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Quote:
In a recent experiment, a high school English teacher interspersed real, commonly used proverbs with several nonsensical proverbial-sounding statements that he had made up. He then asked his students to evaluate all of the statements on the list. In general, the students found the bogus proverbs and the real proverbs to be equally full of wisdom and meaning. The teacher concluded that proverbs attain their status as proverbs more through frequent usage than through their inherent wisdom.

Which one of the following, if true, would most effectively challenge the teacher’s conclusion?
(A) Some proverbs are used more frequently than others.
(B) There were more real proverbs than bogus proverbs in the list of statements.
(C) There are stylistic differences between proverbial and proverbial-sounding statements.
(D) Some students view a statement in one way and other students view the same statement in a very different way.
(E) The students selected as evaluators were too inexperienced to judge the wisdom of the statements.

ARGUMENT
[p] teacher testes real and made-up proverbs with a set of students
[p] students concluded those proverbs carried equal weight
[c] teacher concluded that proverbs attain status through frequency rather than inherent wisdom

Ans (E) if the students evaluating could judge wisdom then the argument falls.
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In a recent experiment, a high school English teacher interspersed real, commonly used proverbs with several nonsensical proverbial-sounding statements that he had made up. He then asked his students to evaluate all of the statements on the list. In general, the students found the bogus proverbs and the real proverbs to be equally full of wisdom and meaning. The teacher concluded that proverbs attain their status as proverbs more through frequent usage than through their inherent wisdom.
Which one of the following, if true, would most effectively challenge the teacher’s conclusion?

This a cause and effect type of argument. Teacher concludes, based on his students' evaluation that proverbs attain their status as proverbs more through frequent usage than through their inherent wisdom. Two things can weaken/challenge the argument here - if cause and effects are actually reverse and second, if the basis on which the argument makes the conclusion is destroyed.

(A) Some proverbs are used more frequently than others. - WRONG. Only one side of the argument.

(B) There were more real proverbs than bogus proverbs in the list of statements. - WRONG. Irrelevant.

(C) There are stylistic differences between proverbial and proverbial-sounding statements. - WRONG. Irrelevant.

(D) Some students view a statement in one way and other students view the same statement in a very different way. - WRONG. Even then the students found something that was in congruence.

(E) The students selected as evaluators were too inexperienced to judge the wisdom of the statements. - CORRECT. Basis/foundation of the argument's conclusion is weak thus conclusion is weak.

IMO Answer E.
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