It is widely assumed that people need to engage in intellectual activities such as solving crossword puzzles or mathematics problems in order to maintain mental sharpness as they age. In fact, however, simply talking to other people—that is, participating in social interaction, which engages many mental and perceptual skills—suffices. Evidence to this effect comes from a study showing that the more social contact people report, the better their mental skills.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the force of the evidence cited?
- AAs people grow older, they are often advised to keep exercising their physical and mental capacities in order to maintain or improve them.
- BMany medical conditions and treatments that adversely affect a person's mental sharpness also tend to increase that person's social isolation.
- CMany people are proficient both in social interactions and in solving mathematical problems.
- DThe study did not itself collect data but analyzed data bearing on the issue from prior studies.
- EThe tasks evaluating mental sharpness for which data were compiled by the study were more akin to mathematics problems than to conversation.
正确答案: B
读出题的逻辑如下:
P:有一个study展示 more social contact ——》better mental skills
C:talking to other people(participating in social interaction)——》 engages mental skills
做题思路:
这个题目问weaken,因为P是一个推导,C是根据P而推出的一个推导,所以首先想到的是攻击P中study样本或者P的推论有问题,这样P不成立的话,C也不成立了。之后直接按着这个思路找的选项E,想求助下错在哪个环节了?
另外B选项读出来的意思是 medical conditions 让mental差 & social少,这个选项是通过说medical conditions 是mental和social变化的原因,即他因,来weaken的吗?这里没有明白怎么weaken的。
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