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- Mon Jun 13, 2016 6:43 am
#26459
Complete Question Explanation
Question #3: Main Point, FIB. The correct answer choice is (D).
The question stem asks you to fill in the blank with an appropriate answer. While this is not one of the most common question types on the test, Fill in the Blanks almost always indicate the presence of a Main Point question. Note that the placement of the blank is at the very end of the stimulus, and the sentence it completes begins with the conclusion indicator “so.” Therefore, you should fill the blank with the answer choice that best represents the main point of the argument. To achieve this goal, look for contextual clues in the stimulus revealing the direction of the argument and the author’s intent.
This argument proceeds by analogy. An argument from analogy is a special type of inductive argument, whereby perceived similarities between two things (a century is like a life) are used as a basis to infer some further similarity that has yet to be observed (people behave toward the end of a century just like they do when nearing the end of life). Apparently, people in their last years tend to reflect on the events of their life. What does that mean about our behavior at a century’s end? We probably reflect on the formative events of that century. This prephrase agrees with answer choice (D).
Answer choice (A): This answer choice does not reflect the analogical reasoning contained in the stimulus, and does not provide a suitable conclusion.
Answer choice (B): While this may be true in the real world, the stimulus provides absolutely no evidence that people fear that their own lives are about to end.
Answer choice (C): This answer choice would have been correct if the stimulus had indicated that people in their last years focus on the afterlife (or something akin to that). Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the case.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. Note that while our prephrase is not an exact match, it’s close enough: reflecting on the formative events of the century is analogous to being interested in the history of the century just ending.
Answer choice (E): This is an attractive, but incorrect answer choice. While it matches the object of our interest (the last century), there is no reason to suspect that people would only reflect on the unfortunate events of the century. It’s not as if people in the last years of their life only reflect on their failures, for instance. The analogy is close, but imperfect.
Question #3: Main Point, FIB. The correct answer choice is (D).
The question stem asks you to fill in the blank with an appropriate answer. While this is not one of the most common question types on the test, Fill in the Blanks almost always indicate the presence of a Main Point question. Note that the placement of the blank is at the very end of the stimulus, and the sentence it completes begins with the conclusion indicator “so.” Therefore, you should fill the blank with the answer choice that best represents the main point of the argument. To achieve this goal, look for contextual clues in the stimulus revealing the direction of the argument and the author’s intent.
This argument proceeds by analogy. An argument from analogy is a special type of inductive argument, whereby perceived similarities between two things (a century is like a life) are used as a basis to infer some further similarity that has yet to be observed (people behave toward the end of a century just like they do when nearing the end of life). Apparently, people in their last years tend to reflect on the events of their life. What does that mean about our behavior at a century’s end? We probably reflect on the formative events of that century. This prephrase agrees with answer choice (D).
Answer choice (A): This answer choice does not reflect the analogical reasoning contained in the stimulus, and does not provide a suitable conclusion.
Answer choice (B): While this may be true in the real world, the stimulus provides absolutely no evidence that people fear that their own lives are about to end.
Answer choice (C): This answer choice would have been correct if the stimulus had indicated that people in their last years focus on the afterlife (or something akin to that). Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the case.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. Note that while our prephrase is not an exact match, it’s close enough: reflecting on the formative events of the century is analogous to being interested in the history of the century just ending.
Answer choice (E): This is an attractive, but incorrect answer choice. While it matches the object of our interest (the last century), there is no reason to suspect that people would only reflect on the unfortunate events of the century. It’s not as if people in the last years of their life only reflect on their failures, for instance. The analogy is close, but imperfect.