ISAT - International Student Admissions Identifying Assumptions in Arguments Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A city council member argues, 'To reduce traffic congestion during peak hours, we must invest in expanding our subway system. A larger, more efficient subway will persuade thousands of commuters to abandon their cars for public transit.' Which of the following is a necessary assumption in the council member's argument?
- Building a new subway line is less expensive than constructing new highways.
- A significant number of commuters who currently drive would be willing and able to use the expanded subway system. (Correct answer)
- The current subway system is overcrowded and poorly maintained.
- Traffic congestion is the single most pressing issue for the city's residents.
Correct answer: A significant number of commuters who currently drive would be willing and able to use the expanded subway system.
The argument's conclusion that expanding the subway will reduce traffic rests on the unstated premise that drivers will actually switch to using it. Without this assumption, the premise (expanding the subway) does not logically lead to the conclusion (reduced traffic). The other options are not necessary for the argument's logic; cost comparison (A), the current state of the subway (C), and the relative importance of the issue (D) are all secondary to the core assumption about commuter behavior.
Question 2: A financial analyst stated, 'Our company's stock price has risen 20% in the last year, a direct result of our new CEO's innovative leadership.' The analyst's conclusion depends on which of the following assumptions?
- The company's stock price had been declining in the years prior to the new CEO's arrival.
- The new CEO's leadership was the primary factor driving the stock price increase, and not other external factors like a strong overall market. (Correct answer)
- The CEO's innovations have already led to a significant increase in company profits.
- All innovative leaders cause their company's stock price to increase.
Correct answer: The new CEO's leadership was the primary factor driving the stock price increase, and not other external factors like a strong overall market.
The analyst attributes the stock's rise *directly* to the CEO. This argument assumes that other potential causes, such as a general economic boom or favorable industry trends, were not the main reason for the increase. If a strong market was the real cause, the CEO's leadership wouldn't be the 'direct result.' The prior stock performance (A) isn't necessary, increased profits (C) are a possible result but not a required assumption for the analyst's claim, and the 'all leaders' statement (D) is an overgeneralization not required by the argument.
Question 3: A university administrator claims: 'To improve our graduation rates, we should require all first-year students to attend mandatory weekly study skills workshops.' Which of the following is an assumption underlying this claim?
- First-year students are the only students at the university who struggle academically.
- The current graduation rate is unacceptably low.
- The workshops will be taught by experienced and effective instructors.
- A significant portion of students who fail to graduate do so because they lack effective study skills that can be taught in a workshop. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: A significant portion of students who fail to graduate do so because they lack effective study skills that can be taught in a workshop.
The argument proposes a solution (workshops) to a problem (low graduation rates). For this solution to be effective, it must address a root cause of the problem. The argument therefore assumes that a lack of study skills is a key reason why students are not graduating. If students were failing for other reasons (e.g., financial issues, personal problems), the workshops would not improve graduation rates, and the administrator's claim would be invalid.
Question 4: An advertisement for a new sports drink, 'Quench-It,' states: 'Top marathon runner Helena Price drinks Quench-It before every race. To achieve peak athletic performance like Helena, you should drink Quench-It.' What assumption does the advertisement ask the consumer to make?
- Helena Price is paid to endorse the Quench-It sports drink.
- The sports drink is the causal factor for Helena Price's success, and it will have a similar effect on other consumers. (Correct answer)
- Quench-It tastes better than other sports drinks on the market.
- Peak athletic performance is a goal for everyone who sees the advertisement.
Correct answer: The sports drink is the causal factor for Helena Price's success, and it will have a similar effect on other consumers.
This is an argument from authority or association. It links a product to a successful person and implies that the product causes the success. The core assumption is that the drink is a key reason for Helena's performance and that other athletes can gain the same benefit. Without this assumption, the fact that she drinks it is just a correlation, not a reason for others to buy it.
Question 5: A public health official stated, 'Our city has seen a dramatic rise in cases of Type 2 diabetes. Since regular exercise is known to help prevent this condition, we are launching a campaign to provide free access to all city-owned gyms.' The official's plan to combat diabetes relies on which of the following assumptions?
- The cost of gym memberships was the primary barrier preventing residents from exercising regularly. (Correct answer)
- The campaign will be funded entirely by the city's existing health budget.
- City-owned gyms are conveniently located for all residents.
- No other health conditions are as serious as Type 2 diabetes in the city.
Correct answer: The cost of gym memberships was the primary barrier preventing residents from exercising regularly.
The plan offers a solution (free gym access) to encourage an action (exercise). This plan only makes sense if the reason people weren't exercising was related to the cost of access. The argument assumes that cost is the main obstacle. If the barriers were actually lack of time, motivation, or knowledge, providing free access would not significantly increase exercise rates and thus would not be an effective way to combat diabetes.
Question 6: A historian argues: 'The fall of the ancient Roman Empire was primarily caused by its over-reliance on slave labor, which led to technological stagnation and economic fragility. Therefore, any modern nation that becomes overly dependent on cheap, foreign labor risks a similar collapse.' Which of the following is a key assumption of the historian's argument?
- Modern nations do not use slave labor.
- The economic and social structures of modern nations are sufficiently analogous to those of the Roman Empire for the comparison to be valid. (Correct answer)
- Technological stagnation is always a direct result of reliance on cheap labor.
- The Roman Empire would not have collapsed if it had continued to expand its territory.
Correct answer: The economic and social structures of modern nations are sufficiently analogous to those of the Roman Empire for the comparison to be valid.
The argument uses a historical analogy, drawing a parallel between ancient Rome and modern nations. For this analogy to be logical, the historian must assume that the underlying conditions are similar enough that the same cause (reliance on cheap labor) would produce the same effect (collapse). If the economic systems are fundamentally different, the comparison is invalid and the conclusion does not follow from the premise.
ISAT - International Student Admissions Identifying Assumptions in Arguments Questions and Answers
A city council member argues, 'To reduce traffic congestion during peak hours, we must invest in expanding our subway system.
A larger, more efficient subway will persuade thousands of commuters to abandon their cars for public transit.' Which of the following is a necessary assumption in the council member's argument?