Lesson 7: Impact of Evidences - Passage

Exercise – 1

LOGICAL FLAW QUESTIONS

1. The more modern archaeologists learn about Indus Valley civilization, the better they understand
its intellectual achievements. Not only were numerous advances in medicine and surgery made by
medical practitioners of this civilization, but the people in general seem to have had a strong grasp
of sophisticated medical concepts. We know this from the fact that the writings of the medical
scribes of Indus Valley civilization exhibit an in-depth understanding of the human anatomy.

The reasoning above is most susceptible to criticism because the author:

(a) does not provide an adequate definition for the term "intellectual achievements".
(b) draws a generalized conclusion based on a sample that is unlikely to be representative.
(c) disregards the achievements of other civilizations in the past.
(d) assumes a causal relationship in what is essentially a correlation.

2. Doctor Amar: I don't agree with the treatment proposed by Dr. Rajdeep. He is proposing that
Sumit should undergo surgery immediately as he is in a lot of pain. However, he has failed to
consider the fact that Sumit can neither afford the surgery or the convalescent care that will be
needed.

The reason Dr. Amar's argument is flawed is that:

(a) it compares short-term benefits with long-term benefits.
(b) it does not take into account the facilities and amenities available in the hospital.
(c) it fails to effectively analyse the best course of action for the patient
(d) it uses the economic feasibility of a recommendation to question the validity of the
recommendation.

3. An essential trait of attractive people is that they are comfortable being who they are. Tanuj is a
smart, young professional who is comfortable with who he is. He has also been in a steady
relationship with a beautiful girl for a long time. He must also be attractive.

Which of the following best expresses a flaw in the reasoning expressed above?
(a) Uses two different connotations of the word “attractive”.
(b) Infers that a partner's attractiveness is indicative of one's own attractiveness.
(c) Mistakes a sufficient condition for a necessary one.
(d) Does not define being comfortable with oneself.

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STRENGTHENING QUESTIONS

The more you practise, the more proficient you will become.

4. Which of the following strengthens the above statement?

(a) She takes after her dad-she is as good in badminton as he is.
(b) However much he tries to solve the questions, he just does not seem to be getting the hang of
it.
(c) She must be a genius. With a hectic schedule, she hardly gets time to practise and yet, she
is one of the top contenders for the trophy.
(d) Rajesh takes less than a minute to solve algebraic equations-he loves algebra and can be seen
solving the practice questions for hours.

The sale of badminton racquets in Chennai has tripled in the last year. Thus, it can be concluded that
more and more people in Chennai have started playing badminton.

5. Which of the following options most strengthens the above argument?

(a) Chennai is famous for its badminton racquets and tourists often buy these racquets when they
visit Chennai.
(b) The sales of badminton racquets in other cities have not shown a similar increase.
(c) The majority of the badminton racquets sold in Chennai were sold to residents of Chennai.
(d) The sales of cricket bats and golf clubs have also shown an increasing trend in Chennai.

6. In the last one month, more than a dozen children have been attacked by Rottweilers (a large dog
breed) when they stepped out of their house to play. Thus, it is unsafe to keep dogs as pets in
neighbourhoods with a large children population.

Which of the following options most strengthens the above argument?

(a) Rottweilers have also occasionally attacked adults accompanying the children and even other
Dogs.
(b) The Rottweiler is known to be a particularly ferocious dog breed that can attack at the slightest
of provocations.
(c) Small dog breeds like the Pug are very friendly towards children and can be safely kept in
neighbourhoods with a large population of children.
(d) The behaviour exhibited by Rottweilers towards children is representative of the behaviour of all
dogs in general.

WEAKENING QUESTIONS

7. The internet and social media provide young people with a range of benefits, and opportunities to
empower themselves in a variety of ways. Young people can maintain social connections and
support networks that otherwise wouldn't be possible and can access more information than ever
before. The communities and social interactions young people form online can be invaluable for
bolstering and developing young people's self-confidence and social skills.

