PrepTest 159, Section 1, Question 3
Hernandez: Celebrities' public pronouncements can warp a debate(67 more words not shown)
Hernandez and Liu disagree with(8 more words not shown)
- APeople grant more(8 more words not shown)
- BCelebrities should avoid(11 more words not shown)
- CCelebrities' pronouncements on(8 more words not shown)
- DThe public should(7 more words not shown)
- ECelebrities are responsible(13 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
A famous person's opinion could carry more weight than it deserves. I'm willing to accept Hernandez's modest claim that this can distort a debate. That doesn't mean every celebrity comment has that effect.
But does the possibility mean celebrities should stay out of the discussion? Imagine a singer saying, “I'm not an expert on climate change, but I think we should take it seriously.” That's different from pretending to know more than the scientists. We can question whether the audience should treat the singer as an expert without automatically telling the singer to be silent.
Liu develops that objection: celebrities belong to their communities, and it isn't their fault if listeners give them too much credit. Liu therefore thinks they should feel free to participate. Hernandez says they should avoid speaking publicly on controversial subjects outside their expertise.
What we’re looking for
That's the disagreement I want: should celebrities hold back in that situation? Don't turn it into a disagreement about blame just because Liu mentions fault. Hernandez recommends restraint without explicitly saying celebrities caused, or deserve blame for, the audience's misplaced confidence.
Working the answers
- A
Hernandez says people give celebrities' opinions extra weight. Liu doesn't deny that; Liu says celebrities aren't at fault if people give them too much credence. Their disagreement concerns what celebrities should do about the situation, not whether that situation can occur.
- BCorrect
Hernandez directly recommends avoiding public comments on controversial issues outside a celebrity's expertise. Liu rejects the idea that celebrities shouldn't feel free to join those debates. Those are opposing positions on the same recommendation.
- C
Liu never says celebrity comments cannot distort a debate. Liu could accept that risk and still believe celebrities should be free to participate. Don't supply a denial merely because Liu disagrees with Hernandez's eventual recommendation.
- D
Neither speaker tells the public to disregard celebrity comments. Hernandez tells celebrities to refrain from making certain comments; Liu defends their participation. A recommendation to speakers is different from a recommendation about how listeners should respond.
- E
Liu denies that celebrities are at fault for receiving too much credence. But where does Hernandez affirm that they are responsible for it? Recommending that someone avoid an activity doesn't necessarily blame that person for the problem motivating the recommendation. We have a clear disagreement about restraint in B, without having to invent Hernandez's position on fault.
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