PrepTest 119, Section 4, Question 25
Unquestionably, inventors of useful devices deserve credit for(43 more words not shown)
The claim that inventors sometimes(15 more words not shown)
- AIt separates the(7 more words not shown)
- BIt indicates that(12 more words not shown)
- CIt supports an(10 more words not shown)
- DIt concedes that(9 more words not shown)
- EIt introduces an(9 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
An idea and a workable invention aren't always the same thing. If engineers turn an inventor's insight into something people can actually use, I can see why they deserve recognition too.
Maybe the inventor's contribution is larger. That wouldn't defeat this conclusion: the author doesn't demand equal credit, just credit for the engineers' contribution. We don't need to manufacture a disagreement with that modest recommendation.
What we’re looking for
The question asks about the statement that inventors sometimes serve as their own engineers. Locate it in the larger argument. The author wants engineers to get more recognition and points to the useful work they often do. The statement we're asked about acknowledges cases in which one person fills both roles. It's a qualification of the situation, so let's look for an answer that explains what those overlapping roles change.
Working the answers
- A
The statement doesn't split the argument into theoretical and practical portions. It tells us that an inventor can also do the engineering. Even though inventing and making something workable involve different tasks, this sentence's role is to identify cases where the same person performs both.
- BCorrect
Sometimes there isn't a separate engineer whose contribution is overlooked while the inventor receives credit. The inventor and engineer are the same person. That means the recognition problem the argument describes doesn't arise in every instance.
This doesn't undermine the recommendation for cases involving separate people. It simply limits the reach of the problem: engineers can be overlooked when someone else gets the inventor's credit, but not every invention involves that split.
- C
The fact that inventors sometimes do their own engineering doesn't support the earlier claim that engineers receive too little recognition. It identifies an exception to the situation the author is concerned about. The useful work done by separate engineers supplies the support for giving them credit.
- D
One person can perform two clearly distinguishable jobs. That doesn't mean the distinction between the jobs is unclear. The author recognizes an overlap in who does the work, not confusion about what inventing and engineering mean.
- E
The author doesn't propose that inventors should become their own engineers to solve the recognition problem. The statement describes something that sometimes happens already. Turning that observation into an alternative recommendation changes its role in the argument.
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