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- Wed Apr 06, 2016 12:00 pm
#22785
Complete Question Explanation
Weaken. The correct answer choice is (C)
This stimulus presents a causal argument. The effect is the increase in demand for printed books, and the author asserts that the cause is an increase in literacy. In order to weaken this causal argument, we might be looking for the answer choice which provides an alternative cause.
Answer choice (A): This answer choice strengthens the author's argument that literacy increase, so this answer choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (B): This answer choice simply tells us that those who read the books often notated those books. This has no effect on the causal argument, so this answer choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. As prephrased above, this answer choice provides an alternative cause for the increase in book demand—an increase ability to afford books—so this is a winner.
Answer choice (D): This choice tells nothing of the cause for increased demand—just what was done with the books once they were purchased—so this answer choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (E): The number of illustrations in the referenced books has no effect on the causal claim that the increase in book demand was based on an increase in literacy.
Weaken. The correct answer choice is (C)
This stimulus presents a causal argument. The effect is the increase in demand for printed books, and the author asserts that the cause is an increase in literacy. In order to weaken this causal argument, we might be looking for the answer choice which provides an alternative cause.
Answer choice (A): This answer choice strengthens the author's argument that literacy increase, so this answer choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (B): This answer choice simply tells us that those who read the books often notated those books. This has no effect on the causal argument, so this answer choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. As prephrased above, this answer choice provides an alternative cause for the increase in book demand—an increase ability to afford books—so this is a winner.
Answer choice (D): This choice tells nothing of the cause for increased demand—just what was done with the books once they were purchased—so this answer choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (E): The number of illustrations in the referenced books has no effect on the causal claim that the increase in book demand was based on an increase in literacy.