#3 - Durth: Increasingly, businesses use direct mail advertising instead of paying

[bebeg3168]

I chose B because the stimulus stated "Increasingly". I took that to mean more common, widespread. Is there anyone who can explain why C is the better choice?
Have a wonderful day

[atierney]

Yes, if you take the argument on its terms, as in read it literally, there is nothing in it that specifically states anything related to effects of a more widespread usage. In other words, the argument is confined to the actual act of wasting paper currently rather than what would occur in the future. Now, I agree that the argument begins with "increasingly," indicating that practice is becoming more widespread, but once again, this is an observation of the current state of affairs rather than a forecast or trajectory.

Now, in terms of C, this is based a reading that indicates that the final two sentences of the argument are really in support of the claim that the practice is immoral. Read by this standard, the argument proceeds by noting the wasted paper and comparing that to wasting paper in other contexts, i.e. exactly what C states the argument does.

Let me know if you have further questions on this.

[khmpointer@gmail.com]

I can see why you'd lean towards B with "increasingly" suggesting a trend towards more common use of direct mail. However, choosing C might hinge on the context or additional details implied in the stimulus, like effectiveness or a shift in strategy that isn't just about popularity. It's intriguing to see how language nuances can steer our understanding in multiple directions.

[Robert Carroll]

khmpointer,

Answer choice (C) is simply based on the function of the last sentence. "It would be considered immoral in another context" is intended by the author to mean "It IS immoral in this context, and I can prove that by showing how it's relevantly similar to another, clearly immoral action."

Since the undesirable consequences are present, not just in the future, answer choice (B) is not the method used.

Robert Carroll