Common prompts for role or boldface:
• Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the argument by the claim that . . .?
• The statement that . . . serves which one of the following functions in the argument?
• The claim that . . . figures in the economist’s argument in which one of the following ways?
• In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
• The first boldface statement has what relationship to the second boldface statement?
Before you look at the answers:
1. Pinpoint the main conclusionin the passage.
2. Separate the premises from everything else. After find the main conclusion, don’t assume that all the other statements are premise; they might include opposing viewpoints, background information, or concession.
3. Analyze the structure of the argument. In other words, figure out how the various pieces of an argument or a passage fit together logically.
4. Then, in your own words, describe what role the statement mentioned in the prompt plays. Is it the main conclusion, an intermediate conclusion, a premise, an opposing viewpoint, a view that author is trying to support, a concession? Avoid looking at the answers until you have forced yourself to describe the statement’s role.
Then look for the answer that most accurately describes what you just described:
1. Focus on the active clause of each answer to help yourself move through the answers faster.
2. The correct answer must describe exactly what is happening in the passage. Make sure every word of that answer correlates with some part of the passage. In other words, translate the abstract terms into concrete terms from the passage. If the statement is the argument’s main conclusion, for example, but the argument also has an intermediate conclusion, then the answer that the statement “is the author’s only conclusion” would be wrong; it is not the only conclusion, even though it is the main conclusion.
The following are some questions for you to practice what you just learned:
1) Plant scientists have used genetic engineering on seeds to produce crop plants that are highly resistant to insect damage. Unfortunately, the seeds themselves are quite expensive, and the plants require more fertilizer and water to grow well than normal ones. Thus, for most farmers the savings on pesticides would not compensate for the higher seed costs and the cost of additional fertilizer. However, since consumer demand for grains, fruits, and vegetables grown without the use of pesticides continues to rise, the use of genetically engineered seeds of this kind is likely to become widespread. In the argument given, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
(A) The first supplies a context for the argument; the second is the argument's main conclusion.
(B) The first introduces a development that the argument predicts will have a certain outcome; the second is a state of affairs that the argument denies will be part of that outcome.
(C) The first presents a development that the argument predicts will have a certain outcome; the second acknowledges a consideration that weighs against that prediction.
(D) The first provides evidence to support a prediction that the argument seeks to defend; the second is that prediction.
(E) The first and the second each provide evidence to support the argument's main conclusion.
2) Something must be done to stop spam. In early days, people seldom received unsolicited email advertisement; but now that numerous bulk email software and email address finders are developed to collect email address all around the world. Advertisers use email addresses to market their products and even sell such email lists to other advertisers. As a result, almost everyone ever get junk email, and sometime several and even tens of annoying emails a day. So, relevant anti-spam regulations should be framed to stop unsolicited advertising. The two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?
A. Background that the argument depends on and conclusion that can be drawn from the argument.
B. Part of evidence that the argument includes, and inference that can be drawn from this passage.
C. Pre-evidence that the argument depends on and part of evidence that supports the conclusion.
D. Background that argument depends on and part of evidence that supports the conclusion.
E. Pre-evidence that argument includes and a method that helps to supports that conclusion.