In a survey of undergraduates, two-fifths admitted to having cheated

­Let's analyze each option to determine which one best completes the passage:

A) Some undergraduates who have cheated at least once might have claimed on the survey never to have cheated.
   - This option suggests that the survey results might be underestimated because some students who have actually cheated may deny or underreport their cheating behaviour on the survey. If a student feels ashamed or fears consequences, they may not admit to cheating even if they have done so. This scenario would result in a lower reported rate of cheating, thus underestimating the true proportion of undergraduates who have cheated. Therefore, option A provides a plausible reason why the survey might underestimate the prevalence of cheating.

B) Some undergraduates who have never cheated might have claimed on the survey to have cheated.
   - This option suggests that some students who have never cheated might falsely claim to have cheated on the survey. While this scenario is possible, it doesn't directly address why the survey might underestimate the proportion of undergraduates who have cheated. In fact, if students who have never cheated falsely claim to have cheated, it would overestimate the prevalence of cheating rather than underestimate it.

C) Some undergraduates who claimed on the survey to have cheated at least once may have cheated on multiple occasions throughout their education.
   - This option addresses the possibility that some students who admitted to cheating on the survey may have cheated multiple times. While this is relevant to understanding the extent of cheating behaviour among those who admitted to cheating, it doesn't directly address why the survey might underestimate the overall proportion of undergraduates who have cheated.

D) Some undergraduates who claimed on the survey to have cheated at least once may have been answering honestly.
   - This option suggests that students who admitted to cheating on the survey may have been truthful in their responses. While this is a valid consideration, it doesn't explain why the survey might underestimate the proportion of undergraduates who have cheated.

E) Some students who are not undergraduates have probably cheated at least once during their education.
   - This option introduces a new group of individuals (students who are not undergraduates) and suggests that they may have cheated during their education. However, this does not directly relate to why the survey of undergraduates might underestimate the proportion of undergraduates who have cheated.

Among the options, option A provides the most direct explanation for why the survey may underestimate the proportion of undergraduates who have cheated. It addresses the possibility of underreporting by students who have cheated, which could result in a lower reported rate of cheating than the actual prevalence. Therefore, option A best completes the passage.

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Summary
The passage suggests that the survey's reported proportion of undergraduates who admitted to cheating might not accurately reflect the true extent of cheating among undergraduates. The completion of the passage should provide a reason why the survey's results might underestimate the actual incidence of cheating.

Analyzing the options:

A) some undergraduates who have cheated at least once might have claimed on the survey never to have cheated
- This option directly addresses a potential reason for underestimation: if students who have cheated deny doing so on the survey, the survey would not capture the true extent of cheating. This makes A a fitting completion, as it explains how the survey could underestimate the proportion of cheaters.

B) some undergraduates who have never cheated might have claimed on the survey to have cheated
- This option would, if anything, overestimate rather than underestimate the proportion of undergraduates who have cheated. It does not explain an underestimation, so it does not complete the passage as needed.

C) some undergraduates who claimed on the survey to have cheated at least once may have cheated on multiple occasions throughout their education
- While this option highlights the severity or frequency of cheating among those who admitted to it, it does not address the survey’s potential underestimation of the proportion of all undergraduates who have cheated.

D) some undergraduates who claimed on the survey to have cheated at least once may have been answering honestly
- This option does not provide a reason for underestimation; instead, it suggests that the survey captures honest admissions of cheating. It does not explain why the survey results might underestimate the true incidence of cheating.

E) some students who are not undergraduates have probably cheated at least once during their education
- This option introduces information about a different group of students (non-undergraduates) and does not address the issue of underestimation among the undergraduate population surveyed.

Conclusion:
A) is the best choice to complete the passage. It offers a plausible explanation for why the survey might underestimate the proportion of undergraduates who have cheated: some students who have cheated may not admit to it on a survey, leading to an undercount of the true extent of cheating.

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Official Explanation:

A

Step 1: Identify the Question Type

Here, we have an Inference question that asks us to complete the final sentence of a brief argument.

Step 2: Untangle the Stimulus

The portion of the sentence we need to complete begins with the keyword “because.” That tells us that whatever is to fill in the blank must provide evidence for what came before it in the sentence. The author’s conclusion is that the survey may have underestimated the proportion of undergraduates who cheated. We know from the first sentence that two-fifths of the students reported having cheated at least once. The author implies that there are additional unreported cheaters out there.

Step 3: Predict the Answer

Our prediction cannot be too specific, but its criteria are crystal clear. The one correct answer will provide a reason to think that there are additional, unreported cheaters among the undergraduate population.

Step 4: Evaluate the Choices

(A) is a perfect match for our prediction: some undergrads may have cheated but lied about it on the survey. If we were looking for a reason why the survey might overestimate the proportion of undergrads cheating, (B) would be correct. (C) refers to multiple cases of cheating per student; the survey is only dealing with the proportion of students who have cheated at least once. (D) gives a reason why we might believe the survey is accurate, which is the opposite of what we want, and (E) introduces students who are not undergrads, which is out of the scope of the survey.

Choice (A) is correct.