vikasp99 wrote:
Sally: I cannot study at a university where there is an alcohol problem. So unless something is done about the alcohol problem at this university, I’ll have to transfer to a university where there are no fraternities.
Yolanda: I don’t agree that fraternities are responsible for the alcohol problem at this university. Alcohol problems exist at all universities, including those where there are no fraternities. We all should become more aware of alcohol abuse. It’s not simply a fraternity problem; it’s a cultural problem.
Which one of the following is an assumption on which Sally’s argument depends?
(A) Most universities have fraternities.
(B) Nothing will be done about the alcohol problem at Sally’s university.
(C) Alcohol problems are becoming more widespread at universities.
(D) Some fraternity members who drink alcohol beverages are too young to do so legally.
(E) There could be universities that have no alcohol problems
Source: LSAT
Question Type: Assumption
Sally's Premise: She cannot study at a university where there is an alcohol problem.
Sally's Conclusion: She will have to transfer to another university where there are no fraternities, unless her current university does something about the alcohol problem.
Argument Analysis: Sally will transfer to a university where there are no fraternities which means Sally either knows or assumes it for a fact that fraternities at her university have something to do with the alcohol problem at her university. Hence she will transfer to another university where there are no fraternities, assuming that No Fraternity = No alcohol problem, in turn implying that there could be universities with No alcohol problem.
Yolanda's Argument's Analysis : Yolanda, counter's Sally's argument by justifying that there is no relation between Alcohol problem & fraternities at a university. She states that "Alcohol problems exist at all universities, including those where there are no fraternities", hence there are actually no universities with No Alcohol problem & breaks Sally's assumption for No fraternity = No alcohol problem.
Answer is E. Yolanda's Argument gives us solid clues to Sally's assumption. Negation of E, is " There are no universities with no alcohol problems"
Although i think we don't need to analyse Yolanda's argument to arrive at Sally's assumption, since the answer choices are pretty simple.
Just my 2 cents.
Thanks,
GyM