Analyzing Arguments (2)

Directions to Solve

Read the paragraph carefully and determine the main point the author is trying to make. What conclusion can be drawn from the argument? Each paragraph is followed by five statements.One statement supports the author's argument better than the others do.

One of the warmest winters on record has put consumers in the mood to spend money. Spending is likely to be the strongest in thirteen years. During the month of February, sales of existing single-family homes hit an annual record rate of 4.75 million.
This paragraph best supports the statement that

A.	consumer spending will be higher thirteen years from now than it is today.
B.	more people buy houses in the month of February than in any other month.
C.	during the winter months, the prices of single-family homes are the lowest.
D.	there were about 4 million homes for sale during the month of February.
E.	warm winter weather is likely to affect the rate of home sales.

Answer: Option E

Explanation:

This is clearly the best answer because the paragraph directly states that warm weather affects consumers inclination to spend. It furthers states that the sales of single-family homes was at an all-time high. There is no support for choice a or c. Choice b is wrong because even though there were high sales for a particular February, this does not mean that sales are not higher in other months. Choice d presents a misleading figure of 4 million. The paragraph states that the record of 4.75 million was at an annual, not a monthly, rate.

10.

One New York publisher has estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 people in the United States want an anthology that includes the complete works of William Shakespeare. And what accounts for this renewed interest in Shakespeare? As scholars point out, his psychological insights into both male and female characters are amazing even today.
This paragraph best supports the statement that

A.	Shakespeare's characters are more interesting than fictional characters today.
B.	people even today are interested in Shakespeare's work because of the characters.
C.	academic scholars are putting together an anthology of Shakespeare's work.
D.	New Yorkers have a renewed interested in the work of Shakespeare.
E.	Shakespeare was a psychiatrist as well as a playwright.

Answer: Option B

Explanation:

The last sentence in the paragraph clearly gives support for the idea that the interest in Shakespeare is due to the development of his characters. Choice a is incorrect because the writer never makes this type of comparison. Choice c is wrong because even though scholars are mentioned in the paragraph, there is no indication that the scholars are compiling the anthology. Choice d is wrong because there is no support to show that most New Yorkers are interested in this work. There is no support for choice e either.

Analyzing Arguments (2)

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