PrepTest 114, Section 2, Question 6
One thousand people in Denmark were questioned about(67 more words not shown)
The survey results in the(9 more words not shown)
- APeople's opinions never(3 more words not shown)
- BA minority of(12 more words not shown)
- CMost of Denmark's(8 more words not shown)
- DMost of Denmark's(9 more words not shown)
- EMost of Denmark's(5 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Ten years later, these people have largely kept their views on cigarette advertising. That is the first result that stands out to me. We have the same people answering the same question, and the passage says their opinions changed little.
The numbers also separate different positions. The 38 percent favor a ban only in certain media. For example, someone might support a ban in one kind of advertising without wanting every cigarette advertisement prohibited. That group is different from the 31 percent favoring the broader ban, but it isn't against every restriction.
What we’re looking for
The question asks for the conclusion the survey best supports. My initial prediction concerns the stability of these views over this decade. I'll also keep the actual response categories in view. The passage explicitly gives us a representative sample, so we can use the results to discuss the population without inventing the respondents' reasons.
Working the answers
- A
This moves from one opinion over one ten-year period to people's opinions generally, and then adds “never.” These respondents could have stable views on cigarette advertising while changing their minds about many other things. A goes well beyond the particular stability the survey describes.
- B
We know how many opposed a ban, but not why. They might object to a precedent, or they might have another reason entirely. The survey asks whether people favor the ban; it doesn't identify concern about a bad precedent as anyone's explanation.
- C
Having an answer doesn't tell us how strongly someone cares about the issue. If I tell you I prefer a blue shirt, that doesn't show whether the color matters a lot to me or almost not at all. Likewise, these respondents' positions don't establish that most people lack serious concern about cigarette advertising.
- DCorrect
Add the two groups that favor restrictions: 31 percent support the broader ban, and 38 percent favor a ban in certain media. Together, that is 69 percent in favor of some sort of ban.
They needn't agree on one identical policy to share that broader position. A person who wants every advertisement banned and a person who wants only a particular kind banned both favor some restriction. Since the sample represents the general population, that combined majority supports D. This uses the response categories rather than my initial prediction about stability.
- E
A position on cigarette advertising isn't a report of whether someone smokes. A smoker could favor restrictions, and a nonsmoker could oppose them. We weren't given smoking rates, so we can't infer that most people don't smoke.
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