V10-09

Official Solution:


Dietician: Many of my clients ask me whether a gluten-free diet has health benefits. It is true that people with Celiac disease can experience a variety of ailments from eating foods that contain gluten, and one client told me that [b]switching to gluten-free food resulted in him losing weight. However, only 1% of the population has Celiac disease, and the rest of the population does not experience any negative effects from gluten. Additionally, people on gluten-free diets often lose weight because they are eating fewer carbohydrates, not because of the absence of gluten. For most people, a gluten-free diet has few health benefits.

The portions of the passage marked in bold face play which of the following roles?
[/b]

A. The first is the main conclusion of the dietician; the second is evidence to support that conclusion
B. The first is evidence used to support a position that the dietician questions; the second is the main conclusion of the dietician
C. The first is evidence used to support the dietician’s main conclusion; the second is that conclusion
D. The first is evidence used to support a position that the dietician questions; the second is evidence to support the dietician’s conclusion
E. The first is an intermediate conclusion used to support the dietician’s main conclusion; the second is the main conclusion


(A) The first boldfaced portion is evidence used by a patient to suggest that a gluten-free diet has health benefits. The second answer choice is the dietician’s main conclusion.

(B) Correct. The first boldfaced portion is evidence used by a patient to suggest that a gluten-free diet has health benefits. The second answer choice is the dietician’s main conclusion - the premise for this conclusion is "1% of the population has Celiac disease, and the rest of the population does not experience any negative effects from gluten".

(C) The first boldfaced portion is evidence used by a patient to suggest that a gluten-free diet has health benefits. The second answer choice is the dietician’s main conclusion.

(D) The first boldfaced portion is evidence used by a patient to suggest that a gluten-free diet has health benefits. The second answer choice is the dietician’s main conclusion.

(E) The first boldfaced portion is evidence used by a patient to suggest that a gluten-free diet has health benefits. The second answer choice is the dietician’s main conclusion.


Answer: B
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The explanation shown is simply a repitition. An explanation of WHY this part is a conclusion would be more useful bb
Best,

Felippe

The main conclusion of an argument depends on the understanding of the logic chain - consider the following:
Good boys study hard and John is a good boy. John studies hard.

How would you answer this query: " Why John studies hard is the conclusion?". At the most you may point out the premise.

I have included the premise in the explanation.

The first part of bold face is never a support that questions dietician..in fact dietician supports that gluten helps in losing weight. Please recheck the options

Here we are assuming losing weight is a health benefit. Why? Diets are intended for either for the purpose of losing weight or gaining weight. I feel part A can support the conclusion if we view the effect of losing weight as a negative. This problem is ambiguous.

sayantanc2k ,

The first boldface may be an evidence used by a patient, but the fact is ... it IS supporting the dietician's main conclusion "a gluten-free diet has few health benefits". Although losing weight could be seen as a health benefit or health loss depending upon an individual's perception, but the very next line says that 99% of the population did not experience any negative effects. This indicates that the dietician sees the 1st boldface as a positive effect/health benefit.

So nowhere it appears that the 1st boldface supports a position that is questioned by the dietician. So, B doesn't seem to be the correct answer.

IMO C is the correct answer. Main conclusion is "a gluten-free diet has few health benefits", and the 1st boldface is supporting it.

Let me know if you still feel otherwise.

chetan2u

Please explain why option C is wrong.
also what is exactly the difference between option C and option B

I think, since you are between B and C, you agree that the second part is the main conclusion.
Both choices B and C correctly claim the part to be evidence. BUt what role is it playing towards the main conclusion..
Conclusion says that 'a gluten-free diet has few health benefits', and first part says 'switching to gluten-free food resulted in him losing weight'..
The dietician thereafter attributes the losing of weight to lesser carbs than the gluten free diet as such. Thus he NEGATES the first part to support his conclusion. This means the first part was supposed to weaken the conclusion.
B talks of evidence to be supporting opposite of the dietitians stand, while C talks of evidence to be supporting opposite of the dietitians stand.
So B is correct
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I think this is a high-quality question and I agree with explanation. (A) The first boldfaced portion is evidence used by a patient to suggest that a gluten-free diet has health benefits. "The second answer choice is the dietician’s main conclusion."

The second line in this statement is misleading