Although the school would receive financial benefits if it had soft dr

Passage Analysis

• Although the school would receive financial benefits if it had soft drink vending machines in the cafeteria, we should not allow them.

o The school will get financial benefits if soft drink vending machines are installed in its cafeteria. This is a presented fact.
o Even if it is profitable, soft drink machines cannot be allowed in the cafeteria. This is the author’s judgement.

• Allowing soft drink machines there would not be in our students' interest.

o The author thinks allowing soft drink machines in the school’s cafeteria is a decision that stands against students’ well-being.

• If our students start drinking more soft drinks, they will be less healthy.

o The author presents an association between soft drinks and health.
o If the students of the school, who possibly drink some amount of soft drinks already, start drinking more soft drinks (due to the presence of a soft drink vending machine in the cafeteria), then they will become less healthy.

Conclusion: Soft drink vending machines should not be allowed in the school cafeteria as they would make students less healthy.

Question Stem Analysis
We have been asked to identify the assumption on which the argument is based on.

Pre-thinking

Falsification Question
In what scenario is it possible that soft drink vending machines would not make students less healthy even if they are allowed in the school cafeteria?
Given that
• The school will get financial benefits if soft drink vending machines are installed in its cafeteria
• If students start drinking more soft drinks, they will be less healthy.

Thought Process
The author is against installing soft drink vending machines (SDVM) in the school cafeteria since the usage of more soft drinks by the students will reduce the students’ health. This is despite the fact that there is a financial benefit for the school if the installation is done. The school wants to uphold the students’ interest. The possibility of using the money from installing the SVDM for better upholding the students’ interest is not mentioned by the author. Also, the author seems sure that the students’ consumption of soft drinks will increase from the previous rate if the machines are brought into the cafeteria.

Falsification condition#1
What if the students did not drink more soft drinks than before even if the machines are installed in the school cafeteria? In that case the facts hold but the conclusion breaks down.
Assumption#1
The students will increase their soft drink consumption by using the soft drink vending machine, if installed.

Falsification condition#2
What if the financial benefits the school get by installing soft drink vending machines translate to steps that heavily support students’ interest in comparison with the potential health effect soft drinks may cause?
Here also the facts remain intact, but the conclusion cannot hold.
Assumption#2
The financial benefits the school can get by installing soft drink vending machines will not be translatable to steps that heavily support students’ interest in comparison with the potential health effect soft drinks may cause.

Answer Choice Analysis.

(A) If the soft drink vending machines were placed in the cafeteria, students would consume more soft drinks as a result.
CORRECT
This is a baseline of the argument and is absolutely required for the conclusion to hold. Hence this is the correct answer.

(B) The amount of soft drinks that most students at the school currently drink is not detrimental to their health.
INCORRECT
This assumption is not necessary to conclude SDVMs will reduce the students’ health even further. Hence, a wrong choice.

(C) Students are apt to be healthier if they do not drink soft drinks at all than if they just drink small amounts occasionally.
INCORRECT
This is rather an inference from the passage and not an assumption. Therefore, incorrect answer choice.

(D) Students will not simply bring soft drinks from home if the soft drink vending machines are not placed in the cafeteria.
INCORRECT
The question is concerned about what the school is doing regarding soft drink vending machines as it is concerned about the students’ well-being. What the students do themselves in the absence of vending machines does not come under this context. Therefore, this is a wrong answer.

(E) The school's primary concern should be to promote good health among its students.
INCORRECT
What the primary concern of a school should be is beyond the scope of this argument. Also, if a school’s primary concern regarding the students is not their health but their education, that does not negate the conclusion. Hence, this too is a wrong answer choice.