PrepTest 131

Incorrect. There's no indication that the residents of Hollyville know the residents of the flood-devastated town more than the earthquake-devastated town.

Incorrect. The situation in the stimulus involves the aid donated by Hollyville residents, not their support for government relief programs.

Incorrect. While the stimulus does note that the earthquake was highly publicized, it doesn't note how much total aid they received (just the proportion of residents from Hollyville who donated), nor does it note how publicized the flood was, so we can't make the comparison this answer requires.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Strengthen

Stimulus Summary:
A few years ago: A small minority of Hollyville residents sent aid to the victims of an earthquake
Last year: Hollyville was hit by a tornado and received emergency aid
This year: A majority of Hollyville residents sent aid to the victims of a flood

Answer Anticipation:
This question is asking us to find a generalization that matches with the situation in the stimulus, so it's important to understand the details from the stimulus. There's a clear timeline to that situation, but it's presented all out of order, so we'd recommend laying it out in a manner that makes it easier to see the progression.

And that progression focuses on Hollyville. Residents of that town weren't very generous until they themselves received aid in the wake of a natural disaster, at which point they became much more generous when donating to a future town that saw a natural disaster. To generalize from Hollyville's example, focused on comparing their actions before and after their disaster, it seems as if people are more willing to donate money to natural disaster victims after they themselves were victims of a natural disaster (and received aid).

Answer Explanation:
This answer highlights the story of Hollyville. Most residents weren't willing to donate to natural disaster victims; those residents were hit by a tornado; most residents were willing to donate. After a disaster struck the residents of Hollyville, they were more likely to aid others in need, as this answer generalizes.

Key Takeaway:
Timelines are almost always important when presented in an argument, but the argument will frequently make it difficult to track that timeline. Make sure you understand the progression of events when tackling a question!

Incorrect. While it is noted that the flood-devastated town is a small river town, and Hollyville is also a river town, the hardship Hollyville experienced was a tornado, not a flood, so this answer doesn't speak to Hollyville's situation.