PrepTest 105, Section 4, Question 22
Children fall into three groups—nontasters, regular tasters, and(64 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(10 more words not shown)
- ASupertasters like mild(7 more words not shown)
- BThe age of(21 more words not shown)
- CThe sweeter a(7 more words not shown)
- DBitterness is the(15 more words not shown)
- ENontasters tend to(22 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
They prefer mild cheddar. How do we know bitterness is the reason?
The passage groups children by how strongly they experience tastes. Supertasters strongly prefer mild cheddar to sharp, regular tasters have a weaker preference for mild, and nontasters have no preference. I can imagine a strong flavor overwhelming a sensitive taster. But that doesn't tell me which feature of the flavor is responsible.
We're also told that children like a food less as it tastes more bitter. Fine: bitterness can explain disliking something. Does every preference therefore reveal a difference in bitterness? What if these children react to some other aspect of the cheese's flavor? The argument hasn't ruled that out.
What we’re looking for
We're asked to supply an assumption that makes the conclusion follow. I want a rule forcing these preferences to reflect bitterness. A very strong version would say that bitterness is the only taste that matters to the children. We may not need something that broad, but we do need to close the gap between their preferences about these cheeses and how bitter the cheeses taste.
Working the answers
- A
This compares how much two groups like mild cheddar. The conclusion instead compares how bitter sharp and mild cheddar taste within the relevant groups. A doesn't tell us why either group has its preference, so the same gap remains.
- B
Age might determine which group a child belongs to, but that wouldn't tell us why children prefer one cheddar to the other. Even if age were the most important factor in tasting intensity, preferences could still reflect something besides bitterness.
- C
Sweetness gives us another possible consideration affecting children's likes. It doesn't establish that the difference between these cheeses is a difference in bitterness. Without knowing how sweetness applies to the cheeses, C doesn't settle the actual cause of the preferences either. It certainly doesn't prove the conclusion.
- DCorrect
Bitterness is now the only factor relevant to the strength of the preference between these two cheeses. This is narrower than my initial broad rule about taste, and that is enough because the argument concerns this particular comparison.
For supertasters, sharp cheddar is less preferred. With other explanations ruled out, the stated rule about disliking increased bitterness supports the conclusion that sharp tastes more bitter to them. Nontasters show no preference. If sharp tasted more bitter to them, the bitterness rule would make them like it less, and there would be a preference. D prevents another factor from canceling that effect.
Both parts of the conclusion now follow from the preferences and the bitterness rule.
- E
Liking a wide variety of foods doesn't tell us why someone prefers one cheese or has no preference. Nontasters could like many foods and still respond to sweetness, texture, or something else. E doesn't isolate bitterness as the explanation we need.
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