#15 - The introduction of mass production techniques in

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Must Be True, Fill in the Blank. The correct answer choice is (D).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[sarah_tucker@alumni.brown.edu]

Can you explain why D is correct over A? I initially chose A because the final sentence sets up a distinction between highly trained workers and workers with little training, which is reflected in that answer choice. I thought that D referencing workers generally was not specific enough. Would love an explanation.
Thanks!

[Luke Haqq]

Hi Sarah!

Happy to address answer choices (A) and (D).

Answer choice (A) states that "highly trained workers have more purchasing power in modern industrial economies than workers who are less trained." This answer choice brings in "highly trained workers," which are only mentioned at the end of the stimulus. We know that their jobs are less likely to be eliminated, but not much beyond that. We don't know about their purchasing power in comparison with those with less training. Maybe highly trained workers are paid poorly, or have lots of debt, or a variety of other possible scenarios in which they might not have more purchasing power.

Answer choice (D) states, "a source of increased purchasing power for workers in modern industrial economies also undermines their job security." This is stated generically enough that it could be referring to just those workers with jobs that require little training, or it could also encompass highly trained workers. We can break answer choice (D) apart to further see why it's correct. It mentions "a source of increased purchasing power for workers in modern industrial economies," which is referring to the introduction of mass production techniques. These techniques provide "a source of increased purchasing power" for some workers. At the same time that these techniques do this, however, they also undermine job security for those workers.

You're right to note that there's a comparison between highly trained workers and those with less training, and that indeed could be something that is worthwhile to keep an eye out for in answer choices. But having that alone isn't enough to make an answer choice correct. Additionally, an answer choice might not immediately look like a contender because it's stated in general or generic terms. But that alone doesn't necessarily make an answer choice incorrect. Such an answer choice can still be correct if those general terms map onto specific items in the stimulus, as is the case here.

[jmcgren2]

Still confused here. Answer choice D does nothing to complete the first half of of the sentence and therefore make the logic make sense. I would expect the word "since" here to indicate that to logically complete the argument we need some sort of information that differentiates highly skilled workers from less skilled workers in relation to prices dropping and the job market being tighter. Answer choice A does that. Generally D follows the argument, but to think it could finish that sentence makes no sense. Its saying "But Since" means that second half of the sentence has to in some way shed light on the new information that was just presented? otherwise why would they even mention highly skilled workers in relation to less skilled workers.

[Jeff Wren]

Hi jmcgren,

It's important to understand Answer D in the context of the entire argument rather than just completing the first half of the sentence. I agree that if you were just looking at the first half of the sentence without looking at the other information in the argument, Answer D wouldn't really make sense.

However when taking in all of the information presented, the conclusion of Answer D does follow as a general description of the "double edge sword" of the mass production techniques in modern industrial economies. On the one hand, they allowed workers more purchasing power because the goods produced were less expensive, but on the other hand, they created jobs that required little training and were therefore more vulnerable to elimination.

In other words, the second sentence mentions a benefit of the mass production techniques to the workers (they could buy more goods) and the first half of the last sentence mentions a disadvantage (about their lack of job security), so the argument concludes that the mass production techniques did both the good and the bad.

[djokly]

Hi jmcgren,

It's important to understand Answer D in the context of the entire argument rather than just completing the first half of the sentence. I agree that if you were just looking at the first half of the sentence without looking at the other information in the argument, Answer D wouldn't really make sense.

However when taking in all of the information presented, the conclusion of Answer D does follow as a general description of the "double edge sword" of the mass production techniques in modern industrial economies. On the one hand, they allowed workers more purchasing power because the goods produced were less expensive, but on the other hand, they created jobs that required little training and were therefore more vulnerable to elimination.

In other words, the second sentence mentions a benefit of the mass production techniques to the workers (they could buy more goods) and the first half of the last sentence mentions a disadvantage (about their lack of job security), so the argument concludes that the mass production techniques did both the good and the bad.

Hello.

I'm afraid I still don't understand how D is better than A. I feel like if one used the method you suggest we do, which is understand the stimulus as a whole rather than focusing on words like "since," one would probably get a lot of questions wrong. Understanding the stimulus as a whole is surely important, but so are words like "since" which obviously indicate that the writer thinks that they are providing a reason for something being true.

Is there another way to discern that D is correct and A is wrong?

Thank you very much!

[Dana D]

Hi Djokly,

I'm going to second Jeff here in saying that understanding the stimulus as a whole is always important - indicator words such as "since" are helpful in some cases, but your conclusion that "but since" must introduce new information is incorrect in this case.

That being said, answer choice (A) is also incorrect because this question asks us which answer choice 'most logically completes the argument' - this means we need an answer choice that is supported by the stimulus, or one that must be true based on the stimulus. That shift in thinking is key - it tells us that we are probably not looking for an answer choice which introduces new information, but instead one which is supported by the stimulus. Answer choice (D) basically restates the problem of the stimulus, so it MBT and is correct. Answer choice (A) says that highly trained workers must have more purchasing power - but we don't actually know that this is true. We know highly trained workers are less vulnerable to having their jobs eliminated, but we can't actually compare their purchasing power to less trained workers. Just because less trained workers have less job security doesn't mean they will get fired, so maybe the less and highly trained workers retain the same purchasing power.

Hope that helps!