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 All of the following strengthen the author's stance except:
(a) Arun, a college graduate, has connected with various professionals on a social media website,
and they have helped him prepare for his upcoming job interview.
(b) Practice questions on various online forums have helped Alok crack the law entrance exam.
(c) 60% adults who spend more than seven hours a day on social media platforms suffer from
depression.
(d) All of the above

8. Ram always spoke about the new joinee as a serious and non-partying type of a person.

Which of the following statements will weaken the above argument?

(a) At the annual meeting of the company, the new joinee was seen sitting quietly in one corner.
(b) At the annual meeting of the company, the new joinee was seen making polite conversation
with people.
(c) At the annual meeting of the company, the new joinee was seen losing his cool and walking off
from the scene of the party in a huff.
(d) At the annual meeting of the company, the new joinee had let his hair down and seemed to be
getting along with people like a house on fire.

9. The Black Spider Monkey of Brazil has become endangered because of human activities such as,
deforestation and logging, which causes destruction of the monkey's natural habitat.

Which of the following if true would weaken the above argument?

(a) Costa Rican government is constantly trying to preserve the natural habitat of the squirrel
monkeys in order to save them from extinction.
(b) A certain allele (alternate gene) discovered in a black spider monkey pointed to micro evolutionary
extinction setting in.
(c) Habitat loss in the Congo basin has seen no remarkable change in the count of Dryas monkeys
in this region.
(d) Habitat loss in the Congo basin has seen a decrease in the count of Dryas monkeys in this
region.

Exercise – 2

If Instagram was meant to be a pretty picture refuge, that was short-lived. Even there you are being
stalked. I get elaborate film pitches meant for Satyajit Ray's son, another Sandip, on my Instagram
account. People just don't believe that he is not on social media. Now they don't show the likes counter
because we were getting too competitive over there.

Once, people had conversations on Twitter. Now it's just a troll-pit where people with seven followers
spend their time needling celebrities, hoping to provoke some response from them. It's a curious kind of
negative validation. People put "Honoured to be followed by Narendra Modiji" in their bios as if it's a career
accomplishment. But then some people whose Facebook posts read like sentence fragments that have
been run through a kitchen chopper get book contracts because of their humongous Twitter following. The
only plus point, said a journalist friend, no stranger to being trolled, was that perhaps Twitter was a valve
that allowed people to vent their vitriol. "Imagine what those people would be doing in real life if they didn't
have Twitter?" he said, making it sound like a sweat-out-your-toxins yoga class.

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But the anonymity of social media also enables a kind of meanness and no-holds-barred misogyny few of
us dare reveal in real life. Yes, there is positivity too. Stray puppies do find homes via Facebook posts. But
it is not a medium that naturally encourages kindness. Kindness rarely goes viral.

10. Which one of the following, if true, weakens the author's arguments in the passage?
(a) A recent study found that people like most of the viral videos on social media as they evoked
intense positive emotional response.
(b) A recent survey found that 91% of people who reported cyber bullying said that no action was
taken.
(c) A recent survey found that almost 80% of people look for positive endorsement of their social
media posts.
(d) A recent study found that social media usage overall is up from 77% of the 12+ population to
79% of the 12+ population in 2019.

11. Consider the following statement from the passage: "..some people whose Facebook posts read
like sentence fragments that have been run through a kitchen chopper get book contracts because
of their humongous Twitter following."

Which one of the following, if true, would invalidate the reasoning of the author in the above statement?
(a) If the book contract is awarded solely based on the ability of the author to publicise the book.
(b) If the book contract is awarded only after evaluating the potential author's writing ability.
(c) If the book contract is awarded only after terms of agreements are agreed upon by both parties.
(d) If the book contract is awarded based on how popular the person is on social media platforms.

12. Consider these lines from the passage: Twitter was a valve that allowed people to vent their vitriol.
"Imagine what those people would be doing in real life if they didn't have Twitter?" he said

How does the author evaluate the above statements?

