PrepTest 142

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Main Point

Stimulus Summary:
Convincing the public that a program benefits society makes them more receptive. Here's an example. So community organizers should focus on how higher ed programs benefit everyone to build support.

Answer Anticipation:
The argument starts with a "soft" recommendation ("soft" in that it doesn't explicitly state that community organizers should do something, but more or less establishing that to be the case). Recommendations generally need support, and therefore they tend to be conclusions.

That trend pans out here, where the following sentence explains why the recommended approach is justified—a premise supporting the recommendation. It ends with an example, which will always be a premise.

So the correct answer should reflect that first statement—Community organizers who want to build support for higher ed programs should convince the public they help society.

Answer Explanation:
This answer paraphrases the first sentence, so it's the correct answer.

Key Takeaway:
Recommendations (even ones that are more implied than stated) are generally conclusions. Examples are almost always premises.

Incorrect. This answer is a principle underlying the argument, an explicit part of the example, and a slight paraphrase from the second sentence—in any case, not the conclusion.

Incorrect. First, this answer is never stated in the stimulus—it only says getting the public to support road building is easier. Second, barring that, it's an example, so it's a premise and not a conclusion.

Incorrect. This answer is an implication of the second sentence, the premise that provided the reason for the soft recommendation in the conclusion. So it's both unstated and more of a match for a premise.

Incorrect. The argument implies this connection but never states it. Additionally, the argument isn't about actually being beneficial to society as a whole—it's about convincing people that's the case.