#26 - Proposals for extending the United States school year

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Method of Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (C)

To respond to this Method question we must find the choice which most accurately describes the logical strategy chosen by the author. Basically, the author refutes the criticism by pointing out the underlying reason for the traditional three month break.

Answer Choice (A): The author does not believe that the objection is based on a misunderstanding about the amount of time—rather, it is based on a misinterpretation of the basis of the three month tradition.

Answer Choice (B): The author does not call into question the relevance of historical practices, but rather argues that the historical basis of the tradition should be considered.

Answer Choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. The author argues that changing the school year would not violate an important American tradition, because the reason that it was implemented is no longer applicable.

Answer Choice (D): The author does not launch such an attack against the opposition, instead making the assertion that they are focused on the wrong part of the tradition.

Answer Choice (E): The stimulus provides no such demonstration; the author doesn’t show that the summer break should be shortened, but instead refutes the basis of the opposition’s claims.

[dhaozh]

Hello there! I am troubled by Question 19 in the Method section of the Powerscore Question Type Training book.

When I did it, I confidently rejected answer choice C on the grounds that the word "alternative" fails to pass the Fact Test, since the stimulus didn't really present any understanding of the nature of the school-length tradition other than the author's. So, I was surprised to find that C is the correct answer. Could you explain why?

Additionally, why are B and E incorrect? I hesitated between them and picked E in the end, because I thought E captured what the author meant in the last sentence of the stimulus:

If any policy could be justified by those appeals to tradition, it would be the policy of determining length of the school year according to the needs of the economy.

Thanks so much for your explanations!

David Z.

[Dave Killoran]

Hi David,

Thanks for the question. Let's take a look at the structure of the argument first, then the answer choices.

The argument opens with the mention of proposals to extend the US school year to be in more accordance with the European and Japanese school years. The objection to these proposals is often that this breaks a US summer tradition. The author then counters this objection, starting with the word "however." The objection admits in the 19th century schools did close for summer, but only for economic reasons. According to the author, then, economic means would be the best reason to use if we were going to use the "summer tradition" argument to justify a particular length of the school year.

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer. The author indicates that the summer tradition isn't based on some vacation policy, but rather (or alternatively) on an economic justification. As the author argues for a different interpretation, that justifies the use of "alternative," and thus this answer does pass the Fact Test.

Answer choice (B): The relevance of the practice isn't called into question, but whether raising that practice as an objection justifies keeping the summer vacation. If this answer were right, the author would have said something like, "But that objection misses it's mark because what happened in the 19th century is irrelevant to the proposals being made today."

Answer choice (E): This answer is far too strong. Does the author actually demonstrate that the economic justification proves that we should have the same school year as Europe and Japan? No, and in fact the economic justification may show that we need to have an entirely different school year. In any event, this answer doesn't describe how the author countered the objection.

Please let me know if the above helps. Thanks!

[dhaozh]

Hi Dave,

Your detailed and helpful reply is much appreciated! I realized that C did make perfect sense and that my taking issue with "alternative" was a result of my excessive pickiness. Also, regarding answer choice B, I actually did think that the issue here is, as you put it, "whether raising that practice as an objection justifies keeping the summer vacation." However, I went further to infer that because historical practices of let kids help out in the fields over the summer are passé, they are irrelevant to current disputes. This is an unwarranted inference, and I should've known it.

Thanks again,

David Z.

[nmgee]

I was between (B) and (C), and luckily selected (C). I'm hoping for further elaboration on why (B) is incorrect.

I saw the argument as indeed "calling into question the relevance of...historical practices". I felt like that was inherent in the implication that that objection does not apply to (misses the mark on) the issue at hand, and a different economic objection would be required to justify the summer break.

Could someone help break down the distinction (i.e. how the historical practices are not deemed irrelevant by the author)?

[Adam Tyson]

I don't think there's much I can add to Dave's explanation earlier in this thread, but I'll give it a try, nmgee!

The author here argues that the tradition that some people rely on is really a tradition about responding to the economic needs of the country, and that extending the school year wouldn't be violating that tradition but rather following it, albeit in a different manner consistent with the different needs of the modern economy. He is not saying that the tradition is irrelevant, but rather that it remains relevant and should be honored or followed in an alternate way.

That's why answer B is incorrect - the author doesn't say "what we did in the past is irrelevant" but rather "what we did was based on an economic need, and we should continue to do what is economically advisable."

[fortunateking]

Dear Powerscore people,
I can totally understand why C is correct however I also find D is very tempting as the author has told us that the opposition is seeing the tradition in a superficial way (3 months) without looking at the rationale behind the tradition (economy reasons) so it seems to me that D is also correct saying that those opposing lack some genuine (real) concern for tradition.
Please correct me.

[Robert Carroll]

fortunateking,

People can be mistaken but genuine. There is no indication that people who misunderstand tradition are claimed by the author not to have a genuine concern for it.

Robert Carroll