Classical musical instruments are very complex and demand a lot of pra

Question

Classical musical instruments are very complex and demand a lot of practice and theoretical knowledge to master. To a child, learning the intricacies of such an instrument is very challenging and because of the concentration needed, most children will tire fairly quickly. Since this leads to a slow learning pace, strict discipline should be maintained to avoid wasting time when teaching children how to play such musical instruments.

Which of the following, if true, calls the argument's conclusion into question?

Which of the following, if true, calls the argument's conclusion into question?

(A) The learning process, as proven by a recent brain study, is most efficient when the learner experiences a sense of enjoyment while learning, regardless of the progress being made.

(B) The theoretical and practical aspects of music should be taught simultaneously so that the concepts are relevant to the music being played.

(C) Children need discipline in their learning environment because when they are given the choice, they will usually avoid learning of any kind.

(D) The classical musical instruments played today are far less cumbersome, and easier to learn, than their predecessors.

(E) There are many children that achieve extremely high levels of musicianship at very young ages.

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Classical musical instruments are very complex and demand a lot of practice and theoretical knowledge to master. To a child, learning the intricacies of such an instrument is very challenging and because of the concentration needed, most children will tire fairly quickly. Since this leads to a slow learning pace, strict discipline should be maintained to avoid wasting time when teaching children how to play such musical instruments.

Which of the following, if true, calls the argument's conclusion into question?

Which of the following, if true, calls the argument's conclusion into question?

(A) The learning process, as proven by a recent brain study, is most efficient when the learner experiences a sense of enjoyment while learning, regardless of the progress being made.

To solve this Conclusion Weakening question, first break down the argument. The first two sentences contain premises which provide factual data. In the last sentence, the reason conjunction since is followed by a premise, and the rest, being a recommendation (should), is the argument's conclusion:

Premise A: to master a classical musical instrument requires practice and theoretical study
 +
Premise B: children can't concentrate for long periods of time while learning classical music
 +
Premise C: this slows down their progress
 =
Conclusion: strict discipline should be used to make a child learn faster

Possible assumption: strict discipline does not have other, detrimental effects on learning speed

Weakening Data: ?

You are required to find data that weakens the conclusion that discipline should be used when teaching children music. The correct answer could be one that exposes the argument's assumption.

This answer choice attacks the underlying assumption of the conclusion. If stressing the progress in the learning process makes it less efficient, then strict discipline may not be a good method of speeding up the learning.

(B) The theoretical and practical aspects of music should be taught simultaneously so that the concepts are relevant to the music being played.

Incorrect.

To solve this Conclusion Weakening question, first break down the argument. The first two sentences contain premises which provide factual data. In the last sentence, the reason conjunction since is followed by a premise, and the rest, being a recommendation (should), is the argument's conclusion:

Premise A: to master a classical musical instrument requires practice and theoretical study
 +
Premise B: children can't concentrate for long periods of time while learning classical music
 +
Premise C: this slows down their progress
 =
Conclusion: strict discipline should be used to make a child learn faster

Possible assumption: strict discipline does not have other, detrimental effects on learning speed

Weakening Data: ?

You are required to find data that weakens the conclusion that discipline should be used when teaching children music. The correct answer could be one that exposes the argument's assumption.

This answer choice neither weakens nor strengthens the conclusion. The method of teaching the theoretical and practical aspects of music is irrelevant to the effects of discipline on the learning speed, so it cannot help us undermine the conclusion.

(C) Children need discipline in their learning environment because when they are given the choice, they will usually avoid learning of any kind.

Incorrect.

This answer choice strengthens the conclusion, but you are required to weaken it. Providing another reason why discipline is needed in the learning process directly supports the conclusion that it is conducive to a child's learning.

(D) The classical musical instruments played today are far less cumbersome, and easier to learn, than their predecessors.

Incorrect.

This answer choice neither weakens nor strengthens the conclusion that discipline should be used to teach music to children. The second premise tells us that children are challenged by learning to play such instruments. Therefore, the fact that they are relatively easy to play in comparison to the instruments they evolved from is irrelevant.

(E) There are many children that achieve extremely high levels of musicianship at very young ages.

Incorrect.

This answer choice neither weakens nor strengthens the conclusion as we are not told how these children attained their high levels - was discipline maintained in their learning process? Since we do not know this, it cannot help us undermine the conclusion.

v12345 · Answer

The question asked is that which option calls the argument's conclusion into question, i.e. which option weakens the conclusion.

Conclusion of the argument is strict discipline should be maintained to avoid wasting time when teaching children how to play such musical instruments.

(A) Correct. It weakens the conclusion by saying that the learning process is most efficient when there is sense of enjoyment.
(B) Incorrect as the aspects of music are irrelevant to the learning speed of music.
(C) Incorrect as this strengthens the conclusion.
(D) Incorrect as this option is irrelevant to the argument.
(E) Incorrect as it neither weakens nor strengthens the conclusion.

Hence, OA is (A).

swim2109 · Answer

A in my opinion.

Conclusion: strict discipline should be maintained to avoid wasting time when teaching children how to play such musical instruments..

Premise: learning the intricacies of such an instrument is very challenging and because of the concentration needed, most children will tire fairly quickly. Since this leads to a slow learning pace

Pre-thinking: Anything that tells us that discipline is not the way to be efficient (not wasting time) or the slow process does not hamper the learning process. Even if its slow-paced, the learning process is solid.

A matches the pre-thinking

mSKR · Answer

Classical musical instruments are very complex and demand a lot of practice and theoretical knowledge to master. To a child, learning the intricacies of such an instrument is very challenging and because of the concentration needed, most children will tire fairly quickly. Since this leads to a slow learning pace, strict discipline should be maintained to avoid wasting time when teaching children how to play such musical instruments.

