The obsession of economists with

Answer choices

1. A

   Correct92% picked this

   economic well-being cannot be defined solely in terms

   Why this is right

   This is naming a sort of assumption or rephrasing we can get from the first sentence. Economists are obsessed with measuring economic well-being via consumption, and our author thinks that obscures the true nature of economic well-being. Thus, our author must believe that something other than (or in addition to) consumption is really the true nature of economic well-being. The author supports this with the 2nd sentence, which purports to provide examples of consumption that don't seem to represent upticks in true well-being.

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

   92%
2. B

   Unsupported2% picked this

   satisfaction is possible without

   The author never provided any examples where satisfaction had occurred, even though consumption hadn't. The author's main point is closer to saying "true economic well-being goes beyond consumption". The author's main point is about how to measure economic well-being, not about the broad concept of satisfaction.

   2%
3. C

   Too Strong: cannot1% picked this

   valid measures of consumption cannot be

   The author was never saying it's impossible to devise a valid measure of consumption. The author's argument is about how to best measure economic well-being, and the author hasn't said anything to suggest that it's impossible to devise a valid measure of that, either.

   1%
4. D

   Wrong Emphasis: modern products1% picked this

   modern products are designed for early

   The author's argument is about what is a proper measure of economic well-being. This sentence isn't talking about how to measure economic well-being at all. We can tell that this couldn't be the author's conclusion because there's no support provided for the contention that modern products are designed for early obsolescence. The examples cited aren't necessarily modern products and no one said they went obsolete early (just eventually).

   1%
5. E

   Unsupported5% picked this

   satisfaction can provide an adequate quantitative measure of

   The author is rejecting the economists' measure of economic well-being (consumption), but she hasn't proposed an alternative to take its place. She is only trying to argue that their obsession obscures the true nature of economic well-being, not that "satisfaction can be a good quantitative measure of well-being".

   5%