Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: A teacher argues that since abstract science doesn't help adults make daily choices, but school is supposed to help with those choices, science class should focus on practical arguments like health policy.

Conclusion: High school science classes should shift focus toward evaluating practical, science-based arguments.

Reasoning: Abstract science doesn't help with daily decisions, but school skills are supposed to be useful for those decisions.

Analysis: There is a noticeable gap between 'evaluating science-based arguments' and 'making daily decisions.' The teacher assumes that teaching students to evaluate these arguments will actually help them make those daily decisions. We need to find a link that makes 'evaluating arguments' a useful skill for 'daily life.' Ask yourself: what if evaluating arguments is just as useless for daily life as abstract science? The argument would fall apart.

Passage Stimulus

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19.

Which one of the following is an assumption the science teacher's argument requires?

Correct Answer
E
E states that the ability to evaluate science-based arguments regarding practical issues is sometimes useful for decisions adults typically make. This connects the “should be useful” standard to the proposed curriculum change. Negation test: if that ability were never useful, the conclusion would be unsupported and the argument would fail.
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