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Identifying Core Claims and Premises

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Over the past five years, the municipality of Oakridge has observed a 25 percent decrease in downtown storefront retail revenue. During this same timeframe, the city council invested heavily in expanding public bus routes connecting suburban residential zones directly to suburban shopping centers. A recent survey commissioned by the downtown merchant association found that 70 percent of suburban shoppers prioritize free, abundant parking when selecting retail destinations. Based on these findings, the merchant association contends that municipal subsidies for constructing multi-story parking garages in the downtown core will reverse the economic downturn. However, this argument ignores the critical factor that remote online shopping has grown by 150 percent regionally over the same five-year period. Therefore, subsidizing downtown parking garages will fail to restore retail revenue to previous levels.

Which of the following best states the main conclusion of the argument above?

Cevabı ve açıklamayı göster

Cevap: Subsidizing downtown parking garages will not succeed in restoring retail revenue because the downturn is primarily driven by the growth of online shopping.

Cevap

The main conclusion of the argument is that subsidizing downtown parking garages will fail to restore retail revenue because the economic downturn is primarily driven by the growth of online shopping.
The correct answer accurately isolates the author's core thesis. The argument structure begins by establishing a background context (decline in retail sales, bus route expansion, merchant survey). It then introduces the merchant association's proposed solution (parking garage subsidies). The author counters this proposal using 'However' by pointing out a major alternative factor (150 percent e-commerce growth) and finishes with 'Therefore' to deliver the primary conclusion: parking subsidies will fail because they do not address the true driver of the revenue decline.

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1
Analyze the structure of the argument and identify indicator words.
The passage presents background context (revenue drop, bus expansion, survey data), an intermediate proposal by the merchant association, a counter-consideration (e-commerce growth), and a final takeaway introduced by the conclusion indicator word 'Therefore'.
Structural indicators such as 'However' and 'Therefore' signal the transition from opposing claims to the author's primary position.
2
Differentiate between background premises, intermediate claims, and the ultimate conclusion.
The statement following 'Therefore'—that subsidizing downtown parking garages will fail to restore retail revenue—is supported by the premise regarding 150 percent e-commerce growth.
Premises function as supporting evidence, whereas the main conclusion is the central thesis supported by those premises.
3
Match the core conclusion to the corresponding option choice.
The option stating that parking garage subsidies will not restore retail revenue due to online shopping growth directly synthesizes the primary conclusion and its supporting reason.
The correct choice must capture the precise scope and logical point of the author's final claim without expanding into unstated generalizations or dropping back into premise restatements.

Anahtar Kavram

Identifying the Primary Conclusion in an Argument
Tahmini Süre:1m 45s
Identifying Core Claims and Premises Alıştırma Soruları — GRE General Test | Examkin