PrepTest 119

Incorrect. The author establishes that Kathleen is a successful documentary director—that's a pretty solid amount of information.

Incorrect. The author says that documentary filmmakers "rarely" work with famous actors, and she concludes that saying she has "probably" worked with famous actors is unwarranted. Neither of those is strong enough to align with this answer ("must not have").

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Valid

Question Type:
Methods of Reasoning

Stimulus Summary:
F: Kathleen is a successful director, so she's probably worked with famous actors.

Author: She makes documentaries, and it's rare for a documentary director to work with famous actors, so she probably hasn't worked with famous actors.

Answer Anticipation:
When an argument rebuts another one, it's important to understand how it does so. Does it question the premises? Question the logic? Bring in new information? Accept the conclusion but for different reasons?

Here, the author of the argument disagrees with Fred's conclusion (calling it "unwarranted"). However, she agrees with both Fred's premise and his assumption—that Kathleen is a successful director (premise), and that successful directors generally work with famous actors (assumption).

So how does she reach this separate conclusion? She brings in new information—Kathleen is a documentary director, and these directors rarely work with famous actors.

Let's find an answer saying that Kathleen agrees with Fred's premises but brings in new information to show that those premises don't apply in this case to lead to the conclusion.

Answer Explanation:
This answer reflects the author's rebuttal. She accepts Fred's premise and assumption, but she rejects his conclusion by bringing in new information—that Kathleen is a documentary director, and they rarely work with famous actors.

Key Takeaway:
When a Methods of Reasoning question asks about a rebuttal, determine whether the rebuttal accepts or rejects the premises, conclusion, assumptions, and logic of the opposing point. Knowing where there's agreement and where there's disagreement will be key in characterizing that rebuttal.

Incorrect. This answer is too strong. In concluding that Kathleen has "probably" worked with famous actors, Fred is assuming that most have worked with this group, not all.

Incorrect. The author of the argument states that Fred is "right" in this assumption, so she doesn't respond to his argument simply by showing that he failed to establish it.