Question Type:
Explain the Discrepancy
Stimulus Breakdown:
GENERAL REC: take vitamin C to maintain overall health (it's got antioxidants) and to help guard against developing other health problems.
CANCER PATIENT REC: Don't take vitamin C, even though you're getting therapies that threaten your health.
Answer Anticipation:
Given that doctors recommend vitamin C to most people for its antioxidant-fueled protection against disease, why could vitamin C be bad for certain cancer patients undergoing therapy?
Correct Answer:
A
Answer Choice Analysis:
(A) Looks good. Here's a reason why you wouldn't give a cancer patient vitamin C.
(B) This isn't a reason AGAINST vitamin C. We need a reason to AVOID the recommendation.
(C) Just like (B), it's telling us why vitamin C wouldn't necessarily be helpful, but it's not telling us why we should be discouraged from taking it.
(D) This doesn't tell us anything about vitamin C in connection to cancer.
(E) Just like (B) and (C), it's telling us that vitamin C wouldn't necessarily be helpful, but it's not telling us why it would be discouraged.
Takeaway/Pattern: We don't need to try predicting the answers to Paradox/Discrepancy type questions. Just clearly frame the goal … "Why are these doctors DISCOURAGING some cancer patients undergoing therapies from taking vitamin C?"
#officialexplanation