PrepTest 136, Section 4, Question 6
Patricia: During Japan's Tokugawa period, martial arts experts(65 more words not shown)
Of the following, which one,(12 more words not shown)
- AMany poor Japanese(12 more words not shown)
- BAs part of(14 more words not shown)
- CThe wealthy made(11 more words not shown)
- DThe fighting prowess(14 more words not shown)
- EThere were very(11 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Ninjas could exist without most people worrying about them. Think of a dangerous animal that lives far from your town: knowing it exists does not mean you spend your days fearing it.
Patricia makes two claims about the Tokugawa period: ninja activity was limited, and most Japanese people did not fear ninjas. Tamara's squeaky-floor example addresses the second claim. Wealthy people installed those floors to receive a warning, which suggests that they did worry about intruders.
But how many people were wealthy? Suppose they made up just 1 percent of the population. Even if everyone in that group feared ninjas, the other 99 percent might not. Evidence of fear among wealthy households would then fit perfectly well with Patricia's claim about most people.
What we’re looking for
We're helping Patricia answer Tamara. The strongest response would show that the wealthy households are a small group, so their precautions cannot establish what most of the population feared.
Working the answers
- A
This extends the precautions beyond wealthy households to many poor households. It gives Tamara more evidence of fear among different parts of the population. Patricia needs a response that limits the reach of Tamara's evidence, not one that expands it.
- B
The floors might fail to detect a well-trained ninja, but that does not show the owners were unafraid. People can take ineffective precautions against something they fear. We care about what installing the floors reveals about their concern, not whether the floors actually worked.
- CCorrect
The wealthy were only a small part of the population. Their fear therefore does not refute the claim that most Japanese people did not fear ninjas. This does not prove the rest were unafraid; it shows why Tamara's example is insufficient to reject Patricia's claim.
- D
This concerns exaggerations after the Tokugawa period. Patricia and Tamara are disputing attitudes during that period. Later stories about the ninjas' fighting ability do not establish what most people feared at the relevant time.
- E
The number of ninjas at other times does not answer the question about fear during the Tokugawa period. Patricia never needs to claim that ninjas existed only then. E changes the time frame without addressing Tamara's evidence.
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