noboru wrote:
20. Shy adolescents often devote themselves totally to a hobby to help distract them from the loneliness brought on by their shyness. Sometimes they are able to become friends with others who share their hobby. But if they lose interest in that hobby, their loneliness may be exacerbated. So developing an all-consuming hobby is not a successful strategy for overcoming adolescent loneliness.
Which one of the following assumptions does the argument depend on?
(A) Eventually, shy adolescents are going to want a wider circle of friends than is provided by their hobby.
(B) No successful strategy fro overcoming adolescent loneliness ever intensifies that loneliness.
(C) Shy adolescents will lose interest in their hobbies if they do not make friends through their engagement in those hobbies.
(D) Some other strategy for overcoming adolescent loneliness is generally more successful than is developing an all-consuming hobby.
(E) Shy adolescents devote themselves to hobbies mainly because they want to make friends.
IMO B
Explanation. Shy adolescents devote to hobby to distract from loneliness.
Sometimes they make friends who share hobby. ( Decreases Loneliness ).
Sometimes loose interest -> loneliness increases.
Conclusion: All consuming hobby is not best strategy for overcoming loneliness.
A. It is out of scope as WIDER CIRCLE OF Friends is not mentioned
B. Since the loneliness is increasing as a result of hobby so this is the assumption behind the conclusion.
C. It is not mentioned that loss of interest in hobby is due to not making friends.
D. Out of scope.
E. It is not mentioned in the passage that adolescents devote to hobby is to make friends.