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08 May 2026, 08:38
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D
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
(N/A)
Question Stats:
54% (02:27) correct
46%
(01:38)
wrong
based on 13
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Efraim: The popular press continually advises people to avoid various health risks. Yet by seeking to avoid health risks, people inevitably become anxious, and anxiety, in turn, poses a major health risk. Thus, paradoxical as it seems, simply disregarding journalists' advice about reducing health risks is bound to pose less of a health risk than does trying to follow any such advice.
Felicity: But history shows that you are wrong. It was articles in the popular press that made people aware of the health risks posed by smoking cigarettes. Many people stopped smoking in response, and they led longer and healthier lives than they would have otherwise.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which Efraim's argument depends?
(A) A significant proportion of the people who, following journalists' advice, seek to avoid specific health risks cannot avoid those risks completely.
(B) Journalists who advise people to avoid various health risks render their advice in needlessly alarming language.
(C) The popular press is not unanimous in its recommendations to people wishing to avoid various health risks.
(D) The anxiety, if any, produced by disregarding journalists' advice to avoid health risks is less than that produced by attempting to heed this advice.
(E) Most strategies for dealing with sources of personal anxiety are themselves anxiety inducing.
Felicity: But history shows that you are wrong. It was articles in the popular press that made people aware of the health risks posed by smoking cigarettes. Many people stopped smoking in response, and they led longer and healthier lives than they would have otherwise.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which Efraim's argument depends?
(A) A significant proportion of the people who, following journalists' advice, seek to avoid specific health risks cannot avoid those risks completely.
(B) Journalists who advise people to avoid various health risks render their advice in needlessly alarming language.
(C) The popular press is not unanimous in its recommendations to people wishing to avoid various health risks.
(D) The anxiety, if any, produced by disregarding journalists' advice to avoid health risks is less than that produced by attempting to heed this advice.
(E) Most strategies for dealing with sources of personal anxiety are themselves anxiety inducing.
08 May 2026, 12:38
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Bookmarks
The answer is D.
Efraim’s argument is:
Journalists advise people to avoid health risks. Trying to avoid those risks creates anxiety. Anxiety itself is a major health risk. Therefore, ignoring journalists’ advice is less risky than trying to follow it. So the key hidden assumption is:
Ignoring the advice must create less anxiety than following the advice.
If ignoring the advice creates equal or greater anxiety, Efraim’s conclusion does not work.
Option (A):
Original:
A significant proportion of the people who, following journalists' advice, seek to avoid specific health risks cannot avoid those risks completely.
Negation:
A significant proportion of people who follow journalists’ advice can avoid those risks completely.
This does not destroy Efraim’s argument.
Even if people can avoid the specific risks completely, Efraim could still argue that the process of trying to avoid those risks creates anxiety, and that this anxiety itself is a major health risk.
So the argument does not depend on whether people successfully avoid the original health risks.
Option (B):
Original:
Journalists who advise people to avoid various health risks render their advice in needlessly alarming language.
Negation:
Journalists who advise people to avoid various health risks do not render their advice in needlessly alarming language.
This does not seriously weaken the conclusion.
Efraim does not argue that people become anxious because the language is dramatic or alarming. His point is broader: trying to avoid health risks makes people anxious.
Even calmly worded advice could still create anxiety if people start worrying about risks and trying to avoid them.
So this is not a necessary assumption.
Option (C):
Original:
The popular press is not unanimous in its recommendations to people wishing to avoid various health risks.
Negation:
The popular press is unanimous in its recommendations to people wishing to avoid various health risks.
This does not weaken Efraim’s argument.
Whether journalists agree or disagree with each other is not central to the reasoning. Efraim’s claim is that following health-risk advice creates anxiety, and anxiety is harmful.
Even if all journalists gave the same advice, Efraim could still claim that trying to follow that advice creates anxiety.
So the argument does not depend on lack of unanimity.
Option (D):
Original:
The anxiety, if any, produced by disregarding journalists' advice to avoid health risks is less than that produced by attempting to heed this advice.
