Critical Reasoning

According to the last pre-election poll in Whippleton, most voters believe that the three problems government needs to address, in order of importance, are pollution, crime, and unemployment. Yet in the election, candidates from parties perceived as strongly against pollution were defeated, while those elected were all from parties with a history of opposing legislation designed to reduce pollution. These results should not be taken to indicate that the poll was inaccurate, however, since ______________.

Which of the following most logically completes the passage?

(A) some voters in Whippleton do not believe that pollution needs to be reduced.
(B) every candidate who was defeated had a strong antipollution record
(C) there were no issues other than crime, unemployment, and pollution on which the candidates had significant differences of opinion
(D) all the candidates who were elected were perceived as being stronger against both crime and unemployment than the candidates who were defeated
(E) many of the people who voted in the election refused to participate in the poll

OA: D

Please help me know how to approach POE here.

When dealing with paragraphs that end with a blank, it is important to focus on the word that immediately precedes the blank. In this case, the word is since. Accordingly, we know that the phrase must support the clause immediately preceding the word since.

What is that clause? It is: These results should not be taken to indicate that the poll was inaccurate. Some people may find that this wording confusing because it says not...inaccurate. We are looking to provide evidence that the poll was accurate. What did the poll say? That government needs to address pollution, crime, and unemployment. Which answer best shows that this poll was accurate?

Answer choice (A) is out. Pointing out that some people don't agree that pollution should be reduced in no way strengthens the idea that the poll is accurate.

Answer choice (B) may seem promising since it points out that candidates defeated had an antipollution record. However, it is not strong enough because it doesn't mention the other points raised in the poll (crime and unemployment). Let's mark it as maybe.

Answer choice (C) does not really strengthen the idea that the poll was accurate.

Answer choice (D) points out that the candidates that were elected were perceived as stronger against crime and unemployment than were the candidates that were defeated. This is a strong answer choice.

Answer choice (E) does not show that the poll results are accurate. If anything, it indicates that the poll may be wrong.

I have a lot of sympathy for people who picked B. However, D is a better choice.

lionsshare wrote:According to the last pre-election poll in Whippleton, most voters believe that the three problems government needs to address, in order of importance, are pollution, crime, and unemployment. Yet in the election, candidates from parties perceived as strongly against pollution were defeated, while those elected were all from parties with a history of opposing legislation designed to reduce pollution. These results should not be taken to indicate that the poll was inaccurate, however, since ______________.

Which of the following most logically completes the passage?

(A) some voters in Whippleton do not believe that pollution needs to be reduced.
(B) every candidate who was defeated had a strong antipollution record
(C) there were no issues other than crime, unemployment, and pollution on which the candidates had significant differences of opinion
(D) all the candidates who were elected were perceived as being stronger against both crime and unemployment than the candidates who were defeated
(E) many of the people who voted in the election refused to participate in the poll

To support the accuracy of the poll, the correct answer must link the election RESULTS to the pre-election POLL, which cited pollution, crime and unemployment as the three problems most important to voters.

D: All the candidates who were elected were perceived as being stronger against both crime and unemployment than the candidates who were defeated.
Here, the election RESULTS are linked to crime and unemployment -- two of the three most important problems cited in the poll -- SUPPORTING the conclusion that the poll was accurate.

The correct answer is D.

In strengthen and weaken CRs, be skeptical of answer choices with the word some.
For the purposes of CR, some = at least one.
A: Some voters in Whippleton do not believe that pollution needs to be reduced.
Here, AT LEAST ONE VOTER does not believe that pollution needs to be reduced.
The opinion of one voter is insufficient to affect the conclusion that the poll was accurate.
Eliminate A.

B: Every candidate who was defeated had a strong antipollution record
This option seems to strengthen the PREMISE that candidates from parties perceived as strongly against pollution were defeated.
A premise is a FACT; it cannot be strengthened.
Eliminate any answer choice that attempts to strengthen or weaken a premise.
Eliminate B.

C: There were no issues other than crime, unemployment, and pollution on which the candidates had significant differences of opinion
This information has no bearing on the results of the poll, which cited pollution, crime and unemployment as the three most important issues.

E: Many of the people who voted in the election refused to participate in the poll
Here, many voters did not participate in the poll, possibly WEAKENING the conclusion that the poll accurately reflected voter opinion.
Since the correct answer must SUPPORT the accuracy of the poll, eliminate E.