Point at IssueDiff: Easy
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Professor Beckstein thinks ASL shouldn't count for a college language requirement because it's local. Professor Sedley points out that French and Spanish are also local to many North Americans, yet they count, and it would be silly to stop that.
Conclusion: American Sign Language should be excluded from the university's foreign language requirement because it is native to North America.
Reasoning: The professor argues that because ASL is a native language of many North Americans, it does not qualify as a 'foreign' language.
Analysis: To identify the point at issue, we apply the 'Agree/Disagree' test to each speaker's position. Beckstein explicitly claims that being a native North American language is a sufficient reason to disqualify a language from the requirement. Sedley, while not explicitly defending ASL, uses a counter-example to show that Beckstein's logic would lead to the 'ridiculous' conclusion of banning French and Spanish. Look for an answer choice that addresses whether the status of being a native North American language should automatically disqualify a language from satisfying the requirement.
Conclusion: American Sign Language should be excluded from the university's foreign language requirement because it is native to North America.
Reasoning: The professor argues that because ASL is a native language of many North Americans, it does not qualify as a 'foreign' language.
Analysis: To identify the point at issue, we apply the 'Agree/Disagree' test to each speaker's position. Beckstein explicitly claims that being a native North American language is a sufficient reason to disqualify a language from the requirement. Sedley, while not explicitly defending ASL, uses a counter-example to show that Beckstein's logic would lead to the 'ridiculous' conclusion of banning French and Spanish. Look for an answer choice that addresses whether the status of being a native North American language should automatically disqualify a language from satisfying the requirement.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage19.Their statements commit Professors Beckstein and Sedley to disagreeing about which one of the following?
Correct Answer
E
E captures their disagreement exactly. Beckstein explicitly uses the fact that a language is native to many North Americans as a sufficient reason to prohibit it from satisfying the requirement. Sedley’s response shows he rejects that principle as it would absurdly ban French and Spanish.
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