Sonex Corporation Executive: Vision-related problems such as blurred vision and headaches have been experienced by employees ofSonex Corporation who use video-display terminals every day for extended periods. These problems are quickly and entirely reversible through modifications to individual terminals and work spaces. Precisely what modifications need to be made depends on knowing the individual user’s specific problems. Since we cannot predict what these problems will turn out to be and since our standard design for employees’ work spaces keeps the incidence of such problems lower than any other design we know of, it is clear that our policy of undertaking modifications only when an employee reports vision-related problems is as responsive to employees’ legitimate health concerns as current circumstances permit.The main conclusion presented by the passage is the following:
it is clear that our policy of undertaking modifications only when an employee reports vision-related problems is as responsive to employees’ legitimate health concerns as current circumstances permitThe support for that conclusion is the following:
Precisely what modifications need to be made depends on knowing the individual user’s specific problems.
we cannot predict what these problems will turn out to be
our standard design for employees’ work spaces keeps the incidence of such problems lower than any other design we know ofThe passage also includes some background information:
Vision-related problems such as blurred vision and headaches have been experienced by employees ofSonex Corporation who use video-display terminals every day for extended periods. These problems are quickly and entirely reversible through modifications to individual terminals and work spaces.So, the passage is fairly straightforward: it begins with background information, then provides some factual premises, and finally states a conclusion supported by those premises.
In the Sonex Corporation executive’s argument, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?A. The first describes a circumstance that is addressed by the policy response that the argument seeks to justify; the second provides evidence to support the main conclusion of the argument.The first part of this choice is correct since the first boldfaced portion does describe a circumstance that exists at Sonex Corporation, the argument does seek to justify the policy presented by the final sentence, undertaking modifications only when an employee reports vision-related problems, and that policy is the corporation's way of addressing employees' vision-related problems.
The second part of this choice is also correct since the second bolfaced portion does provide support for the conclusion "it is clear that our policy of undertaking modifications only when an employee reports vision-related problems is as responsive to employees’ legitimate health concerns as current circumstances permit."
So, both parts of this choice are correct.
Keep.
B. The first describes a circumstance that is addressed by the policy response that the argument seeks to justify; the second is evidence that has been used to argue that no coherent policy can be formulated.The first part of this choice is correct since the first boldfaced portion does describe a circumstance that exists at Sonex Corporation, the argument does seek to justify the policy presented by the final sentence, undertaking modifications only when an employee reports vision-related problems, and that policy is the corporation's way of addressing employees' vision-related problems.
However, the second part of this choice is not correct since the executive does not argue that "no coherent policy can be formulated."
The executive says something somewhat similar to "no coherent policy can be formulated," but it's not quite the same. The executive indicates that there's no strategy other than waiting for an employee to report vision-related problems that the corporation can use. At the same time, that approach of waiting is the company's "policy." So, the executive uses the information provided by the second boldfaced portion to make a case for the company's policy rather than to support the conclusion that "no coherent policy can be formulated."
Eliminate.
C. The first provides evidence to support the main conclusion of the argument; the second is a claim that the argument acknowledges as an unanswered objection to that main conclusion.The first does not provide evidence to support the main conclusion. Rather it provides background information about a situation that the main conclusion is about.
The second is not an objection to the main conclusion. It supports the main conclusion.
Eliminate.
D. The first provides evidence to support the main conclusion of the argument; the second is a consideration that has been used to argue that there might never be more evidence than is already available.The first does not provide evidence to support the main conclusion. Rather it provides background information about a situation that the main conclusion is about.
The second is a consideration used for support. However, it's not used to "argue that there might never be more evidence than is already available." It's used to argue that, currently, there's no more responsive way to handle the vision-related problems.
Eliminate.
E. The first is an objection that has been raised against a policy defended in the argument; the second provides evidence to support the main conclusion of the argument.The second does provide evidence to support the main conclusion of the argument.
However, the first is not an objection to the policy. Rather, it presents the issue that the policy of "undertaking modifications only when an employee reports vision-related problems" is meant to address.
So, since this choice is half incorrect, it's not the correct answer.
Eliminate.
Correct answer: A