PrepTest 146

Incorrect. First, the stimulus talks about successful standup comedians, not all of them. It also brings up what professors hope to achieve, not what they do. Finally, it only talks about a single skill, not an overall skill set.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Argument Completion

Stimulus Summary:
Successful comedians use humor to make points on serious topics memorable.

Answer Anticipation:
The argument is based on comparing professors and comedians. The professors hope to achieve the same goal as comedians, and comedians achieve that goal through humor. Therefore, the conclusion of the argument should state that professors can use humor to achieve the same goal.

Answer Explanation:
Humor is established as a successful means of achieving memorability for serious topics. Since professors hope to accomplish that goal, this argument suggests that incorporating humor is one way to do it. This answer completes the comparison between comedians and professors, so it's correct.

Key Takeaway:
Argument Completion questions frequently deal in comparisons. When the argument is about two things being similar, finish up the comparison in the conclusion.

Incorrect. While this answer raises the suggestion that professors use humor in their classes, it goes too far in stating that they can only be successful if they use humor. The stimulus establishes humor as a potential means to achieve a goal, but it never uses language strong enough to allow a conclusion about it being the only means to achieve that goal.

Incorrect. This answer doesn't bring the goal and method together for professors, so it doesn't close up the argument. Additionally, it's only successful comedians who are established as being able to keep attention for several hours—maybe a lecture being given by an unsuccessful professor would be reason to believe it wouldn't hold attention.

Incorrect. Using humor to make points about serious topics is different than treating those topics in a humorous way. Additionally, just because a method is successful at achieving a goal doesn't mean it's appropriate in all situations.