Music stores often recommend cheap guitars to customers who are just

Question

Music stores often recommend cheap guitars to customers who are just starting to play. Like with any new activity, beginners are unsure about whether they will enjoy the experience of playing guitar enough to continue it consistently for a long period of time. For this reason, beginners consider investing in an expensive guitar unnecessary. Clearly, cheap guitars are more suitable for beginners' needs.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the argument's conclusion?

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the argument's conclusion?

A. Professional guitarists often spend more than $5,000 on a single guitar.

B. Beginning guitarists should practice scales in order to improve their finger control and understanding of the guitar's tonality.

C. By starting with a cheap guitar, beginners may gradually discover their preferences before buying a more specialized instrument.

D. Cheap guitars offer a low level of playing satisfaction that can deter beginners from continuing to learn.

E. Because they are so cheap to produce, music stores earn almost 5% more selling cheap guitars than expensive ones.

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Sathvik02 · Answer

Here we need to cast doubt on the conclusion:  Clearly, cheap guitars are more suitable for beginners' needs.  
We have been told that beginners are influenced by the experiences they encounter while playing the guitar for the first time. So what if cheap guitars make them feel bad and expensive guitars make them feel better so that they keep on playing the guitar?

Now let's see which option choice captures our thoughts:

A. Professional guitarists often spend more than $5,000 on a single guitar:  I mean this option is the easiest of all to ditch.

B. Beginning guitarists should practice scales in order to improve their finger control and understanding of the guitar's tonality:  So what? Both expensive and cheap guitar scales.Not our answer
 
C. By starting with a cheap guitar, beginners may gradually discover their preferences before buying a more specialized instrument:  This option doesn't add anything. Doesn't weaken our conclusion.

D. Cheap guitars offer a low level of playing satisfaction that can deter beginners from continuing to learn :  Damn right! This is the point we needed. Hold.
 
E. Because they are so cheap to produce, music stores earn almost 5% more selling cheap guitars than expensive ones :  Easy POE.

Now we know,  Our answer must be  option D  .

LamboWalker · Answer

The author tries to say that beginners should buy cheap guitars, as they may lose interest in the activity of guitar playing and thus may have unnecessarily put more money than needed. We are required to weaken this argument.

A. Professional guitarists often spend more than $5,000 on a single guitar. 
Irrelevant to the argument at hand.

B. Beginning guitarists should practice scales in order to improve their finger control and understanding of the guitar's tonality. 
Out of scope.

C. By starting with a cheap guitar, beginners may gradually discover their preferences before buying a more specialized instrument. 
This if anything is strengthening the argument.

D. Cheap guitars offer a low level of playing satisfaction that can deter beginners from continuing to learn.  
Correct answer. Cheap guitars may be the sole reason why beginners lose interest in this habit.

E. Because they are so cheap to produce, music stores earn almost 5% more selling cheap guitars than expensive ones. 
Out of scope.

Bunuel · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Music stores often recommend cheap guitars to customers who are just starting to play. Like with any new activity, beginners are unsure about whether they will enjoy the experience of playing guitar enough to continue it consistently for a long period of time. For this reason, beginners consider investing in an expensive guitar unnecessary. Clearly, cheap guitars are more suitable for beginners' needs.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the argument's conclusion?

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the argument's conclusion?

A. Professional guitarists often spend more than $5,000 on a single guitar.

Incorrect.

To solve this Conclusion Weakening question, first break down the argument. The first three sentences contain premises which provide givens; the last sentence begins with the conclusion word clearly so we can identify it as the argument's conclusion:

Premise A: music stores recommend cheap guitars to beginners
 +
Premise B: beginning guitarists don't know how long they will keep up the hobby
 +
Premise C: beginners believe expensive guitars are unsuitable for them
 =
Conclusion: cheap guitars are suitable for beginners' needs

Possible assumption: the disadvantages of cheap guitars do not affect beginners

Weakening Data: ?

You are required to find data that weakens the conclusion that cheap guitars are suitable for beginners' needs. The correct answer could be one that exposes the argument's assumption.

This answer choice neither weakens nor strengthens the conclusion as the fact professional guitarists use expensive guitars does not indicate anything about the suitability of cheap guitars to beginners' needs.

B. Beginning guitarists should practice scales in order to improve their finger control and understanding of the guitar's tonality.

Incorrect.

While this answer choice establishes a need of beginning guitarists, it does not link it with the quality or price of the guitar they are using. Therefore, it neither weakens nor strengthens the conclusion.

C. By starting with a cheap guitar, beginners may gradually discover their preferences before buying a more specialized instrument.

Incorrect.

This answer choice strengthens the conclusion by providing another reason why cheap guitars are suitable for beginners. However, you are required to weaken the conclusion.

D. Cheap guitars offer a low level of playing satisfaction that can deter beginners from continuing to learn.

This answer choice attacks the assumption that there is no disadvantage to playing a cheap guitar that can be experienced by a beginner. By stating that a cheap guitar can deter beginners from continuing to learn it undermines the conclusion that they are suitable for them.

E. Because they are so cheap to produce, music stores earn almost 5% more selling cheap guitars than expensive ones.

Incorrect.

To solve this Conclusion Weakening question, first break down the argument. The first three sentences contain premises which provide givens; the last sentence begins with the conclusion word clearly so we can identify it as the argument's conclusion:

Premise A: music stores recommend cheap guitars to beginners
 +
Premise B: beginning guitarists don't know how long they will keep up the hobby
 +
Premise C: beginners believe expensive guitars are unsuitable for them
 =
Conclusion: cheap guitars are suitable for beginners' needs

Possible assumption: the disadvantages of cheap guitars do not affect beginners

Weakening Data: ?

You are required to find data that weakens the conclusion that cheap guitars are suitable for beginners' needs. The correct answer could be one that exposes the argument's assumption.

This answer choice neither weakens nor strengthens the conclusion because it describes an advantage of cheap guitars for music stores while the conclusion is about the suitability of cheap guitars for beginning guitarists.

Music stores often recommend cheap guitars to customers who are just

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Music stores often recommend cheap guitars to customers who are just

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