Argument-Based, Non-Critical: MC, MoR, ID Rule, Match MoR

Question 1

Overall MP/MC Strategy

Answer 1

1. find the MC
   -this is the conclusion which supports no other conclusion.
   -usually hidden in the middle of the stimulus.
2. Get tunnel vision
   -just the MC matters–the rest of the stimulus is garbage.

Question 2

MP/MC Wrong Answers

Answer 2

-don’t paraphrase MC well
-attractive WAC make a little assumption for a grand conclusion

Question 3

Method of Reasoning Strategy

Answer 3

-read for structure over content–the motion of the argument
-be able to describe how the argument works (think Argument Part Questions, but for the whole stimulus)
-WACs could work for another stimulus/argument.

Question 4

Parallel Method of Reasoning Strategy

Answer 4

-describe and replicate an argument with different subject matter
-follow the structure of the argument in terms of Lawgic
-this is time-consuming. However, expect fairly simple argument structures.
-look for even one minor difference in argument form: some or most instead of –>, C instead of CvB, etc.

Question 5

Point at Issue Strategy

Answer 5

-find a point on which the authors agree or (usually) disagree. Get a sense of this point first. You are looking to produce a contradiction.
-if a speaker has no opinion, then there’s no way to know whether they agree/disagree with another party
-in general, read through the stimuli concurrently to find the point of d/a (esp if stim is short)
-some ACs contain phrases tailor-made to force authors to have an opinion on them. While AC A may mention items that author 1 does not mention, these items can apply to author 2’s argument such that he and author 1 can have disagreement/agreement.

-can use ‘the chart’
1. read person 1
2. go through ACs and mark whether 1 agrees or disagrees
3. cross out any AC which they don’t express an opinion on
4. repeat for 2.
5. find the point they disagree/agree on (dep. on stim)

Question 6

Most Strongly Supported Wrong Answers

Answer 6

-attractive wrong answers give information which is likely true, but requires outside information or an assumption to follow from the stimulus.

Question 7

Most Strongly Supported Characteristics

Answer 7

-“which choice has SOME level of support from the stimulus?”
-often, only a small portion of the stim is used to support the right answer.
-the right answer is found by putting together the premises and generalizing–do this before looking at AC
-RAC makes the fewest, smallest assumptions and sticks narrowly to the stimulus.

Question 8

Argument Part Answer Choices

Answer 8

-two parts of each AC
1. general classification (premise, conclusion, context, sub-conclusion, etc)
2. specific role that the AP may fulfill.
“AP is a [classification] that [relates to the argument by proving out a conclusion, responds to an objection, shows how the premise relates to the conclusion, etc.]”

Question 9

Argument Part

Answer 9

-select one of the five AC as a label for the argument
-expect long and complicated stimuli as well as referential phrasing in the question stem
-this questions should be gimmes–make sure to read through the stimulus and do the basic translation drill before answering the question.

Question 10

Resolve-Reconcile-Explain

Answer 10

-you must resolve the appearance of a contradiction in the stimulus.
-similar to phenomenon-hypothesis.
1. ID the two ideas/phenomena which seem to produce a contradiction.
2. Find a loophole that allows them to coexist.