the pile when it comes to the percentage of its technicians who are certified. However, this comparison is not logically required to reach the conclusion that the uncertified technicians are unqualified.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice because it explicitly states the assumption made by the editorialist, that if a technician is not certified, then the technician is unqualified.
Answer choice (D): In this case, the answer choice attacks the editorialist’s position that the city’s selection of the contractor was an outrage, since the work done was performed by qualified technicians.
Answer choice (E): This answer choice offers an explanation for why this certain contractor was selected, i.e., personal ties, but that reason is not required for the conclusion that the uncertified technicians are unqualified.
Assumption. The correct answer choice is (C)
The section begins with the editorialist’s judgment, in the last sentence of the stimulus, that an outrage has occurred. The outrage is that 60 percent of the heating system technicians employed by the contractor chosen by the city to upgrade the heating systems in the city’s public buildings are unqualified. The editorialist reaches this conclusion based on evidence that a mere 40 percent of the contractor’s technicians are certified by the Heating Technicians Association.
This is an Assumption question. Since the term “unqualified” appeared for the first time in the conclusion, we can say that this is a Supporter Assumption question. Our task is to link the new term, “unqualified,” with the argument’s premise, which was that only 40 percent of the technicians are certified.
Essentially, the editorialist assumes that if a heating technician is not certified by the Heating Technicians Association, then the technician is unqualified. Our prephrase is that the correct answer choice will explicitly state this assumption.
Answer choice (A): This answer choice is incorrect because the difference in pay between certified and uncertified technicians does not tell us anything about whether the uncertified technicians are qualified to work on the heating systems in the public buildings.
Answer choice (B): Here, the implication of the answer choice is that the contractor is at the bottom of the pile when it comes to the percentage of its technicians who are certified. However, this comparison is not logically required to reach the conclusion that the uncertified technicians are unqualified.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice because it explicitly states the assumption made by the editorialist, that if a technician is not certified, then the technician is unqualified.
Answer choice (D): In this case, the answer choice attacks the editorialist’s position that the city’s selection of the contractor was an outrage, since the work done was performed by qualified technicians.
Answer choice (E): This answer choice offers an explanation for why this certain contractor was selected, i.e., personal ties, but that reason is not required for the conclusion that the uncertified technicians are unqualified.