Negation:
The anxiety produced by disregarding journalists’ advice is not less than the anxiety produced by attempting to heed this advice.
In other words, ignoring the advice creates equal or greater anxiety than trying to follow it.
This directly weakens Efraim’s conclusion.
Efraim concludes that ignoring the advice is less risky than following it. But his reason is that following the advice creates anxiety. If ignoring the advice also creates just as much anxiety, or even more anxiety, then ignoring the advice is not clearly safer.
For example, a person who ignores medical advice may become anxious because they know they are neglecting a possible danger. In that case, ignoring advice may not reduce anxiety at all.
So once D is negated, the central comparison in Efraim’s argument collapses.
Therefore, D is required by the argument.
Option (E):
Original:
Most strategies for dealing with sources of personal anxiety are themselves anxiety inducing.
Negation:
Most strategies for dealing with sources of personal anxiety are not themselves anxiety inducing.
This does not affect Efraim’s argument.
Efraim is not discussing strategies for managing anxiety. He is comparing two choices:
1. Trying to follow journalists’ advice
2. Disregarding journalists’ advice
Whether anxiety-management strategies create anxiety is outside the scope of the argument.
So this is not a necessary assumption.
Efraim’s argument is:
Journalists advise people to avoid health risks. Trying to avoid those risks creates anxiety. Anxiety itself is a major health risk. Therefore, ignoring journalists’ advice is less risky than trying to follow it. So the key hidden assumption is:
Ignoring the advice must create less anxiety than following the advice.
If ignoring the advice creates equal or greater anxiety, Efraim’s conclusion does not work.
Option (A):
Original:
A significant proportion of the people who, following journalists' advice, seek to avoid specific health risks cannot avoid those risks completely.
Negation:
A significant proportion of people who follow journalists’ advice can avoid those risks completely.
This does not destroy Efraim’s argument.
Even if people can avoid the specific risks completely, Efraim could still argue that the process of trying to avoid those risks creates anxiety, and that this anxiety itself is a major health risk.
So the argument does not depend on whether people successfully avoid the original health risks.
Option (B):
Original:
Journalists who advise people to avoid various health risks render their advice in needlessly alarming language.
Negation:
Journalists who advise people to avoid various health risks do not render their advice in needlessly alarming language.
This does not seriously weaken the conclusion.
Efraim does not argue that people become anxious because the language is dramatic or alarming. His point is broader: trying to avoid health risks makes people anxious.
Even calmly worded advice could still create anxiety if people start worrying about risks and trying to avoid them.
So this is not a necessary assumption.
Option (C):
Original:
The popular press is not unanimous in its recommendations to people wishing to avoid various health risks.
Negation:
The popular press is unanimous in its recommendations to people wishing to avoid various health risks.
This does not weaken Efraim’s argument.
Whether journalists agree or disagree with each other is not central to the reasoning. Efraim’s claim is that following health-risk advice creates anxiety, and anxiety is harmful.
Even if all journalists gave the same advice, Efraim could still claim that trying to follow that advice creates anxiety.
So the argument does not depend on lack of unanimity.
Option (D):
Original:
The anxiety, if any, produced by disregarding journalists' advice to avoid health risks is less than that produced by attempting to heed this advice.
Negation:
The anxiety produced by disregarding journalists’ advice is not less than the anxiety produced by attempting to heed this advice.
In other words, ignoring the advice creates equal or greater anxiety than trying to follow it.
This directly weakens Efraim’s conclusion.
Efraim concludes that ignoring the advice is less risky than following it. But his reason is that following the advice creates anxiety. If ignoring the advice also creates just as much anxiety, or even more anxiety, then ignoring the advice is not clearly safer.
For example, a person who ignores medical advice may become anxious because they know they are neglecting a possible danger. In that case, ignoring advice may not reduce anxiety at all.
So once D is negated, the central comparison in Efraim’s argument collapses.
Therefore, D is required by the argument.