Which of the following, if true, calls the argument's conclusion into question?

Which of the following, if true, calls the argument's conclusion into question?
argument's conclusion: strict discipline should be maintained --> to  avoid wasting time.  why? Otherwise it leads to  slow learning pace.

How to weaken it?
Some option that can lead to quick learning even without strict discipline
or some option that is more efficient that strict discipline.

(A) The learning process, as proven by a recent brain study, is most efficient when the learner experiences a sense of enjoyment while learning, regardless of the progress being made.
A talks about efficiency. But not about time. A is a good option ini practical sense that once you are efficient you can learn quickly and can go for long term. But the argument highlights time that it would be slow if waste time in not concentrating when teaching to children. 
Hence reject

(B) The  theoretical and practical aspects  of music should be taught simultaneously so that the concepts are relevant to the music being played.
Irrelevant with conclusion \

(C) Children  need discipline in their learning  environment because when they are given the choice, they will usually avoid learning of any kind.
Irrelevant with conclusion \

(D) The  classical musical instruments  played today are far less cumbersome, and easier to learn,  than their predecessors. 
RejectD: it doesnt mean today classicial music still may not need discipline. it maybe still demand a lot of practice and theoretical knowledge to master.

(E) There are many children that achieve extremely high levels of musicianship at very young ages. 
It maybe that even with slow pace , they may have achived the fate.But as compared to other options, E is remotely connected with time that it is not necessary that children can not learn quickly or time will be wasted if teahet dont concentrate. it maybe possible that some children are talented and get to musicianship very quickly. Then this conclusion weakens a bit.
 hence E should be answer

mSKR · Answer

Hi  IanStewart

please share your comments on this question. .I think A and E are nearest answer. but at the same time they seem irrelevant also
A: irrelevant: because only talk about efficiency , nothign about time.
A : weaken: let children learn with their own pace, dnt push them. learning is important.

E: weakens: so need to pay more concentration so that children get learn quickly
strengthen : some children are talented and this discipline doesnt matter to children who really can learn with their talent/interests.

There are some open issues on A and E. Finally i Choose E because of time frame/slow progress. But happy to hear your analsis on this question and on A/E ootions .

thanks @ IanStewart

IanStewart · Answer

It's clearly not an official question, and like most prep company questions, it doesn't use language precisely. When a question isn't using words correctly or precisely, often no answer choice is all that good, and I think that's true of this question, for the reason you point out. As you point out, answer A hinges on how we interpret the word "efficiently". I don't know exactly what they mean by that word, so I don't know how it relates to "wasting time". Even more important with A, we don't know anything about the relationship between discipline and enjoyment. It's perfectly reasonable to think it would be enjoyable to learn quickly, and that it would be enjoyable to learn how to play music expertly. Maybe without any discipline, the student learns nothing, enjoys nothing, and the learning is inefficient, but with some discipline, the student learns music, enjoys it, and learns efficiently. We don't have enough information to know what effect A has on the argument.

I'd still pick A here, because it's the only answer that could be right, but the question just isn't well-designed. E can't be right, though, because we have no idea how those young violin prodigies learned their instrument. So we don't know if these young musicians are evidence in favour of the argument or against the argument.

kantapong · Answer

Weaken strict discipline on children when learning music

(A) The learning process, as proven by a recent brain study, is most efficient when the learner experiences a sense of enjoyment while learning, regardless of the progress being made.

(B) The theoretical and practical aspects of music should be taught simultaneously so that the concepts are relevant to the music being played. (irrelevant to strict)

(C) Children need discipline in their learning environment because when they are given the choice, they will usually avoid learning of any kind. (strengthen)

(D) The classical musical instruments played today are far less cumbersome, and easier to learn, than their predecessors. (irrelevant)

(E) There are many children that achieve extremely high levels of musicianship at very young ages. (irrelevant)
Ans: A

winterschool · Answer

Classical musical instruments are very complex and demand a lot of practice and theoretical knowledge to master. To a child, learning the intricacies of such an instrument is very challenging and because of the concentration needed, most children will tire fairly quickly. Since this leads to a slow learning pace, strict discipline should be maintained to avoid wasting time when teaching children how to play such musical instruments.

Which of the following, if true, calls the argument's conclusion into question?

Which of the following, if true, calls the argument's conclusion into question?

(A)  The learning process, as proven by a recent brain study, is most efficient when the learner experiences a sense of enjoyment while learning, regardless of the progress being made.   Correct

this choice directly weakens conclusion, to decrease wasting discipline increase learning time

(B) The theoretical and practical aspects of music should be taught simultaneously so that the concepts are relevant to the music being played.  Incorrect

suggestion, cant be weakens argument

(C) Children need discipline in their learning environment because when they are given the choice, they will usually avoid learning of any kind.  Incorrect

support argument

(D) The classical musical instruments played today are far less cumbersome, and easier to learn, than their predecessors.  Incorrect

contradicts with argument

(E) There are many children that achieve extremely high levels of musicianship at very young ages.  Incorrect

not related with conclusion, talks about some children and they can be achieve high levels of musicianship without disciplined learning

IanStewart · Answer

I should add to my post above: one reason it's difficult to make sense of the word "efficient" in answer A is because of the phrase "regardless of the progress being made". If "efficient" means "progresses most quickly", which is the interpretation everyone picking A is making, then the phrase "regardless of progress" makes no sense. How can study be "efficient", under that definition, if no progress is made? That suggests "efficient' means something else in this question, but I can't guess what.

Classical musical instruments are very complex and demand a lot of pra

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Classical musical instruments are very complex and demand a lot of pra

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