Great Question to Learn From Forum

[alexrodriguez]

This is a pretty easy question after you get past the one attractive answer that really isn't a necessary assumption.

PT 46 Section 3 Question 17

I really like this question. Thought I would share it with you.

I feel like answer choice (B) would be a great premise to add into the argument, but it literally has nothing to do with the conclusion of having an accurate distribution of student opinion.

I was an English major. I almost feel tempted to write a research paper about this one question and all the beauty of necessary assumptions.

[WaltGrace83]

Hopping in from my LG break...


Nah dude. You got it all wrong! (B) objectively sucks! Why? The argument says: (school computers → accurately reflect distribution). The key to this question is the question, "WHO are going to be using these computers?" WHO is the whole point. We want to WHO. WHO....WHO.

(B) gives us "students." But we don't know WHO! What students are these? Are these the same ones that would go to the last class? Or not? (B) just talks about the ACCURACY of evaluation. Yet we don't care one bit about the accuracy. We just care about distribution.

(A) This would hurt the argument if anything, but it really doesn't add anything about the computer so "meh"
(B) Above.
(C) We don't need to talk about whether it should or should not be used.
(D) We don't care why. We care WHO.
(E) This gives us a WHO.

Drop and give me a full breakdown of this question! GO!

My point is that (B) is NOT attractive if you didn't catch that.

[alexrodriguez]

I picked B originally. After I knew I got it wrong D was very obvious.

A) Irrelevant

B) clearly wrong... but I can see this answer choice within the stimulus because it makes sense...
after the sentence "Soon, students will be able to use school computers to evaluate their professors at any time during the semester," obviously it would make sense if (answer choice B) students can wisely and insightfully assess a professors performance before the end of the semester."

but this isn't necessary to the conclusion.

we don't care if they can insightfully assess... we just care if there is a fair distrubtion of opinion. They could all be brain dead... but if Tupac and Biggie are at a disadvantage because of this computerized evaluation we have a problem

because the conclusion is 'evaluations under the new system will accurately reflect the distribution of student opinion about teaching performance."

so a correct answer choice is going to read like, "walt grace and jay lawyer aren't more likely then everyone else to provide an evaluation of student opinion simply because they have MacBook Pros."

It has to be the case that Tupac and Biggie are just as likely to respond to this evaluation as Walt Grace and Jay lawyer.

(C) is stupid

(D) is stupid

(E) is walt grace, jay lawyer, tupac and biggie

[WaltGrace83]

When you review, do you actually note WHY things are irrelevant/stupid/etc? That may help. Sometimes I even try to make wrong answers right (this kills your mental energy though haha)

[alexrodriguez]

when I review I simply watch 7sage videos and If I need further explanation I go to the manhattan forums

[alexrodriguez]

walt, try your hand at

PT 46 Section 3 Question 24

I want to see your breakdown

[WaltGrace83]

and I'd like to see your breakdown.

[alexrodriguez]

my breakdown would simply be rehashing what I just got off 7sage and Manhattan Forums

I need to practice more questions like this