V05-18

Official Solution:


Dr. Nash:[b]Drug addiction/ abuse control programs that guarantee results mislead their customers.No program can ensure that someone who follows it will stop abusing drugs. These programs target dissatisfied and insecure people who are often driven more by emotion than by reason.Furthermore, many people who stop abusing drugs while on a program eventually start consuming drugs and again get addicted within a year.Therefore, while the programs give results for a short period, customers will be disappointed in the long term.

The two boldface portions in the argument above are best described by which of the following statements?
[/b]

A. The first is a generalization; the second is a consequence of that generalization.
B. The first is Dr. Nash’s position; the second is a consideration in support of that position.
C. The first is an opinion under examination; the second is evidence weighing against that opinion.
D. The first is an assertion that the Dr. Nash questions; the second is evidence in support of that assertion.
E. The first is evidence in support of the Dr. Nash’s main point; the second is his main point.


The conclusion of this argument is the first sentence: “Addiction control programs that guarantee results mislead their customers.” The rest of the stimulus is evidence in support of that conclusion. The correct answer will state the first boldface portion as the conclusion, and the second boldface portion as evidence in support of that conclusion.

A. The first boldface portion is a clear assertion, not a generalization. The second boldface portion is not a consequence of the first.

B. CORRECT. The first boldface portion is Dr. Nash's position, or conclusion. The second boldface portion is a consideration in support of the position stated in the first boldface portion.

C. The second boldface portion is evidence in support of the opinion stated in the first boldface portion, and not weighing against it.

D. The first boldface portion is Dr. Nash’s assertion, not the one that he questions.

E. The first boldface portion is the Dr. Nash’s main point, not evidence in support of it. The second boldface portion is not his main point, but a support for it. This answer choice incorrectly reverses the roles that each of the boldfaced portions play in the argument.


Answer: B