In rheumatoid arthritis, the body’s immune system

Answer choices

1. A

   Out of Scope: repair cell damage12% picked this

   Unlike aspirin and other medications that reduce pain and swelling and that are currently available, the new medication would repair existing cell damage that

   We're only told that this new med will inhibit the hormone. We have no grounds for saying it will repair existing cell damage.

   12%
2. B

   Out of Scope: side effects7% picked this

   The benefits to rheumatoid arthritis sufferers of the new medication would outweigh the medication’s possible

   We don't know anything about this medication's side effects, so we have no way to say that the benefits will outweigh the harm of side effects.

   7%
3. C

   Correct74% picked this

   A patient treated with the new medication for rheumatoid arthritis could sustain a joint injury without

   Why this is right

   This looks like our prediction. Since the new drug prevents the hormone that normally makes us feel pain / swelling when get injured or infected, if we're taking the drug and get injured or get an infection, the drug will prevent the hormone from being released, and we won't feel the pain and swelling. If this all feels a little too speculative, we should remind ourselves that this is Most Supported, not Must Be True, and this answer is very weakly worded: it's just saying something could happen.

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

   74%
4. D

   Out of Scope: diabetes / lupus2% picked this

   The new medication could be adapted for use against a variety of immune system disorders such

   We have no reason to think this medication works with anything other than arthritis (unless the answer tells us that some other disorder also involves this hormone).

   2%
5. E

   Negation (if anything)6% picked this

   Joint diseases other than rheumatoid arthritis would not be affected by

   This is the classic trap answer we see in Most Supported / Must Be True / Necessary Assumption where we've heard that "thing X has trait Y" and the trap answer says "things that aren't X don't have trait Y". The only joint disease they mentioned that is helped by this medication is arthritis, but that doesn't allow us to think that arthritis is the only joint disease helped by this medication.

   6%