PrepTest 145, Section 2, Question 7
Amber—fossilized tree resin sold as a gemstone—is particularly(51 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(6 more words not shown)
- AAmber is often(14 more words not shown)
- BPieces of amber(13 more words not shown)
- CAmber that contains(13 more words not shown)
- DIt is very(13 more words not shown)
- EInsects struggling to(13 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Wouldn't real amber sometimes contain normal-looking insects too? Knowing that forgers add them doesn't yet make them a reliable warning sign. If the same feature is common in genuine pieces, we haven't shown why a buyer should be especially suspicious of it.
What we’re looking for
To strengthen the argument, give us a reason authentic insects would tend to look different. Perhaps insects from the relevant period differed in size or appearance from the ones a forger would use. That's a possibility to investigate, not something we know. We need evidence that distinguishes the insects in genuine amber from the normal-looking insects the forgers embed.
Working the answers
- A
Poor precautions may allow fake amber to reach buyers. But why would a piece with normal-looking insects be more likely to be fake than a piece without them? The shops' general lack of caution doesn't distinguish those two kinds of pieces.
- B
The size of pieces containing fossilized life forms doesn't tell us whether normal-looking insects are a sign of forgery. Genuine and fake pieces could both be large. B introduces a different feature without connecting it to the conclusion.
- C
A higher price for insects than for plants may help explain why a forger would choose an insect. But we already know forgers have a financial motive. We still need to know whether normal-looking insects are uncommon in genuine amber. Comparing insect prices with plant prices doesn't settle that.
- D
A general difficulty in detecting a fake doesn't show that this particular feature is a useful clue. Perhaps testing the material requires damage, but the insects' appearance is informative; perhaps it isn't. D leaves that question unanswered.
- ECorrect
Genuine insects usually struggled in the resin and were preserved in awkward positions. That gives us the difference we wanted, though it concerns posture rather than my initial guess about insects' size or appearance in an earlier period.
A normal-looking insect placed neatly in a fake piece wouldn't have undergone that struggle. Its appearance is therefore more suspicious than it would be if genuine trapped insects typically looked normal too. 'Usually' still allows exceptions, which is fine: the conclusion concerns which pieces are more likely to be fake, not a guarantee that every normal-looking insect proves a forgery.
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