Skywalker18 wrote:
Ingrid: Rock music has produced no songs as durable as the songs of the 1940s, which continue to be recorded by numerous performers.
Jerome: True, rock songs are usually recorded only once. If the original recording continues to be popular, however, that fact can indicate durability, and the best rock songs will prove to be durable.
Jerome responds to Ingrid’s claim by -
A. intentionally misinterpreting the claim
B. showing that the claim necessarily leads to a contradiction
C. undermining the truth of the evidence that Ingrid presents
D. suggesting an alternative standard for judging the point at issue
E. claiming that Ingrid’s knowledge of the period under discussion is incomplete
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
The correct answer choice is (D).
The heart of Ingrid’s argument is that durability is measured by how many times a song is recorded, and using this standard, rock music songs are not as durable as songs from the 1940s. Jerome admits that rock music songs are not typically recorded multiple times, but he then introduces a new way of judging durability—one based on the continuing popularity of the original recording.
Answer choice (A): Jerome does not misinterpret the claim. He starts off by saying, “True, rock songs are usually recorded only once,” and is a perfect characterization of part of Ingrid’s statement.
Answer choice (B): This is a good example of an answer that might be kept as an initial Contender. However, as you further consider the answer, you must identify the “contradiction” mentioned in the answer choice. Does Jerome show that Ingrid’s claim must lead to a contradiction? No. Note that there is a difference between a speaker contradicting an argument (as Jerome does here) and a person making a statement that leads to an internal contradiction (known as a self-contradiction.) An example of a self-contradiction would be: “Everyone should join our country club. After all, it’s an exclusive group that links many of the influential members of the community.” The self-contradiction occurs when the speaker says “Everyone should join” and then follows that by saying that it is “an exclusive group.” Exclusive, by definition, means that some people are excluded.
Answer choice (C): As discussed in answer choice (A), Jerome accepts the evidence presented by Ingrid. Because he does not undermine the truth of the evidence used by Ingrid, this answer is incorrect. Again, evidence is another way to say “premise.” We know that Jerome disagrees with Ingrid’s conclusion, but that does not mean that he disagrees with her premise.
Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer. Jerome’s standard for judging durability is the popularity of the original. This contrasts with Ingrid’s standard, which is the re-recording of the song. The point at issue is the definition of durability.
Answer choice (E): Again, use the Fact Test on this answer. Where does Jerome claim that Ingrid’s knowledge is incomplete? As we discussed previously, he has admitted that her premise is true.
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