Modest amounts of exercise can

Answer choices

1. A

   Correct58% picked this

   Having a strenuous workout most days of the week can produce a dramatic improvement

   Why this is right

   The first two sentences combine to tells us that doing very moderate exercise (1/2 hr of brisk walking) on most days of the week can produce a dramatic improvement in cardiovascular health. The final sentence told us that exercising more vigorously is even more effective. Does exercise that is more vigorous than 1/2 hr of brisk walking qualify as strenuous? Probably not necessarily. There might be some middle ground between strenuous and half an hour of brisk walking. But the idea is that there's a continuum from lighter exercise to more strenuous exercise. In that last sentence, "more vigorous" and "strenuous" are being used pretty interchangeably. The final thought is supposed to be heard as, "Strenuous (more vigorous) exercise is more effective but not absolutely necessary". We're told that more strenuous exercise is more effective than lighter exercise, and light exercise (done most days of the week) can produce a dramatic improvement in cardiovascular health. So doing strenuous exercise most days of the week should also be able to produce a dramatic improvement in cardiovascular health. We might worry that strenuous goes too far and starts to compromise the health benefits, but two things: 1. this is Most Supported, not Must Be True, so it's okay if the correct answer has some loose ends 2. the answer is only saying that strenuous exercise on most days of the week can lead to dramatic improvements, not that it's likely to or guaranteed to.

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

   58%
2. B

   Out of Scope: 2-3 days / 1 hr13% picked this

   Doing the equivalent of an hour of brisk walking two or three times a week generally produces dramatic

   We were told that we should be exercising most days of the week (4 or more). We know that if we do something akin to 1/2 hour of brisk walking 4 or more days per week, then we will obtain some cardiovascular health benefits. This answer is trying to double the time and halve the frequency. "Instead of 4 half hours sessions, what if I just do 2 one hour sessions?" We didn't hear anything about the effects of exercising longer on only 2 or 3 days. Even if this adds up to the same total amount of exercise time each week, this regimen might not have the same cardiovascular benefits. If someone one walks an hour on Sat/Sun and then has five days of sloth during the week, that might not be enough regular activity to trigger the benefits. (It's sort of like LSAT studying -- 10 hours of studying is way more effective if it's broken up into ten different 1 hour chunks throughout the week than if it's done in two 5 hour chunks on the weekend)

   13%
3. C

   Unsupported Comparison27% picked this

   It is possible to obtain at least as great an improvement in cardiovascular health from doing the equivalent of half an hour of brisk

   This might be somewhat contradicted by the passage because "strenuous" is being used as a synonym for "more vigorous exercise" and we're told that more vigorous exercise is more effective than brisk walking when it comes to procuring cardiovascular benefits.

   27%
4. D

   Too Strong: no way0% picked this

   Aside from exercise, there is no way of improving one’s

   The passage definitely doesn't allow us to make the extreme claim that exercise is the only way to improve cardiovascular health. Diet and meditation might also do wonders, who knows?

   0%
5. E

   Contradicted1% picked this

   To obtain a dramatic improvement in one’s cardiovascular health, one must exercise strenuously

   The final claim is saying that it is not the case that one must exercise strenuously in order to attain cardiovascular health benefits. And the first sentence says that people can obtain dramatic improvements in cardiovascular health with "modest amounts of exercise".

   1%