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#24766
Complete Question Explanation

Main Point. The correct answer choice is (C)

The term “pit bull” does not designate a breed, unlike the terms “German shepherd” and “poodle.” The term “pit bull” is more analogous to “Seeing-eye dog” and “police dog,” describing what the dogs do (rather than their breed). For example, given two German shepherds, you can't tell from appearance alone which one is the police dog and which is the seeing-eye dog.

This is a main point question. The stimulus seems geared toward convincing us that the term “pit bull” does not denote a breed of dog, but describes what the dog does. It even gives an example through analogy of two other terms that denote not the breed of dog, but the dog's job (police dog and seeing-eye dog). As such, we are looking for an answer that somehow encapsulates what the stimulus seems geared to convincing us of, described above.

Answer choice (A): This answer choice is incorrect because it does not do a good job of encapsulating the stimulus. Yes, German shepherds can be pit bulls, but the stimulus does not seem to be trying to convince us of that.

Answer choice (B): This answer choice is incorrect because, again, this is not what the stimulus is trying to convince us of.

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. It is very similar to what we pre-phrased earlier regarding what the stimulus is trying to convince us of.

Answer choice (D): This answer choice is incorrect because the bit about German shepherds, police dogs, and seeing-eye dogs was an example illustrating the distinction between the breed of dog, and the dog's job, which in turn, supports the conclusion that pit bulls denote the latter and not the former.

Answer choice (E): This answer choice is incorrect because it is broader than the stimulus' conclusion, which was focused on trying to prove a point about the term “pit bull.” One might argue that the stimulus broadened its focus beyond pit bulls by bringing into the discussion German shepherds, police dogs, and seeing-eye dogs. But remember that these terms were used to prove a point about pit bulls, not make a generalization about German shepherds, police dogs, and seeing-eye dogs. The focus of this stimulus has always been trying to make an assertion regarding pit bulls, nothing more.
 SammyWu11201
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#81703
How does E broaden the scope when "some" can refer to one single entity, in this case, the pit bull?
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 KelseyWoods
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#81933
Hi Sammy!

In a Main Point question, we are looking for an answer choice that precisely describes the specific main point of the argument in the stimulus. If the main point of the argument is broad, then we want an answer choice that is broad in the same way. If the main point is specific, we want an answer choice that is specific in the same way. The key is that the answer choice must accurately describe the main point of the argument. If the main point of the argument is about pit bulls specifically, then we don't want an answer choice that is about dogs in a more general sense, because the author is not trying to make an argument about dogs in a more general sense. If the main point is about pit bulls, the answer choice has to be about pit bulls.

Also, I would argue that answer choice (E) doesn't even accurately describe something that occurs in the argument. The author says you can't distinguish functions of dogs based on appearance alone but does not say that you can't distinguish the different breeds of dogs based on appearance alone. The author gives the example of being unable to determine a seeing-eye dog from a police dog because they are both the same breed--German Shepherd. But the author does not give the example of being unable to determine different breeds of dogs based on appearance.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Kelsey
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 ashpine17
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#86779
I still don't understand the purpose of the example with the two GSD? How is this meant as support for the conclusion that the term "pit bull" describe's a dog's function rather than its breed?
 Jeremy Press
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#86795
Hi ashpine,

It's not a great argument, admittedly, because of how brief and opaque it is (though that doesn't really matter on a Main Point question). The author is suggesting that the German shepherds look alike (because they are the same breed), but for that reason we can't by appearance alone tell what they do. The pit bull, apparently, is different. Pit bulls apparently do not all look alike, so they don't belong to a "breed" in the sense that German shepherds and poodles do. "Pit bull" apparently only tells us what the dog does, not what it looks like (like the terms "seeing eye dog" and "police dog"). What that is, I'm not sure--the argument is opaque and leaves us to guess. That's about the best we can do, I'm afraid.

I hope this little bit helps!
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 ashpine17
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#86806
Is the example with the two GSD supposed to serve as a contrast between the term "pit bull" versus "poodle" and "GSD?" Pit Bull is for function and not necessarily for the appearance of the breed while poodle and GSD are opposites of that? Could I think of of it that way?
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 Ryan Twomey
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#86814
Hey Asphine,

I don't know if the word opposite applies here. I would go with the line of thinking stated by the administrator above. I thought it was a perfect pre-phrase.

The example of the two German Shepherds was to show two dogs of the same breed who have two different functions.

The German Shepherd examples were simply used to bring up function. So the author's conclusion is still that Pitbull's are not a breed of dog. They are a dog's function like a police dog or a seeing eye dog.

I hope this helps.

Best,
Ryan

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