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vik
 
 

assumption on which Professor Wigmore’s argument

by vik Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:04 am

Professor

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Professor Chan: The literature department’s undergraduate courses should cover only true literary works, and not such frivolous material as advertisements.
Professor Wigmore: Advertisements might or might not be true literary works but they do have a powerfully detrimental effect on society"”largely because people cannot discern their real messages. The literature department’s courses give students the critical skills to analyze and understand texts. Therefore, it is the literature department’s responsibility to include the study of advertisements in its undergraduate courses.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which Professor Wigmore’s argument depends?
(A) Texts that are true literary works never have a detrimental effect on society.
(B) Courses offered by the literature department cannot include both true literary works and material such as advertisement.
(C) Students who take courses in the literature department do not get from those courses other skills besides those needed to analyze and understand texts.
(D) Forms of advertising that convey their message entirely through visual images do not have a detrimental effect on society.
(E) The literature department’s responsibility is not limited to teaching students how to analyze true literary works.

I got this from Web and official I will post later . For me it is C
My Logic
It states that "The literature department’s courses give students the critical skills to analyze and understand texts. Therefore, it is the literature department’s responsibility to include the study of advertisements in its undergraduate courses." and only C states that those needed to analyze and understand texts are not available in other literature department courses. If those are not available in other courses then the conclusion holds " it is the literature department’s responsibility to include the study of advertisements in its undergraduate courses".
RonPurewal
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by RonPurewal Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:07 pm

PLEASE POST THE SOURCE WHEN YOU POST A QUESTION. I will address this question here, but we will delete the thread unless you come back with an attribution for where you got it.

The answer should be E.

Here's an alternative way to think about this: "Which is an assumption on which the argument depends?" --> "The argument falls apart if which of the following statements is NOT true?"

If E is NOT true, then the lit department is restricted to teaching 'true literary works', which means that Chan wins the argument.

C is not a necessary assumption: although we DO need to assume that lit students DO get the analytical and understanding skills, we DON'T need to assume (as this choice says) that those are the ONLY skills the students get in those courses.
VishalD370
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Re: assumption on which Professor Wigmore’s argument

by VishalD370 Sat Mar 17, 2018 3:43 pm

While my choice is E as well, I found (on another forum) the following explanation for choice B:
"Professor's argument depends on condition that lit depature does not include or cannot include both true literary works and advertisments. Otherwise Professor's claim to include the study of ads in the course does not make sense at all. "
To me it seems too far-fetched a reason, or is it?
Would appreciate guidance on this.
Sage Pearce-Higgins
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Re: assumption on which Professor Wigmore’s argument

by Sage Pearce-Higgins Fri Mar 23, 2018 12:58 pm

I'm very suspicious of this problem. In style it doesn't feel like a real GMAT problem. I suspect it comes from an inferior-quality practice test.

However, the reasoning is relatively clear, and the answer is definitely E not B.

Otherwise Professor's claim to include the study of ads in the course does not make sense at all

Where does it suggest that in the argument? Clearly a course can include more than one type of material. Please don't waste your precious study time on poor quality problems and completely erroneous explanations.