debjyoti31 wrote:
There is no conclusion indicator in the passage. How to determine conclusion in such cases?
You’re right to note that the passage has no word, such as “therefore,” “thus,” or “hence,” that would indicate an obvious conclusion. In fact, the passage itself doesn’t seem to have a conclusion. Rather, it describes a plan formulated by researchers with a specific goal in mind. Let’s think about their plan:
- The researchers want to find clues about the A’mk people.
- To do this, they plant to use shamans to locate “ancestral sites that may be the remains of A'mk buildings or ceremonial spaces.”
- They believe this will be possible because the shamans learned the location of these sites as youths.
- And shamans’ cultural customs “may help determine the nature of any sites the researchers find.”
There isn’t really an explicit conclusion found in that plan. We could argue that the researchers have implicitly concluded that their plan will be successful. But I’m not really sure that helps a whole lot. It’s more important that we answer the question being asked. And the question being asked is about an assumption on which
the success of a plan depends, not an assumption on which a
conclusion depends.
So, the researchers have formulated the plan because they believe that it will help them learn about the A’mk people. We’re asked to identify which of the answer choices is an assumption on which “
the success of the plan” depends. In other words, for the plan to be successful, what must be true?
With that in mind, let’s consider the answer choices:
Quote:
(A) The researchers have reliable evidence that the A'mk of one thousand years ago built important ceremonial spaces.
It does not HAVE to be true that the researchers have
reliable evidence that the A’mk built
important ceremonial spaces. It’s possible that the researchers find regular A’mk buildings that give clues about the A’mk. It’s also possible that A’mk built important ceremonial spaces, but the researchers lack reliable evidence that they built those spaces. For those two reasons, (A) does not have to be true for the researchers’ plan to be successful. Eliminate (A).
Quote:
(B) The shamans have a reasonably accurate memory of A'mk sites they learned about as youths.
The entirety of the researchers’ plan is predicated on their belief that the shamans will be able to help them find ancient A’mk sites that they learned the location of as youths. But this requires that the shamans accurately remember where those sites are. If not, the researchers plan will not be successful. So, it seems like (B) must be true for the researchers’ plan to be successful. Let’s keep (B).
Quote:
(C) Kaumpta shamans are generally held in high esteem for their traditional knowledge.
It’s important to the researchers’ plan that the traditional knowledge of Kaumpta shamans is accurate. But it does not HAVE to be true that the shamans are
held in high esteem for that knowledge. Eliminate (C).
Quote:
(D) Modern technologies available to the researchers are likely to be able to find some A'mk sites easily.
The researchers plan involves using Kaumpta shamans to find A’mk sites. It does not require the use of modern technologies, and it definitely does not require that modern technologies find some A’mk sites EASILY. Eliminate (D).
Quote:
(E) Most or all A'mk sites are likely to be found within the Kaumpta region.
(E) is tempting. Ideally, for the researchers plan to be
highly successful, it would be great if most or all A’mk sites are likely to be found in the Kaumpta region. But that does not have to be true. It’s possible that only some A’mk sites are LIKELY to be found in the Kaumpta region. The researchers’ plan could be successful while finding only some of the A’mk sites. It’s also far more important whether the researchers ACTUALLY find sites than whether they are LIKELY to find sites. Eliminate (E).
(B) is the only answer choice remaining, and it is correct.
I hope that helps!
Loved the way you explained. So all it depends on the what the argument is setting up. And most of the cases when the conclusion is there, the assumption needs to be true for the conclusion to be true. Right ?
Also it gets difficult to identify whether it is supporter based or defender followed up with pre-phrasing. Whatever i pre-phrase doesn't seem to relate in the options. And i end up choosing the wrong answer.
close
09 Apr 2020, 13:56
