PrepTest 113

Incorrect. Carla doesn't accuse Mark of not understanding the Battle of Waterloo, just pushing for an approach to understanding it that will lead to a biased view.

Incorrect. While Mark's view does require a historian to capture the experience of people in the past, which would presumably involve understanding how that person felt about the events, this isn't the aspect of the approach that Carla has a problem with. If anything, she assumes that this can be done, since those feelings would be a key part of the bias introduced into an understanding of history by focusing on them!

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument/Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed/Flawed

Question Type:
Methods of Reasoning

Stimulus Summary:
M: Historians need to capture things like what it was like to fight at Waterloo, so they should focus on capturing what it was like to experience past events.

C: That involves picking someone's perspective, which results in bias, so they should stick to objective accounts.

Answer Anticipation:
The question asks us to describe how Carla's argument functions as a rebuttal to Mark's argument. When we're trying to describe a rebuttal, we want to consider whether that rebuttal has issues with the premises or logic/an assumption of the other view, or whether it brings in new information.

Here, Carla brings up a new consideration. She doesn't question whether it's possible to do what Mark asks, but rather that doing so is problematic because it can result in "a biased version of history." This should be reflected in the correct answer.

Answer Explanation:
Carla argues that "choosing" a perspective would "generate a biased version of history," so this answer describes her argument and is thus correct.

Key Takeaway:
When asked to describe a rebuttal, always consider whether the second speaker questions the first speaker's premises or logic/assumption, or whether she introduces new information or considerations. This should cover a solid description of almost all rebuttals!

Incorrect. Mark doesn't describe any writing that he "deplores" or even dislikes, so Carla couldn't question that description!

Incorrect. There's no accusation that Mark is looking out for himself here.