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- Sat Jun 24, 2017 1:57 pm
#36353
Complete Question Explanation
Main Point. The correct answer choice is (D)
This author of this stimulus believes that the penalty imposed on a large company, which has
recently been convicted of monopolistic practices, is unlikely to have much effect on the company’s
behavior going forward, although the author does believe that the trial in general was a good thing:
Regardless of a possibly ineffective penalty, the author believes that the trial was worthwhile,
because information about the company’s practices was brought to light as a result of the
adjudication of the company’s questionable practices. When this information about the company was
made public, according to the author there were several positive results: potential competitors were
alerted, current competitors became bolder, and the company that had been convicted was forced
to treat its customers and its competitors more fairly. In basic terms, the argument breaks down as
follows:
answer choice will reflect the conclusion stated above.
Answer choice (A): The stimulus only deals with the case in retrospect and only deals with one
situation—that in which the company was both convicted and penalized. The author doesn’t discuss
what might have happened if the company had not been convicted. This choice fails the Fact Test
because it cannot be confirmed by the information in the stimulus, so it certainly cannot be the main
point of the argument.
Answer choice (B): The point discussed here is presented as evidence of the author’s main
conclusion—that is, a premise in support of the author’s main point, and thus cannot be the correct
answer to this Main Point question.
Answer choice (C): This is a concession—the author admits that the penalty won’t likely have an
effect, but says that because of the other effects, including that of bringing valuable information to
light, which made the trial worthwhile.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice, as it provides the author’s main conclusion:
the trial was worthwhile.
Answer choice (E): This was an appealing wrong answer choice for many, because the author does
mention that the penalty probably won’t have much effect on the behavior of the company—but does
not make the specific claim that it should have been larger. Rather, the author moves on to the other
effects that came out of the trial, concluding that they made the trial worthwhile regardless.
Main Point. The correct answer choice is (D)
This author of this stimulus believes that the penalty imposed on a large company, which has
recently been convicted of monopolistic practices, is unlikely to have much effect on the company’s
behavior going forward, although the author does believe that the trial in general was a good thing:
Regardless of a possibly ineffective penalty, the author believes that the trial was worthwhile,
because information about the company’s practices was brought to light as a result of the
adjudication of the company’s questionable practices. When this information about the company was
made public, according to the author there were several positive results: potential competitors were
alerted, current competitors became bolder, and the company that had been convicted was forced
to treat its customers and its competitors more fairly. In basic terms, the argument breaks down as
follows:
- Premise: The penalty imposed by the court probably won’t have much effect on the
actions of the company.
Premise: But the information that came out as a result was beneficial in many ways
(including emboldening competitors, alerting potential rivals, and pressuring
the penalized company to curtail its questionable practices).
Conclusion: Thus, the trial was worthwhile.
answer choice will reflect the conclusion stated above.
Answer choice (A): The stimulus only deals with the case in retrospect and only deals with one
situation—that in which the company was both convicted and penalized. The author doesn’t discuss
what might have happened if the company had not been convicted. This choice fails the Fact Test
because it cannot be confirmed by the information in the stimulus, so it certainly cannot be the main
point of the argument.
Answer choice (B): The point discussed here is presented as evidence of the author’s main
conclusion—that is, a premise in support of the author’s main point, and thus cannot be the correct
answer to this Main Point question.
Answer choice (C): This is a concession—the author admits that the penalty won’t likely have an
effect, but says that because of the other effects, including that of bringing valuable information to
light, which made the trial worthwhile.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice, as it provides the author’s main conclusion:
the trial was worthwhile.
Answer choice (E): This was an appealing wrong answer choice for many, because the author does
mention that the penalty probably won’t have much effect on the behavior of the company—but does
not make the specific claim that it should have been larger. Rather, the author moves on to the other
effects that came out of the trial, concluding that they made the trial worthwhile regardless.