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#26429
Complete Question Explanation

Must Be True. The correct answer choice is (E)

This stimulus begins with a fairly straightforward assertion: caffeine can be as physically addictive as other psychoactive substances. To support this point, the author then provides a brief list of some presumed symptoms of caffeine withdrawal. Finally, the author says that this is significant because of how many people consume caffeine. In fact, no other psychoactive substance is consumed by more people than caffeine is (note that this does allow for another substance to be consumed as much as caffeine, just not more).

While a precise prephrase does not really present itself here, there are still some useful considerations that will help when evaluating the answer choices. Perhaps most importantly, notice that the stimulus is not terribly precise/absolute when providing information. The word “can” in the first sentence, the fact that no other psychoactive substances are named or compared specifically to caffeine, the “some people” in sentence two, and even the fact that the last sentence allows for other substances to be consumed by as many people as caffeine all speak to the somewhat generalized nature of this stimulus. While this means that a very direct prediction of what the correct answer will say is unlikely, it does allow us to eliminate answer choices that are stronger than this stimulus supports.

Answer choice (A): This is a tricky answer, but it is ultimately incorrect because the last sentence is talking about the number of people who consume caffeine relative to other psychoactive substances, not about the number of people that are addicted to caffeine. So more people could be addicted to another substance, but more people cannot take that other substance (remember, not everyone who consumes caffeine will be addicted to it: if 100 people take caffeine and 80 consume alcohol, it could still be the case that more people are addicted to alcohol).

Answer choice (B): This answer choice simply cannot be known with certainty from the stimulus. Admittedly, a physical addictive to some psychoactive substances (caffeine, for instance) could give rise to certain physical or psychological symptoms for some people, but to conclude that a particular substance will typically give rise to diverse psychological symptoms (implied: for all people) is far too strong.

Answer choice (C): While this answer choice is likely to be true in the real world, because the stimulus only talks about psychoactive substances and addiction to them (in particular caffeine) we cannot conclude anything about substances that are not psychoactive.

Answer choice (D): Again, this answer choice is too strong to be properly concluded. All that can be known from the stimulus is that if one is addicted to caffeine, one may become unusually depressed, drowsy, or even irritable when one is ingesting a lesser amount than normal. To conclude that addiction to all psychoactive substances works in a similar manner, and for all people, is impossible to determine.

Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer choice. This answer coincides nicely with the last sentence: since as many people consume caffeine as consume any other psychoactive substance, then if alcohol is a psychoactive substance, more people cannot consume alcohol than consume caffeine. Notice too how the wording here is both fairly general (a hypothetical situation, represented by “if”), and allows for them to be consumed by the same number of people (as mentioned above).
 emilyfoster2013
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#17135
I am confused about must be true question 10 on page 1-13. The answer explanation for choice C says that "the prompt only talks about psychoactive substances (caffeine)" I am confused where in the prompt we get the information that caffeine is a psychoactive substance.

Thanks!
 BethRibet
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#17152
Hi Emily,

Thanks for the question. It reads "caffeine can be as physically addictive as other psychoactive substances". The word "other" basically includes caffeine among the substances.

For instance: If I say: "You are just as strong as the football players", it doesn't suggest that you are a football player, but that you are as strong as them. But if I say, "You are just as strong as the other football players", it suggests that you are part of the team, and as strong as the rest of your team.

Hope this helps!
Beth
 emilyfoster2013
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#17167
That does help, thank you so much!
 Arindom
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#25175
Hi,

In this argument the author is saying caffeine can be as physically addictive as other pyschoactive substances and then concludes that as many people consume caffeine as any of the other addictive psychoactive substance (like alcohol).

So, I chose ans choice B since the second premise tells us as much. Can you tell me why B is incorrect and E is correct?

Thanks.

- Arindom
 Nikki Siclunov
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#25389
Arindom,

This stimulus does not contain a conclusion, as it is merely a collection of factual statements, none of which supporting any of the others. The author asserts that caffeine can be as physically addictive as other psychoactive substances, which he exemplifies by providing a brief list of some presumed symptoms of caffeine withdrawal. The last sentence presents another observation: no other psychoactive substance is consumed by more people than caffeine is. (Note that this does allow for another substance to be consumed as much as caffeine, just not more.)

A few things to note: the first sentence uses the word "can"; the second sentence uses the phrase "some people." These are not absolute claims. Consequently, any answer choice that uses absolute, deterministic language is likely to be incorrect.

Answer choice (A) is incorrect, because the last sentence in the stimulus is talking about the number of people who consume caffeine relative to other psychoactive substances, not about the number of people who are addicted to caffeine. Of course, not everyone who consumes caffeine will be addicted to it.

Answer choice (B) is also incorrect, because it cannot be known with certainty from the stimulus. Admittedly, the addiction to some psychoactive substances (e.g. caffeine) could give rise to diverse symptoms for some people, but we cannot conclude that a particular substance will typically give rise to such symptoms. This answer choice elevates mere possibility into a probability, which cannot be proven with the information presented.

Answer choice (C) cannot be concluded with the information provided, because the author never talks about substances that are NOT psychoactive.

Answer choice (D) is too strong to be properly concluded. Caffeine addicts may become unusually depressed, drowsy, etc., but we cannot conclude that addition to all psychoactive substances works in a similar manner, for all people.

Answer choice (E) is the correct answer choice. Since as many people consume caffeine as consume any other psychoactive substance, then if alcohol is a psychoactive substance, it would be impossible that more people consume alcohol than consume caffeine.

Hope this clears it up! Let me know.

Thanks!
 vgsundar
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#44302
Hi,

I am a little confused of the wording of the last sentence in the stimulus - "...as many people consume caffeine as consume any one of the other addictive psychoactive substances."

Can you explain how this translates to: no other psychoactive substance is consumed by more people than caffeine is?

Thank you!
 Jamena Pirone
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#44309
Hi vgsundar,

That sentence is indeed obtuse, but if we make it a bit more concrete, it becomes clear.

"...as many people consume caffeine as consume any one of the other addictive psychoactive substances."

There exists an unnamed amount of people who consume caffeine, but to make it concrete, let's say its 10 million. This sentence says that there are unnamed "other" addictive substances, and the number of people who consume any one of them is as high as 10 million. So, there could be 1 million cocaine consumers; there could be 8 million nicotine consumers; there could be EXACTLY 10 million alcohol consumers. However, there could not be more than 10 million consumers of any of these "other" substances, because the sentence tells us that the number of users for any "other" substance can only be as high as the 10 million caffeine consumers. Or, in other words, no other psychoactive substance is consumed by more people than caffeine is.

Hopefully that sheds a little light on it!
 vgsundar
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#44310
Jamena,

That does help, thank you!
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 ashpine17
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#103933
i thought "as many as" meant exactly equal but someone told me it is as many or more caffeine than the other substances and I don't understand why.

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