PT154 S2 Q20 ExplanationThe public's welfare can be

Answer choices, explained

1. A

   Correct70% picked this

   The best interests of the public sometimes fail to be served because of the sorts of

   Why this is right

   This is one of those correct answers you'd like to punch. We were looking for a meaning-match for the first sentence, and this does indeed match the meaning. 1st sentence (A) The public's welfare The best interests of the public can be sometimes fail undermined to be served by its own because of the sorts of tastes preferences ppl have This answer's use of the thesaurus is a real [chef's kiss] spice of obnoxious. Luckily, on Main Conclusion, we always know specifically what claim we're looking for, so if they try to disguise that claim with synonyms we can force ourselves to see through it.

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

   70%
2. B

   Not the First Sentence Assumption12% picked this

   Journalists’ tendency to focus on sensational and dramatic stories rather than those of far-reaching importance is to the

   This does not match the first sentence, since it's talking about journalists, who do not appear in the first sentence. So we can eliminate. For what it's worth, this answer is just presenting an Assumption of the argument, because they know that people will feel its correctness and pick it (after all, it is a correct answer, for a different question type).

   12%
3. C

   Trap9% picked this

   Newspaper articles that focus on rumors or speculate about conspiracies too often displace stories about important

   Not the First Sentence Premise, Last Claim Trap This does not match the first sentence, since it's talking about newspapers, which do not appear in the first sentence. That's as deep as we need to go. For what it's worth, this answer is presenting a Premise of the argument, or we could potentially say an Intermediate Conclusion. We know why rumor stories displace serious politics: the public's tastes. So this last claim does feel "supported". But this whole journalism discussion is one big example, which the author is using to support the generalization she made in the first sentence about the public's tastes ending up hurting itself. Beware picking the last claim as your main conclusion on Main Conclusion. It's usually never there, unless you're doing a very early section easier problem.

   9%
4. D

   Not the First Sentence Not Stated7% picked this

   The shortcomings of modern print-journalism can be attributed to the preferences

   This does not match the first sentence, since it's talking about modern print-journalism, which does not appear in the first sentence. That's as deep as we need to go. For what it's worth, this answer is also saying something stronger than anything even said in the paragraph. The author has cited one way in which the public's preferences result in something undesirable. But the author hasn't placed sweeping blame like, "All the shortcoming of modern journalism are the fault of readers' preferences"

   7%
5. E

   Not the First Sentence Not Stated2% picked this

   Journalists should pay more attention to the public’s welfare than to its tastes when choosing which

   This does not match the first sentence, since it's talking about journalists, who aren't mentioned in the first sentence. That's enough to eliminate it. But this answer is also saying something never expressed in the paragraph. We might speculate that, "If this guy is whining about journalists covering gossip instead of hard news, he would probably say they should pay more attention to what good for people than what people like." That is far, far from our job on Main Conclusion. We're not speculating other opinions. We're just finding one opinion in the paragraph and picking the answer that matches that opinion.

   2%