Option (E):
Original:
Most strategies for dealing with sources of personal anxiety are themselves anxiety inducing.
Negation:
Most strategies for dealing with sources of personal anxiety are not themselves anxiety inducing.
This does not affect Efraim’s argument.
Efraim is not discussing strategies for managing anxiety. He is comparing two choices:
1. Trying to follow journalists’ advice
2. Disregarding journalists’ advice
Whether anxiety-management strategies create anxiety is outside the scope of the argument.
So this is not a necessary assumption.
08 May 2026, 13:30
Kudos
Bookmarks
Efraim: The popular press continually advises people to avoid various health risks. Yet by seeking to avoid health risks, people inevitably become anxious, and anxiety, in turn, poses a major health risk. Thus, paradoxical as it seems, simply disregarding journalists' advice about reducing health risks is bound to pose less of a health risk than does trying to follow any such advice.
Felicity: But history shows that you are wrong. It was articles in the popular press that made people aware of the health risks posed by smoking cigarettes. Many people stopped smoking in response, and they led longer and healthier lives than they would have otherwise.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which Efraim's argument depends?
Efraim argues that following health-risk advice creates anxiety, and anxiety itself is dangerous. So he concludes that ignoring the advice is less risky than following it. The argument assumes that ignoring the advice does not create an equal or greater health risk through anxiety or worry.
(A) A significant proportion of the people who, following journalists' advice, seek to avoid specific health risks cannot avoid those risks completely.
Wrong. Efraim’s argument does not depend on whether people can fully avoid the original risks. His focus is on the anxiety caused by trying.
(B) Journalists who advise people to avoid various health risks render their advice in needlessly alarming language.
Wrong. Efraim does not need the language to be needlessly alarming. He only claims that trying to avoid risks causes anxiety.
(C) The popular press is not unanimous in its recommendations to people wishing to avoid various health risks.
Wrong. Agreement or disagreement among journalists is irrelevant to Efraim’s reasoning.
(D) The anxiety, if any, produced by disregarding journalists' advice to avoid health risks is less than that produced by attempting to heed this advice.
Correct. If ignoring the advice caused as much or more anxiety than following it, Efraim could not claim that ignoring the advice is less risky. So this assumption is necessary.
(E) Most strategies for dealing with sources of personal anxiety are themselves anxiety inducing.
Wrong. The argument is about whether to follow health-risk advice, not about strategies for treating anxiety.
Answer: (D)
Felicity: But history shows that you are wrong. It was articles in the popular press that made people aware of the health risks posed by smoking cigarettes. Many people stopped smoking in response, and they led longer and healthier lives than they would have otherwise.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which Efraim's argument depends?
Efraim argues that following health-risk advice creates anxiety, and anxiety itself is dangerous. So he concludes that ignoring the advice is less risky than following it. The argument assumes that ignoring the advice does not create an equal or greater health risk through anxiety or worry.
(A) A significant proportion of the people who, following journalists' advice, seek to avoid specific health risks cannot avoid those risks completely.
Wrong. Efraim’s argument does not depend on whether people can fully avoid the original risks. His focus is on the anxiety caused by trying.
(B) Journalists who advise people to avoid various health risks render their advice in needlessly alarming language.
Wrong. Efraim does not need the language to be needlessly alarming. He only claims that trying to avoid risks causes anxiety.
(C) The popular press is not unanimous in its recommendations to people wishing to avoid various health risks.
Wrong. Agreement or disagreement among journalists is irrelevant to Efraim’s reasoning.
(D) The anxiety, if any, produced by disregarding journalists' advice to avoid health risks is less than that produced by attempting to heed this advice.
Correct. If ignoring the advice caused as much or more anxiety than following it, Efraim could not claim that ignoring the advice is less risky. So this assumption is necessary.
(E) Most strategies for dealing with sources of personal anxiety are themselves anxiety inducing.
Wrong. The argument is about whether to follow health-risk advice, not about strategies for treating anxiety.
Answer: (D)
