Necessary AssumptionDiff: Easy
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Historians used to think Sumerians invented literature, but some newly found Egyptian tablets from around 3300 B.C. seem to have stories on them, which would mean the Sumerians weren't necessarily the first.
Conclusion: The discovery of these Egyptian clay tablets challenges the common historical view that Sumerians were the first people to produce literature.
Reasoning: These tablets, which date back to 3300–3200 B.C., appear to contain literary writing.
Analysis: For these Egyptian tablets to 'challenge' the status of the Sumerians, the Sumerian literature must not be significantly older than these tablets. The argument contains a chronological gap: it never tells us when the earliest known Sumerian literature dates from. If Sumerian literature dates back to 3500 B.C., then these 3300 B.C. Egyptian tablets don't challenge their 'first' status at all. Therefore, the argument must assume that Sumerian literature does not definitively predate these Egyptian finds.
Conclusion: The discovery of these Egyptian clay tablets challenges the common historical view that Sumerians were the first people to produce literature.
Reasoning: These tablets, which date back to 3300–3200 B.C., appear to contain literary writing.
Analysis: For these Egyptian tablets to 'challenge' the status of the Sumerians, the Sumerian literature must not be significantly older than these tablets. The argument contains a chronological gap: it never tells us when the earliest known Sumerian literature dates from. If Sumerian literature dates back to 3500 B.C., then these 3300 B.C. Egyptian tablets don't challenge their 'first' status at all. Therefore, the argument must assume that Sumerian literature does not definitively predate these Egyptian finds.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage7.The argument in the newspaper article requires the assumption that
Correct Answer
C
C states the needed timeline assumption. Negation test: if historians generally believe Sumerians created literature earlier than 3300 B.C., then an Egyptian literary text from 3300–3200 B.C. would not challenge the belief that Sumerians were first—so the argument fails. Therefore, C is necessary.
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