Children in the first three grades who attend private schools spend ea

Question

Children in the first three grades who attend private schools spend each day working with a specialized trilingual tutor. Public schools have few such programs. Tests prove, however, that public school children are much weaker in reading skills when compared to their private school counterparts. We conclude, therefore, that public school children can be good readers only if they participate in a specialized trilingual tutor program.

The author's initial statements logically support his conclusion only if which of the following is also true?

(A) All children can learn to be good readers if they are taught by a specialized trilingual tutor
(B) All children can learn to read at the same rate if they participate in a specialized trilingual tutor.
(C) Better reading skills produce better students
(D) Specialized trilingual tutors are the critical factor in the better reading skills of private school students
(E) Public school students can be taught better math skills

IanStewart · Answer

I don't understand some of the writing (the word "however" shouldn't be there, and you can't "participate" in a tutor), but the argument is just a standard correlation/causation one. Private school students have trilingual tutors and are better readers, so the argument concludes that trilingual tutoring makes students better readers. There's not necessarily any connection between those two things - there are all kinds of other reasons the private school students might be better readers. The argument only becomes valid if we can establish that trilingual tuition and reading skills are related in some important way, so D is the answer.

vinayakvaish · Answer

These are poor quality questions. Even if you establish that trilingual tutoring is a critical factor, it does not eliminate the possibility of another factor. The conclusion uses 'only' to point out that trilingual tutoring is the only factor that matters. Had the conclusion not used 'only', D would have been the correct choice.

Let me know what you think IanStewart Bunuel

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Let me know what you think  IanStewart   Bunuel

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IanStewart · Answer

I'm afraid I don't understand what you're asking - D is the correct answer to the question. I agree it's not a high quality question because of the writing, but if, as D says, trilingual tutoring is "the critical factor" (and not just "a" critical factor), then the logic behind the question is fine.

vinayakvaish · Answer

IanStewart  Thank You for your reply. I misread the 'the'. Apologies for the comment on quality.

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Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

The author’s recommendation that public schools should have computerized reading programs depends upon the correctness of the explanation of the present deficiency in reading skills in the public schools. The contrast with private-school students shows that the author thinks the deficiency can be attributed to the lack of such a program in the public schools. So, one of the author’s assumptions, and that is what the question stem is asking about, is that the differential in reading skills is a result of the availability of a computerized program in the private-school system and the lack thereof in the public school system.

(E)  is, of course, irrelevant to the question of reading skills.

(C)  tries to force the author to assume a greater burden than the author has undertaken. The author claims that the reading skills of public-school children could be improved by a computerized reading program. The author does not argue the merits of having good reading skills.

(A) and (B)  are wrong for the same reason. The author’s claim must be interpreted to mean  “of children who are able to learn, all would benefit from a computerized reading program.”  When the author claims that  “public-school children can be good readers,”  the author is not implying that all children can learn to be good readers nor that all can learn to read equally well.

The correct answer is (D).

Oppenheimer1945 · Answer

Your explanation is wrong . OA can be A as well

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Sajjad1994 · Answer

Thank you for your valuable suggestion, can you please explain how A could also be the answer?

Thank you.

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Oppenheimer1945 · Answer

Dear Mr. Sajjad,
If children can't "learn" to be good readers when taught by Mr. Tutor, they will not become good readers.

We are not assuming they have a magical power to gain reading ability, it's human learning.

Take this for example.
A will win the election as they have good public support 
=> assumption is A will participate in election.
or 
=> good public support is a critical factor in winning election

You can't reject A in this question.

Children in the first three grades who attend private schools spend ea

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Children in the first three grades who attend private schools spend ea

Prep Toolkit

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