PrepTest 102

Incorrect. Paul doesn't say that the forced volunteering counts as volunteering, but rather that some individuals then actually volunteer, so this answer isn't a point at issue between them (it seems as if they both agree forced volunteering doesn't count).

Incorrect. The debate isn't over whether people enjoy forced volunteering, but rather whether it can count as volunteering. Paul says that some do enjoy it, but Sarah's not committed to believing they can't—just that it still doesn't count as volunteering! Or that, even if they enjoy it, they don't do it again on their own.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument/Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed/Flawed

Question Type:
Point at Issue

Stimulus Summary:
S: Forcing someone to do something isn't volunteering, so that person can't have a volunteering habit fostered, so forcing someone to volunteer can't foster volunteerism.

P: Some forced volunteers like it and continue on, so forcing people to volunteer can foster volunteerism.

Answer Anticipation:
First, before we even think about this question, we should remind ourselves of the work we just did for question #21. There, we identified Paul's method of rebuttal—he raised a new consideration that called an assumption of Sarah's into question. As such, they disagree on that assumption, so we can start with that as an anticipation—Sarah assumes that none of these students who were forced to volunteer enjoy it so much they volunteer for real; Paul brings up some examples of this.

Second, when a second speaker in a Point at Issue question starts off by saying that they disagree with the first speaker, you should figure out what, specifically, they disagree with! Here, Paul follows up Sarah's claim that a forced volunteer policy can't foster a habit of volunteering with his statement of disagreement. Therefore, he must believe that it can work—which is backed up by what we know of his argument.

We have two points of disagreement (over the conclusion, and over an assumption), so let's head to the answer choices to find one of them.

Answer Explanation:
This answer reflects the point at issue between Sarah and Paul. Sarah believes that forcing people to volunteer can't successfully foster a habit of volunteering. Paul, on the other hand, believes that forcing people to volunteer results in some people enjoying it and then continuing to volunteer. Since they disagree on this answer, it's correct.

Key Takeaway:
When a second speaker starts their statement with, "I disagree," start by figuring out what they disagree with! That's the whole idea behind a Point at Issue question! Answer choice explanations:

Incorrect. Paul believes that the current policy does foster that habit, so he agrees with this answer. Sarah believes that this policy doesn't work, but that doesn't commit her to believing that no policy could work, so she doesn't necessarily disagree with it.

Incorrect. Sarah doesn't discuss students who have developed a habit of volunteering, so what they do later in life is out of scope of her argument, and thus this can't be a point at issue between her and Paul.