Biographer: Arnold’s belief that every offer

Answer choices

1. A

   Bad Premise Match15% picked this

   The fact that top executives generally have much larger vocabularies than do their subordinates explains why Sheldon’s belief, instilled in him during his childhood,

   In the original argument, Arnold had no support for his paranoid beliefs. But in this argument, Sheldon actually has some support -- it's a fact that top execs generally have much larger vocabularies than their subordinates do.

   15%
2. B

   Bad Premise Match10% picked this

   Emily suspected that apples are unhealthy ever since she almost choked to death while eating an apple when she was a child. Now, evidence

   In the original argument, Arnold had no support for his paranoid beliefs. But in this argument, Emily actually has some support -- there's evidence that apples treated with certain pesticides can be health hazards.

   10%
3. C

   Correct70% picked this

   As a child, Joan was severely punished whenever she played with her father’s prize Siamese cat. Therefore, since this information makes her present belief

   Why this is right

   This replicates the flaw that "even though we now know the backstory for X's crazy belief, we shouldn't be acting like X is correct to believe that". There's no actual support for X's belief, just a scarring childhood backstory to X's current mentality. Joan has no good reason to believe that cats are not good pets, so the author shouldn't be labeling that belief as justified.

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

   70%
4. D

   Bad Premise Match1% picked this

   Studies show that when usually well-behaved children become irritable, they often exhibit symptoms of viral infections the next day. The suspicion, still held by

   In the original argument, Arnold had no support for his paranoid beliefs. But in this argument, there is some support for the adults' suspicion that misbehavior must always be paid for -- studies show that when good kids go bad, they get viral infections the next day.

   1%
5. E

   Bad Premise Match4% picked this

   Sumayia’s father and mother were both concert pianists, and as a child, Sumayia knew several other people trying to make careers as musicians. Thus

   In the original argument, Arnold had no support for his paranoid beliefs. But in this argument, Sumayia is pulling on some potentially relevant experience -- she's actually known a lot of people who were, or were trying to be, professional musicians. Her opinion is certainly not "undoubtedly justified", but it should still be regarded with some credence. She probably has a lot of basis for comparison, when it comes to whether Anthony's habits, determination, and drive match what she's seen in her parents and her other musical acquaintances.

   4%