In recent years, the number of reported cases of ethical misconduct an

Question

In recent years, the number of reported cases of ethical misconduct and out-and-out fraud in the telemarketing of stocks, securities, and other investments has risen dramatically. In answer to the growing demand for regulation of this industry, federal and state agencies are formulating an approach to the problem that would entail close supervision and regular auditing of the activities of the investment houses that use telemarketing. Such government involvement in private industry is, however, antithetical to this country’s belief in free private industry and would surely dampen the spirit of aggressive capitalism that made this country great. Clearly, in order to keep the government out of their business, investment houses should cease the practice of paying telemarketers on commission.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument above is based?

A.Successful capitalism is dependent upon a governmental policy of noninterference and furthered by pro-business regulations. 
B. The government’s ability to detect misconduct, even with close supervision, would be minimal, and therefore pointless.
C. If judged by contemporary standards, many of these so-called violations would be considered ethical.
D. Earning a high commission as a telemarketer is not proof of one’s abilities as an investment broker.
E. The incidence of ethical misconduct has a direct relation to the telemarketer’s desire for larger commissions.

AndrewN · Accepted Answer

Hello, everyone. The key to this sort of question is to see what kind of a logical leap may have been taken to get from the next-to-last line to the final one. As soon as you see a call in the argument for the cessation of paying telemarketers on commission, you ought to be wondering, Now where in the world did commission come from? (It reminds me of this tough official question in which governmental spending plays a similar role.) To go from X to Z, a Z that introduces a completely new consideration, we need a bridge in Y that will introduce that new idea. With this in mind, we ought to be looking for an answer choice that touches on commission. Only (D) and (E) suffice to this end, and between the two, (D) is not even closely related to the argument, while (E) connects the dots perfectly. The answer must be (E).

Keep your approach simple, or as simple as you can. Although this passage is lengthy, a close look at the argument in question can allow you to answer confidently in under 1:45, and you can bank that extra time for harder challenges that may lie ahead.

Good luck with your studies.

- Andrew

Keep your approach simple, or as simple as you can. Although this passage is lengthy, a close look at the argument in question can allow you to answer confidently in under 1:45, and you can bank that extra time for harder challenges that may lie ahead.

Good luck with your studies.

- Andrew

ramlala · Answer

In recent years, the number of  reported cases of ethical misconduct and out-and-out fraud in the telemarketing of stocks , securities, and other investments has risen dramatically. In answer to the growing demand for regulation of this industry, federal and state agencies are formulating an approach to the problem that would entail close supervision and regular auditing of the activities of the investment houses that use telemarketing. Such government involvement in private industry is, however, antithetical to this country’s belief in free private industry and would surely dampen the spirit of aggressive capitalism that made this country great.  Clearly, in order to keep the government out of their business, investment houses should cease the practice of paying telemarketers on commission .

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument above is based?

A.Successful capitalism is dependent upon a governmental policy of noninterference and furthered by pro-business regulations.
 That is reverse here 
 
B. The government’s ability to detect misconduct, even with close supervision, would be minimal, and therefore pointless.
 not relevant

C. If judged by contemporary standards, many of these so-called violations would be considered ethical.
 not relevant

D. Earning a high commission as a telemarketer is not proof of one’s abilities as an investment broker.
 not relevant

E. The incidence of ethical misconduct has a direct relation to the telemarketer’s desire for larger commissions.
 This is true assumption. Last sentence of argument says that To keep Govt. out, cease the practice to pay commission. But earlier in argument it says that Govt. intervention is due to ethical misconduct. This both sentence connection is established.

IMO E

Kinshook · Answer

In recent years, the number of reported cases of ethical misconduct and out-and-out fraud in the telemarketing of stocks, securities, and other investments has risen dramatically. In answer to the growing demand for regulation of this industry, federal and state agencies are formulating an approach to the problem that would entail close supervision and regular auditing of the activities of the investment houses that use telemarketing. Such government involvement in private industry is, however, antithetical to this country’s belief in free private industry and would surely dampen the spirit of aggressive capitalism that made this country great. Clearly, in order to keep the government out of their business, investment houses should cease the practice of paying telemarketers on commission.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument above is based?

A.Successful capitalism is dependent upon a governmental policy of noninterference and furthered by pro-business regulations. 
B. The government’s ability to detect misconduct, even with close supervision, would be minimal, and therefore pointless.
C. If judged by contemporary standards, many of these so-called violations would be considered ethical.
D. Earning a high commission as a telemarketer is not proof of one’s abilities as an investment broker.
 E. The incidence of ethical misconduct has a direct relation to the telemarketer’s desire for larger commissions.

Conclusion: Clearly, in order to keep the government out of their business, investment houses should cease the practice of paying telemarketers on commission.

Options A, B, C & D are not related to the conclusion of the passage.
Option E perfectly fills the gap in reasoning that in order to keep the government out of their business, investment houses should cease the practice of paying telemarketers on commission. since the incidence of ethical misconduct has a direct relation to the telemarketer’s desire for larger commissions.

IMO E

VerbalBot · Answer

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