PrepTest 151, Section 4, Question 19
Any government practice that might facilitate the abuse(81 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(8 more words not shown)
- AIn most cases(16 more words not shown)
- BIn those cases(21 more words not shown)
- CA government official(18 more words not shown)
- DGovernment officials who(14 more words not shown)
- EGovernment officials should(19 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
A good reason to take a risk doesn't make the risk disappear.
The opening rule allows a government practice that might enable abuse only when there is a compelling reason for it. Imagine a public contract with a potential conflict of interest, but only one supplier able to do the essential work. That could give officials a serious reason to consider it without making the risk of abuse vanish. The passage doesn't say a compelling reason automatically settles every question of justification.
Now separate two acts. Officials can keep the contents of a secret from the public, and they can also hide the fact that there is a secret at all. The last sentence says that second act creates an even greater opportunity for abuse. Knowing a secret exists at least tells the public there is something it doesn't know; concealing its existence removes even that awareness.
What we’re looking for
For the inference, I wouldn't force an exact prediction. Keep the rule about a compelling reason and the distinction between the two acts in mind, then check what each answer actually claims.
Working the answers
- A
'Too often' doesn't mean 'in most cases.' An abuse could happen in a small minority of cases and still happen too often. We have a criticism of unjustified secrecy, not a count establishing that most concealment is unjustified.
- B
A compelling reason may support taking a risk; it doesn't establish that the practice can no longer facilitate abuse. The argument begins with potentially risky practices and allows an exception when there is a compelling reason. B mistakenly turns a reason to act into removal of the danger.
- CCorrect
Apply the first sentence to the practice described in the last one. Hiding the existence of a secret creates an opportunity for abuse, so officials should not do it without a compelling reason. That requirement still applies when keeping the secret's contents is itself justified.
Being justified in withholding the contents isn't automatic permission to hide the very existence of the secret. These are distinct acts, and the broader rule applies to the second act too. C states a required reason for that additional concealment; it doesn't say having such a reason always makes the concealment justified.
- D
A practice that might facilitate abuse is not the same as an act that itself constitutes abuse. Concealing information without a compelling reason violates the stated rule, but the passage doesn't establish that every such official has thereby committed an abuse of power. D replaces the risk of enabling misconduct with certain guilt for it.
- E
This allows secrecy only when it creates no increased opportunity for the officials to abuse power. The passage gives a different rule: even a practice that might facilitate abuse can be considered when there is a compelling reason. E eliminates that exception and demands an absence of risk. That is stronger than the stated restriction.
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