Columnist: If you received an

Answer choices

1. A

   Correct71% picked this

   pointing out that a certain attitude would presumably be adopted in one situation, in order to support the claim that a similar attitude would

   Why this is right

   The "analogous situation" certainly scratches our itch. Can we match up the rest? The author points out that a skeptical attitude would presumably (likely) be adopted in the case of [receiving an unsigned letter], in order to support the claim that a similar attitude (skepticism) would be justified in an analogous situation [reading a news story with anonymous sources].

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

   71%
2. B

   Not Different Attitudes12% picked this

   drawing an analogy between an attitude commonly adopted in one situation and a different attitude commonly adopted in another situation, and establishing that the

   This is also attractive because it says "analogy", but this answer says that one attitude (skepticism) would be commonly adopted in one situation (reading an unsigned letter), and a different attitude would be commonly adopted in another situation? That doesn't make sense. The author was saying that in both the case of the unsigned letter and the case of the anonymous source, the common or justified attitude would be the same: skepticism.

   12%
3. C

   Bad Evidence Match6% picked this

   inferring that an attitude would be justified in all situations of a given type on the grounds that this attitude is justified in

   Since this answer takes the form: inferring X on the grounds that Y we need to see if X matches the conclusion and Y matches the evidence. Does the author conclude that "an attitude would be justified in all situations of a given type"? Sure, we could make that work. She concludes that a skeptical attitude would be justified in all situations in which a news story quotes an anonymous source. Okay, does the evidence talk about a hypothetical situation in which a news story quotes an anonymous source? No, it talks about a hypothetical situation of a different (though analogous) type -- if you receive an unsigned letter.

   6%
4. D

   Bad Evidence Match6% picked this

   calling into question a certain type of evidence by drawing an analogy between that evidence and other evidence that the

   Since this answer takes the form: doing X by doing Y we need to see if X matches the conclusion and Y matches the evidence. Does the author's conclusion "call into question a certain type of evidence"? Sure, we could make that work. She concludes that a skeptical attitude would be justified in all situations in which a news story quotes an anonymous source, so she's calling into question the evidence of an anonymous source. Okay, does the evidence talk about an analogous type of evidence that is usually false? No. It talks about an analogous type of evidence (unsigned letters), but it doesn't say that they are usually false. It just says that people would likely have doubts about their truth.

   6%
5. E

   Bad Evidence/Conclusion Match5% picked this

   calling into question the motives of those presenting certain information, and concluding for this reason that the information

   Since this answer takes the form: doing X and concluding for this reason Y we would want to see if X matches the evidence and Y matches the conclusion. Does the author conclude that "certain information is likely to be false"? Nope. She just says being skeptical of information backed up by anonymous sources is justified / makes sense. Saying that it makes sense to be skeptical of information like X doesn't mean that you're saying information like X is usually false, just that there's a higher than normal risk that it could be false.

   5%