PrepTest 122

Incorrect. Gustav brings this up, so he'd agree. Ilana doesn't speak to the compassion in Carver's stories, so this is out of scope of her argument.

Incorrect. Both Ilana and Gustav mention that Carver's stories are pessimistic, so this is a point of agreement.

Incorrect. Ilana doesn't discuss humor, so this answer is out of scope of her statements.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument/Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed/Flawed

Question Type:
Point at Issue

Stimulus Summary:
I: Carver's stories are depressing and don't end happily, so he's a bad writer.

G: His stories are depressing but also have good characteristics, so he's a great writer.

Answer Anticipation:
Point at Issue questions that show up earlier in the section tend to have competing conclusions, and that's no different here. Ilana believes that Carver is an "inferior" writer, whereas Gustav believes he's one of the best of the past several decades. This is a clear point at issue between them, and one that's likely to show up in the correct answer.

Especially since, outside of the conclusion, the two seem to largely agree. They both feel Carver's stories are depressing and have sad endings. Gustav brings up some other characteristics that are unmentioned by Ilana, so that's not a point at issue. We're really left with points of agreement and conclusions that disagree, so let's find an answer reflecting these competing conclusions.

Answer Explanation:
This answer isn't exactly what we anticipated, but it brings up the main point of the argument, so we should consider it. Ilana believes that Carver's stories demonstrate inferior writing because they're somber and pessimistic, so she'd disagree with this answer. Gustav believes Carver to be a somber and pessimistic writer who was also one of the best writers, so he'd agree with this answer. Since they have opposite opinions on this answer, it's the point at issue between them.

Key Takeaway:
Sometimes, Point at Issue questions try to hide the right answer by connecting what you're anticipating to other concepts from the stimulus. What's important while analyzing the answers is to focus on anything that brings up the concept that you identified to see if it works as an answer, not to find something that precisely matches your anticipation!

Incorrect. While Ilana and Gustav disagree over whether pessimism is one of these characteristics, there's nothing committing either to disagreeing with this answer, and Ilana's comments suggest she agrees with this since she sites two characteristics as a "sign" of inferior writing.