- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 8950
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Mon Jan 20, 2014 12:00 am
#64640
Complete Question Explanation
Main Point. The correct answer choice is (C)
The conclusion to this argument is the fourth sentence, which begins with
the conclusion indicator “For this reason...” By applying the Primary
Objectives you should have identified this conclusion while reading, and
then, upon classifying the question stem you should have looked for a
paraphrase of this sentence. Answer choice (C) fits the bill, and is the
correct answer.
Answer choice (A): The author would agree with this statement but this
is not the Main Point of the argument; rather, it is closer to a premise that
might support the conclusion.
Answer choice (B): The author would also agree with this statement,
but again this is not the Main Point of the argument. As discussed in the
analysis of answer choice (A), the author believes that the freedom of the
marketplace of ideas is at risk, and in stating that we should curtail the
government’s power over information, the author assumes that preserving
a free marketplace of ideas is important. Thus this answer choice would be
better described as an unstated premise that supports the conclusion.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer. Remember, any answer
that is a paraphrase of the conclusion of the argument will be the correct
answer to a Main Point question.
Answer choice (D): The stimulus specifically notes that malicious or
prejudicial ideas can “prompt beneficial outcomes.” The outcome of an
idea is different from stating the ideas themselves “can be valuable.”
Answer choice (E): The stimulus states that “governments continue
to construct near monopolies on the publication and dissemination of
enormous amounts of information.” This phrasing is not the same as
answer choice (E), which asserts that the government already has a
monopoly on the dissemination of many kinds of information.
The lesson learned from this particular problem is that you must isolate the
conclusion and then look for a paraphrase of that conclusion.
Main Point. The correct answer choice is (C)
The conclusion to this argument is the fourth sentence, which begins with
the conclusion indicator “For this reason...” By applying the Primary
Objectives you should have identified this conclusion while reading, and
then, upon classifying the question stem you should have looked for a
paraphrase of this sentence. Answer choice (C) fits the bill, and is the
correct answer.
Answer choice (A): The author would agree with this statement but this
is not the Main Point of the argument; rather, it is closer to a premise that
might support the conclusion.
Answer choice (B): The author would also agree with this statement,
but again this is not the Main Point of the argument. As discussed in the
analysis of answer choice (A), the author believes that the freedom of the
marketplace of ideas is at risk, and in stating that we should curtail the
government’s power over information, the author assumes that preserving
a free marketplace of ideas is important. Thus this answer choice would be
better described as an unstated premise that supports the conclusion.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer. Remember, any answer
that is a paraphrase of the conclusion of the argument will be the correct
answer to a Main Point question.
Answer choice (D): The stimulus specifically notes that malicious or
prejudicial ideas can “prompt beneficial outcomes.” The outcome of an
idea is different from stating the ideas themselves “can be valuable.”
Answer choice (E): The stimulus states that “governments continue
to construct near monopolies on the publication and dissemination of
enormous amounts of information.” This phrasing is not the same as
answer choice (E), which asserts that the government already has a
monopoly on the dissemination of many kinds of information.
The lesson learned from this particular problem is that you must isolate the
conclusion and then look for a paraphrase of that conclusion.