(a) The author supports it by stating that it is a positive aspect of social media
(b) The author supports it by stating that people need to vent their frustration.
(c) The author attacks it by stating that social media is not the right place.
(d) The author attacks it by stating that people do not dare to vent in real life.

What is the relationship between private schools and the public good? Opinions tend to be shaped chiefly
by philosophical commitment to either individual choice or communal welfare. Arguments rarely examine
the tension between private schools and the public good, or address whether it can be resolved.

At the root of that tension is the issue of status competition. Families in the United States choose private
schools for many reasons, religious affiliation historically first among them. But for many parents, enrolling
their children in private school is primarily about giving them an edge over their peers. And that, it turns
out, is incompatible with the public good. When status is the chief aim of schooling, as it so often is in
private education, everyone ends up suffering - even the privileged.

Parents at all kinds of schools desire a broad and humanistic education for their children. But private
school tuition is often justified by the idea that it will produce a return on investment. Private schools,
then, face tremendous pressure to provide students with an advantage over others, particularly on the
admissions rolls of prestigious colleges and universities. This, in turn, situates education as a very

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particular kind of commodity - what economists call a positional good. The value of a positional good is
dictated not by any inherent worth, but rather by its relation to what is possessed by others. And this
directly undermines the public good in two ways.

First, if the purpose of school is to give students an advantage over others, then the content of education
is largely unimportant. When we conceive of education as a public good, by contrast, learning is the only
thing that matters. Are young people learning to be citizens and functional members of the community?
Do they have interesting and valuable skills that they can bring to bear on social and economic life? These
are the questions that we must answer if educating students matters. But if education is merely a
positional good, we need only ask: are their credentials perceived as more valuable than the credentials
possessed by others? This approach undermines learning for all parties, including those enrolled at high-
prestige schools.

The second reason that status competition conflicts with the public good is that if status is the aim, there
must be losers - lots of them. After all, if we are all roughly the same, there is no difference upon which to
base unequal distribution of social and economic rewards. Thus, a valuable education is not only predicated
upon something tangential to real learning, but also requires that a majority of young people draw short
straws.

13. Which one of the following, if true, strengthens the author's overall argument?
(a) It is possible for both individual choice and communal welfare to co-exist.
(b) A culture of competition is incompatible with the idea of public good.
(c) The facilities provided by the private schools are not conducive for learning.
(d) Valuable education can be achieved by providing competitive environment.

14. The views of the author in the fourth paragraph are most vulnerable on which of the following
grounds?
(a) Even if competition creates losers, it could still be important for the improving public good.
(b) The decisions made by the parents regarding school admissions need not have any bearing on
public good.
(c) The number of enrolments in high-prestige schools is far higher than the number of enrolments
in public school.
(d) For a school to give its students an advantage over others, it must focus on the content of
education.

15. Which one of the following best describes the passage?

(a) pointing out a concern in a certain kind of education
(b) providing a solution to a problem in an educational system
(c) clarifying a misconception in a certain education system
(d) elucidating a model which can help circumvent a problem

