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Difficulty:
35%
(medium)
Question Stats:
73% (02:06) correct
27%
(02:25)
wrong
based on 2726
sessions
History
Date
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Not Attempted Yet
Criminologist: Some legislators advocate mandating a sentence of life in prison for anyone who, having twice served sentences for serious crimes, is subsequently convicted of a third serious crime. These legislators argue that such a policy would reduce crime dramatically, since it would take people with a proven tendency to commit crimes off the streets permanently. What this reasoning overlooks, however, is that people old enough to have served two prison sentences for serious crimes rarely commit more than one subsequent crime. Filling our prisons with such individuals would have exactly the opposite of the desired effect, since it would limit our ability to incarcerate younger criminals, who commit a far greater proportion of serious crimes.
In the argument as a whole, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?
A. The first is a conclusion that the argument as a whole seeks to refute; the second is a claim that has been advanced in support of that conclusion.
B. The first is a conclusion that the argument as a whole seeks to refute; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.
C. The first is the main conclusion of the argument; the second is an objection that has been raised against that conclusion.
D. The first is the main conclusion of the argument; the second is a prediction made on the basis of that conclusion.
E. The first is a generalization about the likely effect of a policy under consideration in the argument; the second points out a group of exceptional cases to which that generalization does not apply.
In the argument as a whole, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?
A. The first is a conclusion that the argument as a whole seeks to refute; the second is a claim that has been advanced in support of that conclusion.
B. The first is a conclusion that the argument as a whole seeks to refute; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.
C. The first is the main conclusion of the argument; the second is an objection that has been raised against that conclusion.
D. The first is the main conclusion of the argument; the second is a prediction made on the basis of that conclusion.
E. The first is a generalization about the likely effect of a policy under consideration in the argument; the second points out a group of exceptional cases to which that generalization does not apply.
27 May 2019, 13:55
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Manat
Manat You need to remember that the individual "speaking" is the criminologist. (C) is the conclusion of the legislator, not the criminologist...therefore, it can't be the conclusion.
Criminologist: Some legislators advocate mandating a sentence of life in prison for anyone who, having twice served sentences for serious crimes, is subsequently convicted of a third serious crime. These legislators argue that such a policy would reduce crime dramatically, since it would take people with a proven tendency to commit crimes off the streets permanently. What this reasoning overlooks, however, is that people old enough to have served two prison sentences for serious crimes rarely commit more than one subsequent crime. Filling our prisons with such individuals would have exactly the opposite of the desired effect, since it would limit our ability to incarcerate younger criminals, who commit a far greater proportion of serious crimes.
Notes
(Opposite View) L: if 3rd serious crime —> mandate life sentence
(Opposing View) L: life sentence take ppl off streets —> lower crime
(Premise) C: old people unlikely commit 3rd crime
(Premise) C: younger commit more crime
(Conclusion) C: filling prison w/ old(er) people will NOT lower crime
Analysis & Pre-Think
There’s actually two conclusions here but only one is the criminologist’s conclusion. The criminologist first shares some context regarding what the legislators’ policy advocates, which is to require that all individual who commit a third senior crime to be sentenced for life. He then tells us the legislators (falsely) conclude that their policy would lower crime.
After sharing the opposing viewpoint, the criminologist then disagrees (“what this reasoning overlooks”) with the aforementioned conclusion. His disagreement is supported by his claim that people who already served two sentences are highly unlikely to commit another crime. Because of this claim, he concludes that the legislators are wrong (“opposite of the desired effect”) because “younger criminals […tend to] commit” more serious crimes.
So from our notes above, we can see that the first bold-face is the legislator’s conclusion and the second is the criminologist’s conclusion. When we think about these two statements in relation to each other, we can note that they are opposing view points. Let’s see what our choices give us.
In the argument as a whole, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?
A. The first is a conclusion that the argument as a whole seeks to refute; the second is a claim that has been advanced in support of that conclusion.
Ah, the classic “half-right” answer. The first half is gold. The second half says that the criminologist’s conclusion is a “claim” (which it is….?) but then says the “claim” is advanced to support “that conclusion.” In this case, “that” refers to the legislator’s conclusion. The criminologist DOES NOT support the legislator’s at all.
B. The first is a conclusion that the argument as a whole seeks to refute; the second is the main conclusion of the argument.
Here we go! This matches our pre-thinking process.
C. The first is the main conclusion of the argument; the second is an objection that has been raised against that conclusion.
No, the first is the legislator’s conclusion.
D. The first is the main conclusion of the argument; the second is a prediction made on the basis of that conclusion.
Same as (C).
E. The first is a generalization about the likely effect of a policy under consideration in the argument; the second points out a group of exceptional cases to which that generalization does not apply.
Is the first a generalization under consideration? Hm, I guess. How about the second? The second definitely does not point out a group of “exceptional cases”….
General Discussion
23 Oct 2005, 11:07
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B should be the correct answer. The first sentence is not an actual conclusion, but a point that the author want to refute. The sencond sentence is that main conclusio of the argument.
