PrepTest 120, Section 1, Question 25
Claude: Because of the relatively high number of(70 more words not shown)
On the basis of their(14 more words not shown)
- AThe quality of(9 more words not shown)
- BThe failure of(13 more words not shown)
- CHow hard a(18 more words not shown)
- DThe number of(11 more words not shown)
- EEconomic productivity will(11 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Claude thinks the crowd of middle-aged workers will block promotions, discourage effort, and hurt the economy. I can see the story, but each step deserves a question. Does having more middle-aged workers necessarily mean fewer promotion opportunities? And does lower effort necessarily mean lower productivity? For example, better machines might keep production up even if people worked less hard.
Thelma responds in a different way. She accepts the large middle-aged workforce but says people will start their own companies. Instead of giving up, they'll work hard somewhere else. She expects productivity and quality of life to improve, even if many of those new companies eventually fail.
What we’re looking for
We're looking for agreement. My first thought is the crowded workforce they both discuss. Their predictions about its consequences go in opposite directions, so we need to read the answers carefully for a claim both actually make.
Working the answers
- A
This turns their relationship around. Both speakers move from a change in economic productivity to a change in quality of life. A says quality of life affects productivity. Believing that productivity affects how well people live doesn't commit either speaker to the claim in that other direction.
- B
Thelma explicitly says productivity can rise even if many new companies fail. Claude doesn't discuss company failures. His concern is that fewer promotion opportunities will reduce effort. We can't turn Thelma's response into a position Claude has also taken.
- C
Claude connects workers' effort with promotion prospects. Thelma says people will form companies and work hard, but doesn't say what determines the effort of employees who remain at their existing companies. Her response doesn't commit her to Claude's claim about their promotion incentives.
- D
A relatively large middle-aged workforce is not the same as a workforce whose number of middle-aged people will increase. Both speakers start with the current glut. Neither predicts that this particular group will keep growing in the coming years.
- ECorrect
They disagree about which way productivity will move, but both say the number of middle-aged workers will affect it. Claude predicts a decrease through fewer promotions and less effort. Thelma predicts an increase through new businesses and hard work.
This is broader than my initial prediction about crowding. E doesn't say whether the effect is good or bad. It captures the shared connection underneath their opposing forecasts: the size of this group matters to economic productivity.
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