Museum curator: Our ancient Egyptian

Answer choices

1. A

   Not Necessary4% picked this

   The tomb in which the hippopotamus was found was not the tomb

   If we negate this and say that it was the tomb of a child, does that badly weaken the argument? Can we say, "Hey, author --- this was a child's tomb. Hence it was a toy!" Not really, the author could easily say, "Of course it's a child's tomb. Children weren't only buried with toys. They were buried with religious objects too."

   4%
2. B

   Too Strong: never6% picked this

   Earthenware figures were never used as children's toys in

   The author is assuming that this earthenware figure wasn't a toy, because it's legs are ripped off, which can be a symbolic religious gesutre. The author doesn't need to assume 100% of earthenware figures are not toys. If we negate the answer and say, "Hey, author --- some earthenware figures were toys." She would say, "Sure, I realized that. But not THIS one, since it's legs were broken off."

   6%
3. C

   Out of Scope: reentered4% picked this

   The tomb in which the hippopotamus was found was not reentered from the time of burial

   The author doesn't need to assume anything about whether anyone reentered the tomb vs. whether it was completely shut off from contact until the archaeologists found it. The author does need to assume that "no one reentered that tomb after the burial and ripped the legs off that hippopotamus", because if someone did rip off the legs years after the burial, then that would ruin the author's notion that this object was a buried with the legs already ripped off, as a religious gesture meant to help them in the afterlife.

   4%
4. D

   Correct85% picked this

   The hippopotamus' legs were not broken through some natural occurrence after it was placed

   Why this is right

   On Necessary Assumption, we love to see answers that are ruling-out an idea using "not / no" language. About 35% of correct answers have that form. These are easy and opportune to negate. Negating this answer says that the hippo's legs were broken through some natural occurrence after it was placed in the tomb. That would mean the legs are not missing because someone broke the legs off as a religious gesture. It means the hippo was buried with all its legs intact, and some earthquake or raccoon broke the legs off once the body was already buried. That makes it sound like the object was probably a toy, not a religious object.

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

   85%
5. E

   Not Necessary: upside down1% picked this

   The hippopotamus was originally placed upside down in

   Would it weaken the argument if the hippo were originally found right side up? No, it doesn't make any difference whether they found it right side up, upside down, on its side ... the only thing the argument cares about is that when they picked up the hippo they realized the legs were broken off. (Isn't a hippo with its legs broken off just a manatee?)

   1%