Logical Reasoning

PT150 · S3 · Q11 Many newspapers have cut back on book reviews

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Many newspapers have cut back on book reviews, replacing them with other features that, according to focus group research, are of greater interest to potential readers.

Conclusion

(Such a move is ill-advised) Cutting back on book reviews (and replacing them with other features) is an ill-advised move.

Evidence

It will decrease readership by alienating loyal reading while catering to casual readers who are more likely to watch TV than pick up a newspaper.

Evaluate

On Main Conclusion questions, the Conclusion is almost always (but not always) earlier in the paragraph than the support.

The two main patterns: - Conclusion is the very first claim - Conclusion feels like a rebuttal

This one did the second pattern. Newspapers are trying a new strategy and the author rebuts that strategy wit a "Such a move is ill-advised".

Goal

There's nothing complicated about the backend of Main Conclusion. If we found the right claim, we just go look for a meaning match in the answers: it was an ill-advised move to cut back on book reviews in favor of other features that would interest potential readers.

11.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion drawn in the argument?

  1. Correct

    The newspapers should not have

    Why this is right

    This is a meaning match for "cutting back on book reviews is ill-advised".

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

    81% picked this

  2. Many newspapers have cut back

    Background Fact

    This refers to the 1st sentence, but the 2nd sentence is our conclusion.

    0% picked this

  3. Focus group research concluded that

    Not Stated / Inference

    This is an inference you could pull from the first sentence. We are looking for something that matches the explicit meaning of the second sentence.

    0% picked this

  4. The move to replace book

    Last Sentence Trap

    This is the last sentence, which is very, very rarely the Conclusion on Main Conclusion. The conclusion was the second sentence. This answer could be tricky if people used the Support Test, because if you asked "Why should I believe this?" you could answer with the rest of the last sentence .... "because it alienates loyal readers while catering to casual readers". But that would still only make this an Intermediate Conclusion, since it supports the author's opinion that "this was an ill-advised move".

    14% picked this

  5. The move to replace book

    Premise

    There is no support offered for this idea, so it can't be the Conclusion. Our conclusion was in the 2nd sentence.

    5% picked this

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