PrepTest 117

Incorrect. This answer establishes one potential downside of long breaks, but this particular downside doesn't have to be true for it to be the case that removing them will serve the interests of children. It could be that children don't forget what they've learned over long breaks, but removing them serves the best interests of children because it provides more structure or gets them used to working throughout the year instead of taking summers off.

Incorrect. If anything, this answer establishes that a subset of children have interests not served by removing long breaks, running counter to the argument.

Incorrect. The Editorial recommends removing long breaks, but she doesn't suggest or require a specific alternative. As such, the specificity here is too much—a break longer than the average vacation but shorter than the current long breaks could serve children well.

Incorrect. So close, but then it goes wrong at the end. The argument cares about the interests of children, not agricultural interests.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Strengthen with Necessary Premise

Stimulus Summary:
An old reason for the current school schedule no longer applies
Goal — Update the school schedule to serve the interests of children
Recommended approach — Remove long breaks

Answer Anticipation:
There's a lot of information about what was true before the, "But," which ends up being pretty immaterial to the logic here. After that pivot, the argument essentially says that the old reason for a certain practice doesn't matter anymore, so we can also downplay what it says!

Instead, let's focus on the argument itself—Because of how things are now, the school schedule can be changed to "serve the interests of children." Based on this goal the Editorial recommends eliminating long breaks from the school calendar.

However that fails to establish that removing these long breaks does serve the interests of children. In other words the Editorial never establishes that the action she recommends will help in achieving the goal she sets forth. Therefore the correct answer should establish that it will—that removing long breaks from the school schedule will serve the interests of children.

Answer Explanation:
This answer establishes that the recommendation made by the Editorial will help to achieve her stated goal so this is the correct answer. If removing long breaks wouldn't serve the interests of children then the argument falls apart because there's no longer a reason to recommend that course of action.

Key Takeaway:
When an argument makes a recommendation it needs to establish a goal/criteria by which the recommendation can be made and establish that the recommendation helps in achieving that goal. Failing to do either is a flaw and a correct answer is likely to discuss the missing element.