PrepTest 154

Incorrect. This is a subsidiary conclusion, which you can determine by noticing that, while it receives support from one premise of the argument, it also supports the conclusion about modern people. The main point is selfish, only receiving and never giving logical support.

Incorrect. Watch out for unexpected value judgments in answer choices! "Should" isn't anywhere in the stimulus. It's entirely possible our historian is an evil genius who is saying all of this as a preface to revealing their nefarious plan to ensure that people don't work cooperatively together and start getting along better.

Incorrect. This is a premise, which you can determine by noticing that the only reason we believe it is "because the author said so." It receives no support from premises, so it can't be a conclusion.

Incorrect. This is a paraphrase of a premise and subsidiary conclusion from the stimulus. It's leaving out the entire portion that was in the author's point of view, following "so."

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Main Point

Stimulus Summary:
The historian says people in medieval communities needed to work together and suspend personal grievances to meet their basic needs, which made these communities very close-knit. So, if people in modern industrialized societies worked together more, we'd get along better too.

Answer Anticipation:
Notice the conclusion word "so" here? Like other words that signify a shift in tone from a neutral perspective into the author's perspective, "so" usually introduces the conclusion. The correct answer choice will be a paraphrase of the final sentence of the stimulus. Take note of the temporal fallacy here, by the way. Just because A led to B in the past doesn't mean A will lead to B if implemented today. If that was true, swimming would still frequently lead to Polio.

Answer Explanation:
This is exactly what we anticipated: a paraphrase of the sentence that followed "so," which was supported by a premise and a subsidiary conclusion.

Key Takeaway:
Main Point questions with a stimulus featuring both a subsidiary conclusion and a main conclusion sometimes trip up even well-prepared students. Remember, the task isn't just "find a conclusion." It's "find the main conclusion." That's the thing that supports nothing else in the argument and is supported by everything else.