#11 - Cartographer: Maps are like language: they can be

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Method of Reasoning—AP. The correct answer choice is (C)

This cartographer discusses maps, which, like language, can be used to mislead. Most people are
not susceptible to being misled by words, the cartographer asserts, but that does not mean that the
same can be said of maps. This is because, while most people learn to be cautious when interpreting
words, most people are completely uneducated in the sophisticated use of maps.

The question stem that follows is a Method of Reasoning—Argument Part question. The correct
answer choice will provide the role of the statement that people learn to be cautious when
interpreting words. That statement is intended to counter the point that most people are not
susceptible to being misled by words, by underscoring a big difference between maps and language.

Answer choice (A): The referenced statement is not intended to clarify the author’s conclusion, but
to draw a distinction between the interpretation of maps and the interpretation of words. Since this
choice does not express the Argument Part represented by the author’s statement, it should be ruled
out of contention.

Answer choice (B): This choice suggests that the statement in question is a conclusion drawn from
the claim that education in sophisticated map use is almost nonexistent:

Premise: Education in the sophisticated use of maps is rare.

Conclusion: Therefore, most people are taught to be careful interpreters of language.

Since this choice is not accurate, and the argument that it suggests makes no sense, it cannot be the
right answer to this Method of Reasoning—Argument Part question.

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. The author points out that people learn
to be cautious in the interpretation of words in order to draw a distinction between language and
cartography, allowing for the people to be misled by maps despite the fact that most people are not
susceptible to being misled by words.

Answer choice (D): This is an Opposite Answer; the statement about cautious interpretation of
language is intended not to underscore similarities between language and maps, but to draw an
important distinction.

Answer choice (E): The statement in question cannot be the conclusion of the argument, as it is not
based on any evidence in the stimulus. Rather, the author points out that most people are cautious in
the interpretation of language to distinguish language from cartography.

[gingerale]

Hi, I chose C but I'm a little confused as to why A is incorrect. It seems that the author is drawing an analogy between interpreting language and maps, and they are using the fact that people are taught to be cautious interpreters of language to clarify why people are not cautious interpreters of maps.

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi gingerale,

The author is saying that map reading is analogous to language interpretation, but the author doesn't use this to clarify unclear meaning in their conclusion. The part of the argument is meant to give a way to distinguish map reading from language reading, to show a difference, not highlight a similarity.

You might be asking yourself "what would an argument part described by answer choice (A) look like?" I'm glad you asked. Let's imagine the following argument.

The best type of meat is rare. Just like a fine gem's value increases with rarity, so too does a piece of meat.

In this imagined argument, the analogy of gems to meat actually clarifies the meaning of the conclusion. That's because there's ambiguity in the meaning of the conclusion. Was rare referring to the manner of preparation, or the uniqueness of a type of meat? Our analogy clarifies that it's the uniqueness that is referenced.

Our stimulus in this question has no similar ambiguity in language, and the analogy doesn't serve the purpose to clarify it. Rather, the selected part of the argument is meant to distinguish how the similar types of reading (map v language) are actually different in practice.

Hope that helps!