Necessary AssumptionDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Since diet and exercise work as well as pills but don't have the pills' bad side effects, the natural route is the healthier choice.
Conclusion: Choosing lifestyle changes over medication is a healthier way to lower blood pressure.
Reasoning: Blood pressure medication causes unhealthy side effects, whereas lifestyle changes are equally effective at reducing blood pressure.
Analysis: The doctor is making a 'net health' calculation but only looking at one side of the ledger. To conclude that lifestyle changes are definitively healthier, we must assume that these changes don't bring their own set of equally bad or worse side effects. For example, if intense exercise caused more heart strain than the medication's side effects, the conclusion would fall apart. Look for an answer that addresses this gap by ensuring the lifestyle changes aren't just as harmful as the drugs they replace.
Conclusion: Choosing lifestyle changes over medication is a healthier way to lower blood pressure.
Reasoning: Blood pressure medication causes unhealthy side effects, whereas lifestyle changes are equally effective at reducing blood pressure.
Analysis: The doctor is making a 'net health' calculation but only looking at one side of the ledger. To conclude that lifestyle changes are definitively healthier, we must assume that these changes don't bring their own set of equally bad or worse side effects. For example, if intense exercise caused more heart strain than the medication's side effects, the conclusion would fall apart. Look for an answer that addresses this gap by ensuring the lifestyle changes aren't just as harmful as the drugs they replace.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage21.Which one of the following is an assumption that the doctor's argument requires?
Correct Answer
C
C is required. It states that any side effects of exercising more and avoiding fatty foods are less unhealthy than those of the medication. Negation test: if it’s false—i.e., the lifestyle side effects are at least as unhealthy as the medication’s—then the conclusion that it’s healthier to rely on lifestyle changes collapses. So C is necessary.
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