PrepTest 155, Section 1, Question 11
Science writer: Studies indicate that North Americans are(77 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(10 more words not shown)
- AA lack of(10 more words not shown)
- BHigh consumption of(15 more words not shown)
- CThe researcher's data(18 more words not shown)
- DThe lethargy studies(8 more words not shown)
- EThe researcher's conclusion(8 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Fast-food consumption went up, and people became more lethargic. That doesn't tell us which change explains the other.
Perhaps technology changed people's routines in a way that left them less active. Or perhaps people who already felt low on energy were more likely to choose a convenient fast-food meal. Those are possibilities, not findings from these studies. They show why the two trends don't by themselves establish that fast food harmed people's health.
The science writer offers another explanation: lack of exercise can contribute to lethargy, and few lethargic adults exercise regularly. That gives us a reason to question the researcher's interpretation of the data. It doesn't establish that fast food is healthy or that it has no effect.
So what is the writer trying to establish? These studies don't settle whether fast food is unhealthy.
What we’re looking for
That's our prediction for the main-conclusion question. The last sentence does begin with 'Thus,' but understanding the support matters more than spotting that word. The exercise point explains why we should doubt the adequacy of the studies, and that criticism of the evidence is the writer's overall point.
Working the answers
- A
The possible contribution of inadequate exercise supports the conclusion. It gives us another way to understand the lethargy, which is why the fast-food explanation isn't settled by these data. A gives the reason for the writer's criticism rather than the criticism itself.
- B
The writer never says fast food poses a health risk only when combined with too little exercise. That would be a specific claim about the conditions under which fast food is harmful. The argument instead says these studies don't settle whether it is harmful.
- C
Inadequate evidence for a claim isn't evidence that the claim is false. Fast food could still be an important cause of poor health; these particular studies might simply fail to establish that. The writer doesn't rank the causes or establish that fast food is not the main one.
- D
This points toward the problem with treating the studies as decisive: another possible cause of lethargy needs consideration. But the writer's final claim concerns what the studies justify. We need the conclusion that the researcher's health claim isn't settled by this evidence, not just a description of an overlooked possibility.
- ECorrect
The researcher's conclusion is that consuming fast food adversely affects health. The science writer argues that the lethargy studies don't adequately justify that conclusion because lack of exercise could help explain the findings. E captures the criticism of the evidence without turning it into a claim that fast food is harmless.
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