PrepTest 124

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Main Point

Stimulus Summary:
The shoe business was important locally, but it's in decline, so the area needs new industries. Public policy hurts business growth. Therefore, we must find new ways to help grow businesses.

Answer Anticipation:
This argument uses a normal structural keyword in an interesting way, so let's start working through it.

We start off with a determination of what "must" be done. This type of recommendation could be a conclusion—with support in the form of why it must be done—or it could be a premise that's used to justify a specific recommendation later on.

The follow-up statement, on the other hand, is introduced with, "After all," letting us know that the first statement is receiving support, so that first statement is a conclusion of some type.

This sentence starting with, "After all," though, takes an interesting twist. It includes a pivot word— "but"—but it doesn't use it to pivot from one argument to another. Rather, it pivots from one trend to another, both of which are a part of the argument. So this argument highlights that pivots, while frequently showing a shift from an opposing point to the author's argument, can also be used to pivot between facts in the author's argument. This will generally happen when showing a change, or balancing out pros and cons.

That second sentence ends with a conclusion ("so"), but since the entire sentence starts as a premise, this must be an intermediate conclusion. "Moreover" tells us that the last sentence serves the same function as the preceding one, making it another premise.

So that first sentence does end up being the main point of the argument—that the region has to find new ways to help business grow.

Answer Explanation:
This answer almost directly restates the first sentence, so it's the correct answer.

Key Takeaway:
Pivot keywords generally highlight a shift from an opposing point to the author's viewpoint. However, they can also be used to pivot within the same viewpoint/argument to highlight a change or to show a balance in the view (e.g., between pros and cons).

Incorrect. This answer is arguably not even stated in the argument because even if shoe manufacturing is no longer a major local industry, it could still be a major source of income. Even if you view it as conveying the same information as that pivot statement, it's a fact that supports the conclusion that the region has to find new ways to help businesses grow (via the intermediate conclusion).

Incorrect. This answer restates the premise that directly supports the intermediate conclusion, so it's a premise.

Incorrect. This answer is pretty close to restating the intermediate conclusion of the argument. However, note that this answer is about what business must do, whereas the conclusion of the argument is about what the region must do to help business.

Incorrect. This answer is similar to the last statement (with a "generally" removed, which changes the strength). That statement was a premise for the argument, supporting the conclusion that the region has to find new ways to help business grow.