PrepTest 141, Section 2, 9. Columnist: Research shows significant…

How will the right answer fit in terms of support and conclusion?

Only the right answer will support disagreeing with the conclusion, or support the opposite conclusion.

Highlight the main conclusion in the passage, if there is one:

This provides substantial grounds for disputing tobacco companies’ claims that advertising has no significant causal impact on the tendency to smoke.

Columnist: [SUPPORT]. [CONCLUSION].

A pretty straightforward argument. And you caught that the conclusion is claiming cause-and-effect, right? That’s going to help when you’re analyzing answers. We want to “undermine” that though, so the right answer will support that the research does NOT prove that advertising causes people to smoke.

Map the wording of the answers to the wording of the passage:

(A) …unlikely to quit merely because they are no longer exposed to tobacco advertising.

This is trying to blow up the cause-and-effect by showing that the effect (smoking) is still there even when you remove the cause (advertising). That could be okay, but you want to catch that it only covers half the equation. It doesn’t tell us anything about whether advertising causes people to start smoking, just that pre-existing smokers won’t quit.

(B) …Broadcast media tend to have stricter restrictions…than do print media.

The passage doesn’t compare broadcast media to print, so this answer is changing the subject. It’s the advertising that the conclusion cares about. Whether it’s restricted or not doesn’t support or undermine the cause-and-effect claim.

(C) …only in countries where a negative attitude toward tobacco use is already widespread…

This is bringing in another possible cause for the results of the research in the passage. If you see a cause-and-effect conclusion, could a reasonable alternative cause be used to undermine it? Abso-freakin’-lutely.

Does the rest of this answer stick to wording used in the passage? Yes, it maps to the same countries where the research was done. This is definitely better than (A).

(D) …who begin smoking during adolescence…

So what? Was there anything in the passage about age? Nope, this doesn’t map at all.

(E) …tend to be unaffected by other kinds of advertising…

Does “other kinds of advertising” sound like a comparison the passage was making? Not at all, this answer is changing the subject.

(C) is the correct answer.

Common pattern/s in this question: Conclusions that claim a cause-and-effect relationship show up multiple times in every section. This is fair game on almost any prompt, but the pattern shows up most on prompts that ask for support.

If you’re undermining/weakening the conclusion, a reasonable alternative cause is very likely to show up in the right answer.