PrepTest 136

Incorrect. This answer would strengthen Tamara's argument by showing it wasn't just the rich who were afraid of ninjas.

Incorrect. This answer might suggest that the security measures taken by rich people wouldn't be effective, but it doesn't weaken her argument that most people feared them. If anything, it makes them more fearsome!

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts/Argument

Valid or Flawed:
NA/Flawed

Question Type:
Weaken

Stimulus Summary:
P: In Japan's Tokugawa period, ninjas were trained in assassination, but most people weren't afraid of them.

T: Rich people built their houses with squeaky floors, so most people were afraid of them.

Answer Anticipation:
Patricia's statement is very broad—"most Japanese" weren't afraid of ninjas. Tamara's response, however, is about a limited subset of people—just the rich. While her history lesson might establish that rich people were afraid of ninjas, that doesn't establish that most people were, which is the statement she's rebutting.

Any answer that brings up the jump from most people to rich people will serve as a good counter to Tamara's argument.

Answer Explanation:
This answer highlights that the sample Tamara relies on to make her argument is small compared to the overall population, so it doesn't serve as a full rebuttal to Patricia's statement about what was true of most people at the time.

Key Takeaway:
Always pay attention to what groups are being discussed, and note any shift in those groups. Modifiers are particularly important—"wealthy" people instead of just people.

Incorrect. The argument is about how people felt towards ninjas during the Tokugawa period, so what happened after is out of scope.

Incorrect. The argument is about how people felt towards ninjas during the Tokugawa period, so what happened before or after is out of scope.