PrepTest 137

Incorrect. Annie blames the university's administrators, and Matilda blames the library officials—who presumably are administrators at the university. This is a point of agreement.

Incorrect. This is Annie's conclusion. Matilda doesn't believe that students should pay for the repairs, but she could believe that that is the fastest method to effect repairs, so this isn't necessarily a point of disagreement.

Incorrect. Annie implies that she believes students will benefit from an improved library, but Matilda never suggests otherwise, so this isn't a point of disagreement.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument/Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed/Flawed

Question Type:
Point at Issue

Stimulus Summary:
A: The university admins have neglected the library, so it should be fixed by charging students a fee.
M: The library officials are to blame, so students shouldn't have to pay to fix it.

Answer Anticipation:
Annie and Matilda both seem on board with the library being in poor condition, and possibly even that it should be fixed. And they both blame individuals who work for the school for the current sad state of the library.

Where they disagree is on who should pay for the library to be fixed up. Annie believes it should be covered by a fee on the library users, whereas Matilda believes that would be unfair since they're not to blame for the disrepair. Note that Matilda doesn't explicitly state who should pay, just that students shouldn't.

Let's find an answer that deals with who should be financially responsible for the library repairs.

Answer Explanation:
Annie believes students should pay for the repairs even though she notes that they're not to blame and administrators are—so she would agree with this answer. Matilda believes that students shouldn't have to pay for the mistakes of others, so she'd disagree with this answer. This is therefore the point at issue between them.

Key Takeaway:
Always be on the lookout for overlap when in a Point at Issue question. Here, the correct answer came from an overlap that would be easy to miss—both speakers discuss what "should" happen. Don't just look at content-based overlap—also look for logic overlap!

Incorrect. Annie states that student fees are the "fastest" way to fix the library, implying she believes there are others. Matilda believes that student fees shouldn't be used, implying she also believes there are other methods. This is, if anything, a point of agreement between them.