Q3 - A person reading a new book for pleasure

[ohthatpatrick]

Question Type:
Strengthen

Stimulus Breakdown:
Conclusion: Better to slowly read fewer books than to quickly read more books.
Evidence: Reading a book is kinda like traveling to a new place. Both parties are trying to enlarge understanding, not just acquire information. And it's better to stay longer at fewer places than to stay quicly at many different places.

Answer Anticipation:
The author is making a "quality over quantity" argument about reading books by using an analogy with travel. When an author's argument hinges on an analogy/comparison, we weaken it by pointing out relevant differences and strengthen by increasing the similarity (make it more "fair to compare"). However, we're also missing an assumption that needs to be spelled out: spending more time doing fewer things is assumed to better result in "an enlarged understanding" vs. merely acquiring information.

Correct Answer:
B

Answer Choice Analysis:
(A) This doesn't make the analogy stronger or make the missing assumption better established.

(B) Yes, this helps connect "spending more time doing fewer things" with "enlarged understanding".

(C) We aren't trying to compare reading vs. visiting, in terms of which provides better learning value. We're comparing "quality vs. quantity" for both reading and visiting, in terms of whicih provides better enlargement of the understanding.

(D) This is also combining reading and visiting in a way we don't care about. Visiting places is just an analogy for reading a new book. The author isn't discussing reading about a place before we visit it.

(E) Beyond the weak quantity of "some", which tells us very little, this example goes more AGAINST the grain of the author, rather than with her.

Takeaway/Pattern: This argument had a missing link and an analogy. The correct answer could have addressed either or both. In the case of (B), we were spelling out the assumption (in Strengthen form) by connecting the Goal of enlarged understanding with the Recommended Method of "quality over quantity".

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