One of the ways to keep our body fit and active is the Sun Salutation.

You may know, Cincos5, that I am not fond of practicing Verbal questions that are not official. The rupture in parallel elements in the list is enough to ward me off: to stay in shape, [to] reduce fat, and [to] overall help? The author of the question may mean well, but it is not a particularly high-quality question. That said, I did choose the OA here, on the grounds that we are looking for an assumption for the argument, not for a premise or background information. Look at the passage again:


The argument is not the first line of the passage, but the last one, the one that begins with an opinionated clearly. (Who thinks that the argument that will follow is clear from the information given? The person making the argument.) If the argument deals in absolutes—all those who wish to be fit and active must practice the Sun Salutation (my italics)—then we have to find an assumption that would lead to such an absolute claim. I am not fond of the negation technique, although some people, including Experts, swear by the method; rather, I prefer to drag and drop my answer choice between the premise(s) given and the argument made to see which one creates the best bridge. Test (A) in this manner:

Premise: [The Sun Salutation] is a set of 12 yoga poses that helps one to stay in shape, reduce fat, and overall help in better movement of joints and limbs.

Assumption: There is no other way to stay fit and active, other than performing the Sun Salutation.

Argument: Clearly, all those who wish to be fit and active must practice the Sun Salutation.

Yeah, that looks pretty good. The absolute condition in the assumption—no other way—leads to the argument that follows. Now, compare to (C):

Premise: [The Sun Salutation] is a set of 12 yoga poses that helps one to stay in shape, reduce fat, and overall help in better movement of joints and limbs.

Assumption: If a person wishes to be fit and active, Sun Salutation is one of the ways to keep a body fit and active.

Argument: Clearly, all those who wish to be fit and active must practice the Sun Salutation.

You should be asking, Why, then, is it necessary to practice the Sun Salutation? The assumption does not properly allow the conclusion to be drawn.

I understand your confusion, but the takeaway is that if the question asks about the argument (or conclusion), then you have to stick to that argument, not to some other information provided in the passage.

Thank you for thinking to ask me. Good luck with your studies.

- Andrew