Question Prompt: According to the new school district policy, only teachers that have tiled floors can have food in their classrooms. All of the classrooms in the new wing of the high school have tiled floors. However, most of the school's classrooms are still carpeted. Therefore, teachers who like to eat their lunches in their classrooms should be offered classrooms in the new wing of the high school.
Which of the following is an assumption that enables the conclusion above to be properly drawn?
(A) Teachers in the new wing who eat their lunches in the cafeteria should keep their assigned classrooms
(B) Teachers with tiled classrooms should not eat in their classrooms, even though the new district policy permits them to do so.
(C) Teachers with carpeted classrooms should be allowed to eat in their classrooms
(D) The district policy should allow all teachers who want to eat in their classrooms an equal opportunity to do so, regardless of original classroom assignments.
(E) The district policy should minimize potential damage to school property, such as that caused by food stains in carpet.
Dissect the argument:Premises:1. only teachers that have tiled floors can have food in their classrooms
2. New wing classrooms have tiles floors
3. Most other classrooms are carpeted
Conclusion:Teachers who like to eat their lunches in their classrooms should be offered classrooms in the new wing of the high school.
Note that the argument vouches that the teachers, who like to eat in their classrooms, should be
'offered' classrooms in the new wing.
This indicates that the author of the argument is vouching for equal opportunity for all teachers to decide where they want to have their lunch. And hence, they should be offered classrooms with tiled floors (thereby giving them the option to choose whether they want to have their lunch in their classroom). Note that the argument doesn't say that these teachers should be given classrooms with tiled floors. That would have a different meaning altogether.