Q6 - Engineer: Some people argue that the world's energy pro

[m.davidson0730]

Why isn't A. the answer?

[bernard.agrest]

I'd appreciate it if one of the geeks could clarify this question for me, I was stuck between D and E, I got it right, but I wasn't sure about my reasoning for eliminating E.

Question Type: This is a main conclusion/point question.

Stimulus: Some people argue that using H-3 mined at the moon can solve the energy problems. This is nonsense. Even if this WAS possible, we're 50 years away from being able to use the H-3 on the moon, and if we don't solve out energy problems within 50 years, it'll be too late to solve them.

A) It's not the main conclusion. The fact that mining the moon for H-3 right now isn't feasible acts as support to the rest of the stimulus.

B) Out of scope.

C) Out of scope.

D) Correct! The entire stimulus is saying that mining the moon for H-3 isn't a solution to the energy problems. Why? Well firstly, we're 50 years away from being able to do so. Second, we know that if we don't fix the problem in 50 years, it'll be too late. Thirdly, if we put 1 and 2 together, we fall into two possible scenarios.

A) We are able to mine the moon for H-3, but we don't need to do it anymore. Why? Well, because that means we fixed our energy problems.

B) We cant mine the moon for H-3. Why? Well, because its too late.

E) I spent a good minute debating between D and E. What really got me to choose D, was 1) the strength of D and 2) the fact that E neglects any mention of H-3 or the moon. Those two are featured prominently in the stimulus, so it stands to reason the answer choice would somehow relate back to them, especially in a main conclusion question.

[ohthatpatrick]

Nice write-up!

I have a couple thoughts that might make this easier next time.

1. On Main Conclusion questions, do you know the most common places to find the conclusion?
--- The first sentence, with premises to follow
--- The second or third sentence, introduced by a but/yet/however, disagreeing with whatever idea was in the first sentence or two.

On modern tests, the first pattern is more common. On older tests they're almost always that second pattern.

As soon as I see I'm doing Main Conclusion, I start thinking "Conclusion is probably either the First Sentence or after the but/yet/however."

If the argument starts with someone ELSE's point of view, you're almost guaranteed that the author's conclusion will just be but/yet/however "I disagree".

2. No matter what, on Main Conclusion questions, you shouldn't be looking at your answer choices until you've already bracketed off a clause from the argument to indicate that it is the conclusion.

If you're fighting between (D) and (E), that means you didn't identify the conclusion before you went to the answer choices.

The conclusion is "but this is nonsense". (D) is saying just that.

(E) paraphrases the last sentence. We should NOT have bracketed that as our conclusion. Furthermore, be VERY suspicious if you're ever picking the last sentence as the conclusion. As described above, the test almost never puts the conclusion there on a Main Conclusion question (too easy, too trappy).

3. Any answer choice you pick as the conclusion needs to pass two checks:
---1. Is it an opinion?
---2. It is supported? i.e. If I ask "Why" do I have premises to supports it?

So if you're down to (D) vs. (E), you would ask yourself these questions.

Are they both opinions? (D) definitely is. (E) sounds like it's based on hard quantitative facts, but because it's a prediction it could still count as an opinion if we had to.

Are they both supported?
WHY is helium-3 not a solution to the world's energy problems?
(you provided a great answer to this in your post so I won't duplicate)

WHY will it be too late to solve the world's energy problems if it's not within the next 50 years?

???
[crickets]

I have no idea because that last sentence wasn't supported by any premise. Thus, it can't be a conclusion.

Hope this helps.