Critical Reasoning Questoin - Sports vs academic

Question

Experts have suggested that schools need to give greater significance and allocate more time to sports-related activities, rather than focusing only on academics. They argue that physical activity is intrinsic to a growing child's overall development. While this point is certainly valid, the average twelve-year-old already goes through a sport schedule of four hours a week as part of the school schedule, and it is surely unnecessary to prolong the time allotted to physical activity.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the authors argument depends?

a. All the various types of sports that twelve-year-olds usually play are equally beneficial. 
b. A well-organized athletics schedule helps children excel in their chosen sport. 
c. Sports activities are as important as academic work. 
d. Most schools allot time to sports and related activities that does not vary much from the average. 
e. The skills that children learn during athletic activities cannot be compared with those that they develop during academic work.

aditya8062 · Answer

D seems best :  Most schools allot time to sports and related activities that does not vary much from the average

Kingsman · Answer

I think D is the correct answer

.

sun01 · Answer

Experts have suggested that schools need to give greater significance and allocate more time to sports-related activities, rather than focusing only on academics. They argue that physical activity is intrinsic to a growing child's overall development. While this point is certainly valid, the average twelve-year-old already goes through a sport schedule of four hours a week as part of the school schedule, and it is surely unnecessary to prolong the time allotted to physical activity.

Argument breaks down to the concluding point that four hours per week schedule currently maintained by schools are sufficient for overall child development and further extension of time is not required as suggested by experts.

Option D says that Most schools allot time to sports and related activities that does not vary much from the average.

Nightmare007 · Answer

D is the best. for me 
Only B and D are contenders - In B he says choosen sports which makes it Irrelevent .
Hence, I will go with D.

adityapareshshah · Answer

D is the best answer.

If the allotted time of 4 hours is insufficient or less than the average required , then definitely schools needs to allocate more time for sports. The opinion of the author that prolonging the time dedicated for sports is unnecessary falls apart if Option 4 is negated.

jy295 · Answer

I was torn between D and E. My logic for E is that if you negate it, meaning that the skills learned during athletics are comparable to those learned during academic work, wouldn't the author's argument fall apart? If athletics = academics in terms of skills, then the author should be indifferent about increasing time spent on sports, since the net benefit to child development will be the same.

For D, I felt like it would have been more appropriate if the author was speaking about a specific school, and making the point that the average is 4 hours. In that case, the implicit assumption is that the specific school is comparable to the average of the group. However, when the author argues that physical activity doesn't need to be prolonged, it could mean that he doesn't think the average needs to be prolonged, in which case it doesn't really matter whether schools vary much from the average.

Thoughts?

rausan · Answer

D seems correct as author already agreed that sport is needed. A/c eliminated. B is not assumption. D is the best choice.

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anje29 · Answer

IMO the answer should be D . It is the only one when negated breaks the conclusion that schools have already allotted enough time for play.

Critical Reasoning Questoin - Sports vs academic

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