PrepTest 133, Section 1, Question 14
Waller: If there were really such a thing(89 more words not shown)
Waller's and Chin's statements commit(5 more words not shown)
- Aextrasensory perception is(3 more words not shown)
- Bextrasensory perception, if(14 more words not shown)
- Cskeptics about extrasensory(5 more words not shown)
- Dthe failure of(14 more words not shown)
- Ethe general public(8 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
If someone really had extraordinary powers, couldn't they show us?
That's Waller's reasoning. A person with extrasensory powers could give a clear demonstration, and recognition would bring wealth and renown. The reward matters: being able to demonstrate a power doesn't automatically mean being willing to do it, but Waller gives a reason someone would want the recognition. Real powers should therefore lead to general public acceptance.
Chin challenges that expectation. Some skeptics will remain unconvinced, and a closed-minded cultural elite can influence the media and public opinion. On Chin's account, a real phenomenon could fail to win public acceptance because of that influence.
There's a tempting distraction in Chin's first sentence. Convincing the general public isn't the same as satisfying every skeptic. Waller never promises unanimous agreement. The disagreement emerges when Chin connects the skeptics to wider public opinion.
What we’re looking for
For the disagreement question, I'd focus on whether someone with real powers could win public acceptance. Waller expects the demonstration to convince the public; Chin points to an obstacle that could stop it. Let's look for a statement that captures that difference without demanding agreement from absolutely everyone.
Working the answers
- A
We aren't given a simple 'it's real' from one speaker and 'it isn't' from the other. Waller argues about what would happen if extrasensory perception existed. Chin objects to using public opinion to judge that question. Someone can challenge Waller's reasoning without asserting that the phenomenon is real.
- B
All skeptics is the problem. Chin says that standard can't be met, but Waller only says the general public could be convinced. Widespread acceptance can coexist with a few determined doubters. Since Waller doesn't claim every skeptic would be satisfied, B doesn't identify a commitment the speakers oppose.
- C
Neither speaker evaluates the skeptics' detailed case. Chin calls some influential people closed-minded, but that isn't an assessment of every argument against extrasensory perception. And Waller doesn't tell us whether the skeptics' case is strong or weak. We need a position from both speakers.
- DCorrect
For Waller, real extrasensory powers would produce public acceptance. Public failure to believe would therefore count against their existence. Chin challenges that evidential link: biased media and influential skeptics could keep the public from accepting even a real phenomenon. They disagree about whether public disbelief is good evidence here, not necessarily about whether the powers exist.
- E
The speakers don't take opposing positions about what the public currently believes. They debate whether a real phenomenon would win acceptance and what a failure to win it would mean. A dispute over the significance of public opinion isn't a dispute over the public's actual present belief.
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