PrepTest 138, Section 4, Question 11
Most universities today offer students a more in-depth(52 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(7 more words not shown)
- AThe history courses(16 more words not shown)
- BMany students at(20 more words not shown)
- CThe extent to(29 more words not shown)
- DUniversities at which(21 more words not shown)
- EUniversity students who(29 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
More of the world is showing up in the history textbooks. Does that tell us what kind of education students receive overall?
I can see why the change matters. If textbooks barely discuss later African and Asian history or the Americas' indigenous cultures, students miss a great deal. Removing those limits gives them access to a wider range of cultures and periods. That sounds like a step toward a more cosmopolitan education—one with a broader view of the world.
What we’re looking for
But the conclusion concerns the depth and breadth of the education offered by most universities. The evidence concerns the coverage of their history textbooks and courses. How reliably does that feature tell us about the education as a whole? To strengthen the argument, connect those two things: the more culturally inclusive the history texts, the better the indication that students receive the kind of education the author claims.
Working the answers
- A
Students finding a course interesting doesn't establish how well it represents their education's depth or breadth. A connects comprehensive coverage to interest, while the argument needs a connection to an in-depth, cosmopolitan education.
- B
Study-abroad programs may sound relevant to a broad education, but B doesn't tell us what those programs teach or how participation compares with the past. We would have to add several connections before it supported the claim that most universities now offer more depth and breadth than ever before.
- CCorrect
This makes culturally inclusive history textbooks a strong indicator of an in-depth, cosmopolitan education at the university. The argument already gives us the improvement in cultural coverage. C explains why that improvement is good evidence for the broader educational claim. It needn't say textbooks are the only thing that matters.
- D
This points to a possible weakness in using history courses as evidence about a whole university. History could become more inclusive while other subjects failed to show the same quality. D doesn't give us a reason to trust the author's move from history instruction to the overall education.
- E
A narrow course being insufficient doesn't establish that a broader course provides the kind of education claimed. Imagine that breadth in history is helpful but other parts of the education still matter greatly. E could be true without the author's overall conclusion following. C directly makes the feature in the evidence a reliable indication of the feature in the conclusion.
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