Necessary AssumptionDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: We have to keep forcing people to retire at 65, otherwise young people won't be able to find jobs and that's just not fair.
Conclusion: The policy of mandatory retirement at age 65 should be kept in place.
Reasoning: Allowing older workers to stay indefinitely would prevent young people from entering the professions they trained for and would be unfair to those seeking new opportunities.
Analysis: The journalist's argument relies on a 'zero-sum' view of the job market—the idea that there is a fixed number of seats and an older person must get up for a younger person to sit down. For the conclusion to hold, it must be true that the job market cannot simply expand to accommodate both groups. If the economy could create enough jobs for everyone regardless of age, the 'unacceptable outcomes' the author fears wouldn't necessarily happen. Look for an assumption that links the continued employment of the elderly directly to the exclusion of the young.
Conclusion: The policy of mandatory retirement at age 65 should be kept in place.
Reasoning: Allowing older workers to stay indefinitely would prevent young people from entering the professions they trained for and would be unfair to those seeking new opportunities.
Analysis: The journalist's argument relies on a 'zero-sum' view of the job market—the idea that there is a fixed number of seats and an older person must get up for a younger person to sit down. For the conclusion to hold, it must be true that the job market cannot simply expand to accommodate both groups. If the economy could create enough jobs for everyone regardless of age, the 'unacceptable outcomes' the author fears wouldn't necessarily happen. Look for an assumption that links the continued employment of the elderly directly to the exclusion of the young.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage15.The journalist's argument depends on assuming which one of the following?
Correct Answer
E
Negation test: If no one would choose to work past 65 when it’s no longer mandatory, then there’s no displacement of young workers and no fairness issue from continued work. That guts the argument’s case for retaining mandatory retirement. So E is necessary.
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