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- Mon Jun 06, 2016 4:06 pm
#26217
Complete Question Explanation
Assumption. The correct answer choice is (D)
The author provides background information about radio drama, stating that radio drama requires its listeners to think about what they hear and to picture dramatic elements, i.e. to use their imaginations. The author then concludes that today’s generation of television viewers uses their imaginations less frequently than the earlier generation, since radio is no longer the dominant form of entertainment.
Keep a close eye on the conclusion. The author never explicitly stated that television requires its viewers to exercise less imagination than radio did from its listeners. Furthermore, even if television does not require as much imagination, it is possible that today’s generation of television viewers use their imaginations more often than the previous generation through other outlets besides radio or television.
Answer Choice (A): The comparative amount of time people spend watching television and listening to the radio has no bearing on the issue at hand. The Assumption Negation technique eliminates this answer. If people do not spend as much time watching television today as they once did listening to radio, it is still possible that today’s generation exercises their imagination less frequently.
Answer Choice (B): This answer choice is irrelevant. The familiarity of a form of popular entertainment was never discussed in the stimulus. We have no idea how familiar radio was to the previous generation, nor how familiar television is to the current generation. The author does not need to assume anything about familiarity for this argument to be true.
Answer Choice (C): This answer choice is a Shell Game answer. The conclusion deals with how much each generation exercised their imagination, not with which form of entertainment is more desirable. The author does not need to assume that television is undesirable because it inhibits creativity.
Answer Choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. This answer choice is a classic Defender Assumption since it blocks a potential challenge to the argument. Also, like many Defender Assumptions, the Assumption Negation technique is particularly useful at proving that this answer choice is correct: if something can fill the gap left by radio as a medium for exercising the imagination, then today’s generation might exercise their imaginations more than the previous generation. Since the negation of the answer choice weakens the argument, the author must be assuming that nothing fills the gap left by radio in order for his conclusion to be true.
Answer Choice (E): While this answer choice Strengthens the argument, it is far too strong to be an assumption required for the conclusion to be true. The author does not have to assume that television is a mindless activity. Try the Assumption Negation Technique: even if television does require its viewers to think about what they see, that does not mean that television viewers are exercising their imaginations as much as radio listeners did in the past. Consequently, the logical opposite of this answer choice does not weaken the conclusion of the argument.
Assumption. The correct answer choice is (D)
The author provides background information about radio drama, stating that radio drama requires its listeners to think about what they hear and to picture dramatic elements, i.e. to use their imaginations. The author then concludes that today’s generation of television viewers uses their imaginations less frequently than the earlier generation, since radio is no longer the dominant form of entertainment.
Keep a close eye on the conclusion. The author never explicitly stated that television requires its viewers to exercise less imagination than radio did from its listeners. Furthermore, even if television does not require as much imagination, it is possible that today’s generation of television viewers use their imaginations more often than the previous generation through other outlets besides radio or television.
Answer Choice (A): The comparative amount of time people spend watching television and listening to the radio has no bearing on the issue at hand. The Assumption Negation technique eliminates this answer. If people do not spend as much time watching television today as they once did listening to radio, it is still possible that today’s generation exercises their imagination less frequently.
Answer Choice (B): This answer choice is irrelevant. The familiarity of a form of popular entertainment was never discussed in the stimulus. We have no idea how familiar radio was to the previous generation, nor how familiar television is to the current generation. The author does not need to assume anything about familiarity for this argument to be true.
Answer Choice (C): This answer choice is a Shell Game answer. The conclusion deals with how much each generation exercised their imagination, not with which form of entertainment is more desirable. The author does not need to assume that television is undesirable because it inhibits creativity.
Answer Choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. This answer choice is a classic Defender Assumption since it blocks a potential challenge to the argument. Also, like many Defender Assumptions, the Assumption Negation technique is particularly useful at proving that this answer choice is correct: if something can fill the gap left by radio as a medium for exercising the imagination, then today’s generation might exercise their imaginations more than the previous generation. Since the negation of the answer choice weakens the argument, the author must be assuming that nothing fills the gap left by radio in order for his conclusion to be true.
Answer Choice (E): While this answer choice Strengthens the argument, it is far too strong to be an assumption required for the conclusion to be true. The author does not have to assume that television is a mindless activity. Try the Assumption Negation Technique: even if television does require its viewers to think about what they see, that does not mean that television viewers are exercising their imaginations as much as radio listeners did in the past. Consequently, the logical opposite of this answer choice does not weaken the conclusion of the argument.
