PrepTest 119, Section 4, Question 15
Marta: There have been complaints about the lack(61 more words not shown)
Arthur's criticism suggests that he(4 more words not shown)
- Amaintaining that converting(16 more words not shown)
- Bfavoring the development(7 more words not shown)
- Cassuming that the(10 more words not shown)
- Drecommending that the(14 more words not shown)
- Easserting that it(14 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Marta hasn't rejected the trails. She has asked us to consider what else the land could be used for.
Walking trails might be a good idea. Maybe another use would be more productive: the land could be sold for shops, for example. We don't have to endorse that alternative to see Marta's point. Saying there may be a better use is much weaker than saying the trails should be dismissed immediately.
Arthur replies as though Marta made that stronger claim. He stresses that the land is ideal for trails and that citizens need recreational space, then says not to dismiss the proposal without further consideration. But Marta never said to stop considering it.
What we’re looking for
The question asks what Arthur seems to think Marta is recommending. Read his objection backward: 'Don't dismiss it so quickly' suggests he heard a recommendation to dismiss it quickly. That's the misunderstanding I'd look for.
Working the answers
- A
Entirely unproductive is stronger than the supposed recommendation Arthur challenges. Someone could think the land useful for trails and still recommend rejecting that use in favor of a better one. Arthur's final response targets dismissal of the proposal, not necessarily a claim that trails have no value at all.
- B
Marta's alternatives needn't be other recreational areas. They could be commercial uses or something else entirely. Arthur doesn't respond by comparing trails with a different type of park; he argues that the trail proposal deserves further consideration.
- C
Neither speaker says the complaints about insufficient recreational space are baseless. Marta reports the complaints and questions the best use of this particular land. Arthur doesn't need to interpret her as denying the shortage in order to make his reply.
- DCorrect
Arthur says the proposal should not be dismissed without further consideration. That response makes sense if he interprets Marta as recommending prompt dismissal. Her actual statement is more tentative: there may be more productive uses. He's responding to a firmer rejection than she expressed.
- E
Arthur does say the land is ideal for trails, but his final objection concerns giving the proposal consideration. Marta's comparison of possible uses doesn't challenge the physical possibility of making adequate trails. D better captures the recommendation his reply treats her as making.
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