PrepTest 136

Incorrect. Y doesn't talk about photographs making statements, so this answer is out of scope of her argument.

Incorrect. We can't commit either speaker to having an opinion on this answer. Y brings up attractiveness as a sufficient condition for a good photograph, but she could believe there are others. Z brings up making a statement as a necessary condition, but that could only apply when the photo is also pretty!

Incorrect. Z believes the photograph in question is pretty but doesn't make a statement, so he'd agree with this answer. Y doesn't discuss making a statement at all, though, so we don't know her opinion here.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument/Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed/Flawed

Question Type:
Point at Issue

Stimulus Summary:
Y: This photo's composition is good (including the smoke), so it's a good photo.

Z: This photo doesn't make a statement, and the smoke is pointless, so it's a bad photo.

Answer Anticipation:
Y and Z clearly disagree over whether the photograph is a good one, but it's almost certain that the answer won't be that easy (this is question #19, after all), so we need to dig in a bit more.

Why do they disagree over whether the photograph is good? It's because they have different criteria for determining that. Y clearly believes that an attractive composition can be sufficient for a photograph to be good, whereas Z doesn't (he admits the photo is pretty but still thinks it's bad). Z, instead, focuses on making a statement, which he establishes as a necessary condition for a photo to be good (since this one is bad because it doesn't make a statement).

So the answer could reflect that they disagree over the quality of the photo, but it's more likely that the correct answer will highlight their different criteria for reaching that determination.

Answer Explanation:
This answer highlights what makes a photograph a good photograph, which we identified as a point at issue between the speakers. Y believes this photograph is good because it is attractive, so she'd agree with this answer. Z believes that making a statement is necessary for a photo to be good, so attractiveness itself isn't enough to make a photo good (plus, this photo is attractive and not good). This highlights the point at issue between them.

Key Takeaway:
When a harder (read: later in the section) Point at Issue question has two speakers who explicitly disagree with each other's conclusions, the answer will probably reflect something about their reasoning instead of that conclusion itself. Be sure to dig in a bit deeper during your anticipation step so you don't get caught off guard in the answers!

Incorrect. Neither speaker explicitly connects the two.