- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 8950
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Fri Jan 21, 2011 12:00 am
#36654
Complete Question Explanation
Strengthen. The correct answer choice is (B)
This stimulus opens with information about medications that have an unpleasant taste, which can
be produced in the form of tablets, capsules, or soft-gels. The author points out that medication M
has a low tolerance for heat and thus cannot be made into tablet form. Further, the company that
manufactures medication M produces all of its own medications and is not technologically capable
of making soft-gels. Based on these premises, the author concludes that medication M will most
likely be produced in capsule form. The argument can be broken down simply as follows:
Premise: Medications with an unpleasant taste are generally produced only as tablets,
capsules, or soft-gels.
unpleasant tasting medication, rules out two possibilities, and concludes that the third will thus be
the most likely form. The problem, however, is that the three possible forms of medication refer only
to those with an unpleasant taste. Although the medicine is referred to as “waxy,” the author never
claims that M has an unpleasant taste; establishing that M tastes bad would certainly strengthen the
author’s reasoning. In the alternative, establishing that medication M has the same possible forms as
unpleasant tasting medications would bolster the author’s argument as well.
Answer choice (A): This is an Opposite answer. Because the author never establishes that medicine
M has an unpleasant taste, providing another option for the form of medication M actually weakens
the author’s conclusion that the medication will most likely be produced in capsule form.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice, and the one which restates the prephrased
answer discussed above. If medication M has an unpleasant taste, then this would certainly
strengthen the author’s conclusion that if neither tablet nor soft-gel forms of the medicine could be
produced, the medicine would likely then take capsule form.
Answer choice (C): Since it looks as though medication M will not be produced in soft-gel form,
this choice does not strengthen the author’s conclusion that the medicine will likely be produced as a
capsule.
Answer choice (D): Medication M does have a low melting point, but since the author has
established that it will not be produced in soft-gel form, this choice is irrelevant to the question, and
does not strengthen the assertion that capsule form will be the most likely for medication M.
Answer choice (E): The stimulus provides no information regarding the level of unpleasantness
in the tastes of various forms of medication. Since this answer choice makes it no more likely that
medication M will be produced as a capsule, it cannot be the correct answer to this Strengthen
question.
Strengthen. The correct answer choice is (B)
This stimulus opens with information about medications that have an unpleasant taste, which can
be produced in the form of tablets, capsules, or soft-gels. The author points out that medication M
has a low tolerance for heat and thus cannot be made into tablet form. Further, the company that
manufactures medication M produces all of its own medications and is not technologically capable
of making soft-gels. Based on these premises, the author concludes that medication M will most
likely be produced in capsule form. The argument can be broken down simply as follows:
Premise: Medications with an unpleasant taste are generally produced only as tablets,
capsules, or soft-gels.
- Premise: Medication M cannot be made into tablet form because of its low melting
point.
Premise: The company developing medication M does all of its own manufacturing, and
it does not have the capability to manufacture soft-gels.
Conclusion: M will most likely be produced in capsule form.
unpleasant tasting medication, rules out two possibilities, and concludes that the third will thus be
the most likely form. The problem, however, is that the three possible forms of medication refer only
to those with an unpleasant taste. Although the medicine is referred to as “waxy,” the author never
claims that M has an unpleasant taste; establishing that M tastes bad would certainly strengthen the
author’s reasoning. In the alternative, establishing that medication M has the same possible forms as
unpleasant tasting medications would bolster the author’s argument as well.
Answer choice (A): This is an Opposite answer. Because the author never establishes that medicine
M has an unpleasant taste, providing another option for the form of medication M actually weakens
the author’s conclusion that the medication will most likely be produced in capsule form.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice, and the one which restates the prephrased
answer discussed above. If medication M has an unpleasant taste, then this would certainly
strengthen the author’s conclusion that if neither tablet nor soft-gel forms of the medicine could be
produced, the medicine would likely then take capsule form.
Answer choice (C): Since it looks as though medication M will not be produced in soft-gel form,
this choice does not strengthen the author’s conclusion that the medicine will likely be produced as a
capsule.
Answer choice (D): Medication M does have a low melting point, but since the author has
established that it will not be produced in soft-gel form, this choice is irrelevant to the question, and
does not strengthen the assertion that capsule form will be the most likely for medication M.
Answer choice (E): The stimulus provides no information regarding the level of unpleasantness
in the tastes of various forms of medication. Since this answer choice makes it no more likely that
medication M will be produced as a capsule, it cannot be the correct answer to this Strengthen
question.