Official Explanation:Tennis instructor: Few tennis players spend much time performing exercises that increase their ability to take oxygen into their lungs, though proper and sufficient oxygen intake is crucial to developing a competitive edge on the court. That is why I recommend a particular yoga course that is designed for athletes at all levels and in all sports.
Which of the following would, if true, most strengthen the argument above? A. A number of high-profile tennis players have taken the yoga course.
B. Individuals who take the yoga course increase their oxygen intake substantially.C. Tennis players are more likely to study yoga than are other athletes.
D. The number of professional tennis players who perform exercises that increase oxygen intake has increased over the last 20 years.
E. Professional tennis players who take a yoga course are able to advance more rapidly in the course than are non-professional tennis players.Question Type: Strengthen
Boil It Down: Tennis players need sufficient oxygen intake to stay competitive on the court. However, most tennis players don’t spend much time doing exercises to improve their oxygen intake. The tennis instructor suggests players take a particular yoga course.
Goal: Find the option that would best strengthen the instructor’s argument that players need to take a yoga class as part of their training. Analysis:This argument has a clear gap or mismatch between the premise and the conclusion. The premise talks about inadequate training in oxygen intake. The conclusion talks about a yoga class, but there is no information given about whether this yoga class helps with sufficient oxygen intake. It appears as though the recommendation/conclusion related to the yoga class has nothing to do with increasing oxygen intake.
To strengthen this argument, the correct answer choice must correct this mismatch by showing how the yoga class is relevant to efficient oxygen intake. The correct answer choice must bring together two pieces of information: increased oxygen intake and the particular yoga class. Look for answer choices that connect yoga to oxygen intake, thereby correcting the mismatch.
A. A number of high-profile tennis players have taken the yoga course.
Incorrect. This answer choice fails to explain how the yoga course can help the tennis players improve their oxygen intake. Whether high profile tennis players take the course or not is irrelevant to improving oxygen intake. Therefore, answer choice A is irrelevant.B. Individuals who take the yoga course increase their oxygen intake substantially.
Correct. We were looking for an answer choice that connects oxygen intake to the yoga class. This answer choice does that. Because those who take the yoga class improve their oxygen intake and because tennis players will improve if they improve their oxygen intake, then tennis players will improve if they take the yoga class.C. Tennis players are more likely to study yoga than are other athletes.
Incorrect. This answer choice fails to explain how the yoga course can help the tennis players improve their oxygen intake. We need to know whether this particular yoga course improves oxygen intake. Whether tennis players are more likely to study yoga in general compared to other athletes does not address that question. Therefore, answer choice C is irrelevant.D. The number of professional tennis players who perform exercises that increase oxygen intake has increased over the last 20 years.
Incorrect. As mentioned in the argument analysis, to be the correct answer in this question, two pieces of information need to be brought together: increasing oxygen intake and yoga. This answer choice only addresses one piece of information, namely increasing oxygen intake. It fails to address how the particular yoga class improves oxygen intake. Therefore, answer choice D is irrelevant. E. Professional tennis players who take a yoga course are able to advance more rapidly in the course than are non-professional tennis players.
Incorrect. This answer choice fails to explain how the yoga course can help the tennis players improve their oxygen intake. Whether professional tennis players can advance more quickly compared to non-professional tennis players is irrelevant to improving oxygen intake. Therefore, answer choice E is irrelevant.Take away:Beware of a mismatch of terms between premises and conclusions. To strengthen a mismatch, the correct answer choice will introduce a term or concept that will correct that mismatch or will show how the premise is connected to the conclusion. In this question, the mismatch was between oxygen intake in the premises and a seeming irrelevant conclusion related to yoga. The correct answer choice corrected the mismatch by connecting yoga to increased oxygen intake.
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