- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 8950
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Wed Apr 24, 2019 3:59 pm
#64379
Complete Question Explanation
Must Be True. The correct answer choice is (D)
Answer choice (A): This is an interesting answer choice, and most people
take a moment before categorizing this as a Loser. The answer choice
could be true, but it is too broad to be supported by the facts: nowhere
are we told that a diet of fruits and vegetables will help prevent heart
disease (and in this sense the answer fails the Fact Test). Perhaps apples
are the only fruit with the antioxidant flavonoid and there is nothing
beneficial about other fruits and vegetables. And, eating a diet of fruits and
vegetables is no guarantee that the diet includes apples. Regardless, this
answer choice can be especially attractive because it plays on the general
perception that fruits and vegetables are good for you.
Answer choice (B): This answer is also a Loser. Nothing in the stimulus
supports the rather strong statement that flavonoids are essential to
preventing heart disease.
Answer choice (C): Many people hold this answer as a Contender and then
move on to answer choice (D). As it will turn out, this answer is incorrect
because the language is too strong: the stimulus only stated that apples
contain an element that was a factor in preventing heart disease, not that
they definitely will prevent heart disease.
Answer choice (D): This answer is the closest to our prephrase, and this is
the correct answer. Notice how the language of this answer choice—“helps
to prevent”—matches the stimulus language—“factor in the prevention.”
Answer choice (E): This answer choice also could be true, but it cannot
be correct because the stimulus makes no mention of the causes of heart
disease. Just because an antioxidant can help prevent heart disease.
Notice how the scope of the stimulus plays a role in how we attack the
answer choices. The language of the stimulus is relatively broad—“almost
all,” “factor in the prevention,”—and the author shies away from making
definite statements. Because the stimulus does not contain much in the
way of direct, absolute information, selecting an answer choice that
contains a direct, absolute statement is difficult to justify.
Must Be True. The correct answer choice is (D)
Answer choice (A): This is an interesting answer choice, and most people
take a moment before categorizing this as a Loser. The answer choice
could be true, but it is too broad to be supported by the facts: nowhere
are we told that a diet of fruits and vegetables will help prevent heart
disease (and in this sense the answer fails the Fact Test). Perhaps apples
are the only fruit with the antioxidant flavonoid and there is nothing
beneficial about other fruits and vegetables. And, eating a diet of fruits and
vegetables is no guarantee that the diet includes apples. Regardless, this
answer choice can be especially attractive because it plays on the general
perception that fruits and vegetables are good for you.
Answer choice (B): This answer is also a Loser. Nothing in the stimulus
supports the rather strong statement that flavonoids are essential to
preventing heart disease.
Answer choice (C): Many people hold this answer as a Contender and then
move on to answer choice (D). As it will turn out, this answer is incorrect
because the language is too strong: the stimulus only stated that apples
contain an element that was a factor in preventing heart disease, not that
they definitely will prevent heart disease.
Answer choice (D): This answer is the closest to our prephrase, and this is
the correct answer. Notice how the language of this answer choice—“helps
to prevent”—matches the stimulus language—“factor in the prevention.”
Answer choice (E): This answer choice also could be true, but it cannot
be correct because the stimulus makes no mention of the causes of heart
disease. Just because an antioxidant can help prevent heart disease.
Notice how the scope of the stimulus plays a role in how we attack the
answer choices. The language of the stimulus is relatively broad—“almost
all,” “factor in the prevention,”—and the author shies away from making
definite statements. Because the stimulus does not contain much in the
way of direct, absolute information, selecting an answer choice that
contains a direct, absolute statement is difficult to justify.