Columnist: A democratic society cannot

Answer choices

1. A

   Too Strong: unable23% picked this

   Anyone who relies on movies and electronic media for entertainment is unable to form a strong bond of

   If this were true, it would definitely strengthen if not prove the conclusion. But the author doesn't need to assume something this strong. She hasn't claimed that reliance on movies / electronic media renders democracy impossible. So she doesn't need to assume that if you're rely on movies / electronic media that you're unable to form a strong bond with others. It might just be that you're able but unwilling. Or it might just be that you're able but less likely to form such a bond. The author is only trying to argue that reliance on movies and electronic media degrades democracy, not that it renders it impossible.

   23%
2. B

   Too Strong: cannot4% picked this

   Civic organizations cannot usefully advance their goals by using

   The fact that this answer doesn't include the New Concept (widespread reliance on movies and electronic media) makes it instantly unappealing. The author doesn't need to believe that it's impossible for civic organizations to usefully advance their goals by using electronic media. Even if they can do so, the author's argument would still be saying that "when people rely on movies / electronic media for entertainment, they participate less in non-family groups, so they have weaker bonds of mutual trust, so there is a corrosive effect on democracy".

   4%
3. C

   Out of Scope: newspapers1% picked this

   Newspapers and other forms of print media strengthen, rather than weaken,

   The fact that this answer doesn't include the New Concept (widespread reliance on movies and electronic media) makes it instantly unappealing. The author never said anything about newspapers, so we have no idea what she believes about them.

   1%
4. D

   Correct71% picked this

   Relying on movies and electronic media for entertainment generally makes people less likely to participate in

   Why this is right

   This was the Missing Link we anticipated. It connects the New Concept in the Conclusion to the trigger of the conditional chain. The author is envisioning this causal chain: 1. we rely on movies / e-media for entertainment 2. we participate less in non-family groups 3. we have weaker bonds of mutual trust 4. we weaken a required condition of democracy

   Skill tested: Necessary Assumption · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   71%
5. E

   Out of Scope: closer to families1% picked this

   People who rely on movies and electronic media for entertainment are generally closer to their families than are

   The only comparison the author is envisioning is that people who rely on movies and electronic media for entertainment are less likely to have strong bonds of mutual trust with fellow citizens (because they are less likely to participate in civic orgs, political parties, or other non-family groups. The author doesn't need to assume anything about what happens within a family.

   1%