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 Lesson 7: Impact of Evidences - Passage
Answers and Explanations
1 b 2 d 3 c 4 d 5 c
11 b 12 d 13 b 14 d 15 a
Exercise – 1
1. b The passage essentially concludes the presence of
'strong grasp of medical concepts' in the general
population based on the understanding exhibited by
the medical scribes of that civilization. It is possible
that the medical s cribes would have a good
understanding of medicine and human anatomy. Thus,
this group cannot be considered representative of
the entire population. Therefore, the conclusion is
flawed. No causal relationship has been presented
in the argument. T he definition of "intellectual
achievements" is also not part of the central premise
of the argument.
2. d Dr. Amar only focuses on whether Sumit can afford
the treatment and does not analyse the medical merits
or necessity of such a procedure. He essentially
shifts the scope of the argument. Just because Sumit
can't afford the treatment does not mean he does not
need it. The other options don't reflect the flaw in the
reasoning.
3. c The passage states that it is essential for a person to
be comfortable with who he/she is in order to be
attractive. This does not mean that all people who
are comfortable with their own self are necessarily
attractive. Similarly, being young, smart and in a steady
relationship with a beautiful girl does not necessarily
imply attractiveness.
4. d (d) gives an example of a person who has become
proficient at something by regular practice. Thus, it
strengthens the argument. None of the other options
bring out this c onnection between practice and
excellence.
5. c The argument is based on the assumption that most
of the badminton racquets sold are actually being
used by residents of Chennai. Thus, (c) is the correct
answer. Option (a) actually weakens the argument
by suggesting that the increase in sales of badminton
racquets may not lead to an increase in the number
of residents of Chennai taking up badminton. Options
(b) and (d) make no difference to the given argument.
Lesson 7: Impact of
Evidences - Passage
6 d 7 c 8 d 9 b 10 a
6. d The evidence in the argument mentions Rottweilers
but the conclusion is for all dogs in general. Thus, the
ass umption has to be that Rottweilers are
representatives of dogs of all breeds, making (d) the
correct answer.
7. c The passage talks about the benefits of social media.
Stances cited in options (a) and (b) support the
paragraph. Option (c) suggests that spending a
substantial amount of time on social media leads to
psychological disorders. Thus, only option c weakens
the author's stance.
8. d If a person is described as 'serious and non-partying
types', then he is expected to be quiet, reserved and
polite in a large gathering. However, if he 'lets his hair
down', that is, enjoys himself and interacts with
people, it is in direct contrast with the personality
traits attributed to him. Options (a) and (b) are
strengthening the above argument. (c) is not related
to the above argument (as serious and non-partying
doesn't mean that the person can’t be angry.)
9. b To weaken the argument, we need to give another
reason (apart from habitat loss) why the Black Spider
Monkey may have become endangered. (b) provides
this alternative reason and should be the correct
ans wer.
Exercise – 2
10. a [attacks the last 2 sentences of the passage]
Option (a) is correct as the point of positive emotional
response does not agree with the point made about
Twitter in the passage.
Options (b) and (d) are incorrect as they remain
neutral to the context of the question.
Option (c) is incorrect as it supports the connotation
that the passage is inflicting on social media.
11. b Option (b) is correct as the author here implies that
such people don't deserve the contract. They get the
contract only because of they have huge twitter
following. Option (b) argues against that practice.
All other options are incorrect as they do not
challenge the competence of the writer in the points
that they are making.
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12. d Option (d) is correct as the question about real life as
mentioned in the passage is a rhetorical question.
Thus, had it not been for Twitter such anger wouldn't
have existed in the first place.
Option (a) is incorrect as there is no sign of any sort
of positive aspect of social media in the context of
the passage.
Option (b) is incorrect as it does not address the
difference between online and real-life behaviour of
people.
Option (c) is incorrect as it vaguely mentions that
social media is not the right place, without explaining
any context about it altogether.
13. b Option (b) is correct as comparing creates losers in
large numbers and when competition is based on
status, the number of those who are deemed as
losers is bound to increase. Thus, comparison is
incompatible with the welfare of the community at
large.
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All other options are incorrect as they do not point to
the dichotomy between competition as the sole aim
and welfare of communities.
14. d Option (d) is correct as the author says that for giving
advantage, c ontent is not important. The author
overlooks the possibility that content is probably what
gives the students advantage over their peers.
All other options are incorrect as they fail to address
the point that a reason for the advantages received
by students c ould be related to the content of
education itself.
15. a Option (a) is correct as it primarily highlights a major
problem concerning the education sector.
Options (b) and (d) are incorrect as no solutions or
advices are offered by the passage to solve the
problem at hand.
Option (c) is incorrect as no misconception has been
clarified in the passage regarding the education
system.
Lesson 7: Impact of
Evidences - Passage