PrepTest 141, Section 4, 16. Stress is a common cause…

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

Only the right answer will be a conclusion supported by the passage.

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

There is no conclusion in the passage. The right answer will be the conclusion all that supports.

[BACKGROUND]. [SUPPORT]. [SUPPORT].

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

(A) …lower blood pressure…cause their stress levels…

Wait, I just read a passage that says reducing stress leads to lower blood pressure. How does that support it working the other way around? I agree with you, it doesn’t.

(B) Most people with high blood pressure…

Stop. This group of people who have high blood pressure are never actually mentioned in the passage, so we have no support for any statement about “most” of them.

(C) Most people who do not exercise…

Stop. Same as (B), people who don’t exercise never actually get mentioned, so support for anything about “most” of them.

(D) …can directly lower…

If you read that whole chain of one thing leading to another in the passage, I’d expect you to agree that the word “directly” has no business in this answer. We only have support for a preeetty indirect relationship between “exercise” and “blood pressure”.

(E) For at least some people, engaging in exercise can cause their stress levels to be reduced.

You gotta love how this is worded. It’s only “some people”, and it’s only possible that exercise “can” cause lower stress. The passage says you can calm your mind by exercising, and then your calmed mind will reduce stress. This is a well-supported conclusion.

(E) is the correct answer.

Common pattern/s in this question: There’s totally cause-and-effect in this one, but you might notice that since the passage didn’t have a conclusion, mapping and eliminating works so well that it’s not as crucial to focus on that pattern.