The Minister of Social Welfare stated that the income gap in our nation, which has been widening for several years, has significantly decreased due to the reforms introduced by the government over the past decade. Households from lower-income backgrounds that previously struggled to afford essential services like secondary education and health insurance can now access them without difficulty. The minister’s assertion is based on the assumption that:
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Greatt
Amazing
Any shortcuts for solving this faster?
Any shortcuts for solving this faster?
good question
Easy one. The minister is basically saying the gap shrank because poor people can afford stuff now. That only works if affordability actually reflects the gap. So C is the obvious assumption.
I picked D at first because if costs went up, maybe they still can't afford it. But that's not an assumption, it's a possible weakener. The real gap is between 'affording services' and 'income gap'. C connects them.
Same here. I was stuck between C and D. Then I realized D is about costs, but even if costs increased, the conclusion could still hold if affordability improved. C is the necessary link.
Why is E wrong? It says the improvement extends beyond just those two things. But the argument never claims it's only those. So it's not required.
What it tests
Whether you can identify the unstated assumption a critical-reasoning argument depends on.
Common trap
Picking an option that strengthens the argument or is merely relevant instead of one that is required.