PrepTest 126, Section 3, Question 21
Any student who is not required to hand(67 more words not shown)
The conclusion of the argument(10 more words not shown)
- ANo student who(20 more words not shown)
- BAny student who(19 more words not shown)
- CAll highly motivated(18 more words not shown)
- DIf highly motivated(21 more words not shown)
- ESome highly motivated(21 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Where did grades come from?
The premises tell us what students will read: without required written homework, they won't complete all the reading, even if they're highly motivated. We can accept that for this question without agreeing that every student behaves that way in real life. It also doesn't tell us that requiring written work would guarantee complete reading.
Then the conclusion changes subjects. These students won't get high grades. Why? Maybe someone can do well on the tests without finishing every reading assignment. The argument hasn't told us how reading affects the grade. Skipping an assigned chapter and being unable to earn a high grade aren't automatically the same thing.
What we’re looking for
We need an assumption that makes the conclusion follow. Link the incomplete reading we know will occur to the poor grade outcome being claimed: no one who leaves any assigned reading unfinished can get a high grade. With that rule, the premises would disqualify every student in this course.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
Completing all the reading is now required for a high grade. The premises say that with no written assignments, every student will fail to complete all the reading. A says that anyone who does less than all of it cannot earn a high grade. Those two statements together establish the conclusion for every student in the described course.
- B
This tells us what happens to students who finish everything. Our students won't complete all the reading. A rule promising high grades to complete finishers doesn't tell us that incomplete finishers are excluded from high grades. They might have another way to earn them.
- C
This also concerns students who complete all the reading, specifically the highly motivated ones. We're told even highly motivated students won't complete it in the situation under discussion. C doesn't supply a consequence for their incomplete reading or a rule excluding other students from high grades.
- D
This describes a course requiring written homework, while the conclusion concerns one with none. Even if written work made motivated students finish their reading, we would still need to know why failing to finish in our course prevents a high grade. D doesn't mention grades at all.
- E
Again, written homework is required in this answer and absent in our course. A statement that some students can earn high grades under that other arrangement doesn't show that no students can earn them under this one. We need the direct reading-to-grade connection in A.
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