BrainLab wrote:
Barnes: The two newest employees at this company have salaries that are too high for the simple tasks normally assigned to new employees and duties that are too complex for inexperienced workers. Hence, the salaries and the complexity of the duties of these two newest employees should be reduced.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which Barnes's argument depends?
(A) The duties of the two newest employees are not less complex than any others in the company.
(B) It is because of the complex duties assigned that the two newest employees are being paid more than is usually paid to newly hired employees.
(C) The two newest employees are not experienced at their occupations.
(D) Barnes was not hired at a higher-than-average starting salary.
(E) The salaries of the two newest employees are no higher than the salaries that other companies pay for workers with a similar level of experience.
I've just got stuck on this one, may be some of the experts could shed light on the reasoning behind the correct answer. Thanks in advance !
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
The stimulus to this problem contains a Shell Game, and you must read closely in order to identify it: in the first sentence the author equates “new employees” with “inexperienced workers.” Of course, a new employee is not necessarily inexperienced (the employee could have transferred from another company, etc.). The assumption that new employees are inexperienced is reflected in
the correct answer, (C). Answer choice (A): The author notes that the duties of the two new employees are too complex for them, but the author does not compare or imply a comparison to the tasks of other workers.
Answer choice (B): The author makes no assumption as to why the two new employees are being paid the salary they receive, only that their salary should be reduced. For example, the reason the employees are paid more could be that they are related to the owner of the company.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer, a Supporter.
Answer choice (D): This answer is an immediate Loser. No discussion or assumption is made about Barnes’ salary.
Answer choice (E): This answer would hurt the argument, and therefore it can never be an assumption of the argument.