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- Tue May 21, 2019 1:14 pm
#64906
Complete Question Explanation
Main Point. The correct answer choice is (D)
Answer choice (A): The author says, “some social scientists also want the power to predict
accurately,” so the author would likely agree with this statement. Regardless, this is not the main
point of the argument. Again, be careful with answers that are true according to the author—do they
also address the main point?
Answer choice (B): The author might very well agree with this statement, although there is not
enough information to assert that this statement is true based on the stimulus (the words “more
important” are a bit strong). Regardless, this answer choice does not address the main point of the
argument and is therefore wrong.
Answer choice (C): While the social scientists may believe this is true, the author’s point is a
different one—that social scientists ought not perform a mathematical reduction. And, because the
author believes that prediction is apparently made possible by reducing phenomena to mathematical
expressions, the author would likely disagree with this statement.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer. The conclusion states that it would be a mistake for
social scientists to “perform the same reduction” of phenomena to mathematical expressions. Answer
choice (D) is a paraphrase of that idea.
Answer choice (E): This point is not addressed in the stimulus.
Main Point. The correct answer choice is (D)
Answer choice (A): The author says, “some social scientists also want the power to predict
accurately,” so the author would likely agree with this statement. Regardless, this is not the main
point of the argument. Again, be careful with answers that are true according to the author—do they
also address the main point?
Answer choice (B): The author might very well agree with this statement, although there is not
enough information to assert that this statement is true based on the stimulus (the words “more
important” are a bit strong). Regardless, this answer choice does not address the main point of the
argument and is therefore wrong.
Answer choice (C): While the social scientists may believe this is true, the author’s point is a
different one—that social scientists ought not perform a mathematical reduction. And, because the
author believes that prediction is apparently made possible by reducing phenomena to mathematical
expressions, the author would likely disagree with this statement.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer. The conclusion states that it would be a mistake for
social scientists to “perform the same reduction” of phenomena to mathematical expressions. Answer
choice (D) is a paraphrase of that idea.
Answer choice (E): This point is not addressed in the stimulus.