Whiplash injuries

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Whiplash injuries

by april24 » Sun Nov 15, 2015 8:43 am
In countries where automobile insurance includes compensation for whiplash injuries sustained in automobile accidents, reports of having suffered such injuries are twice as frequent as they are in countries where whiplash is not covered. Some commentators have argued, correctly, that since there is presently no objective test for whiplash, spurious reports of whiplash injuries cannot be readily identified. These commentators are, however, wrong to draw the further conclusion that in the countries with the higher rates of reported whiplash injuries, half of the reported cases are spurious: clearly, in countries where automobile insurance does not include compensation for whiplash, people often have little incentive to report whiplash injuries that they actually have suffered.

In the argument given, the two boldfaced portions play which of the following roles?

A: The first is evidence that has been used to support a conclusion that the argument criticizes; the second is that conclusion
B: The first is evidence that has been used to support a conclusion that the argument criticizes; the second is the position that the argument defends
C: The first is a claim that has been used to support a conclusion that the argument accepts; the second is the position that the argument defends
D: The first is an intermediate conclusion that has been used to support a conclusion that the argument defends; the second is the position that the argument opposes.
E: The first presents a claim that is disputed in the argument; the second is a conclusion that has been drawn on the basis of that claim.

Please explain above question. Also what is the best approach to solve bold face questions, as I find them quite time consuming.

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by MartyMurray » Wed Nov 18, 2015 9:40 pm
I find that most efficient way to handle a boldfaced question is to read the prompt and see what is going on, but don't really seek to figure out how exactly to describe what the boldfaced portions do, because the answer choices will give you ideas, and sometimes the answer will turn out to be different from what you would have spent time coming up with. So why bother.

Then go to the answer choices and see which makes sense. Also, read and compare with the boldfaced portions ALL of the answer choices, because one can be amazed by how a choice can seem right until one sees another that is way more right.

A) This one seems pretty good. The first does seem to support the second, and the second is something the argument criticizes. Is the first "evidence"? I am not 100% sure. Still, I am going to keep this one, thinking that probably it is the right answer.

B) The second part of this answer is way off, as the argument is definitely not defending what that second boldfaced portion says, and noticing that is typical of how one can eliminate boldfaced answer choices. You may not be sure that the entire answer choice is wrong, but if half of it is wrong, it's out.

C) The first half of this is right. The argument does accept that spurious reports of whiplash injuries cannot be readily identified. The second half is wrong though, just as it was in B.

D) An intermediate conclusion? Even if you are not sure what an intermediate conclusion is, you can look at what the first boldfaced portion says and realize that it does not really look like a conclusion. The second half does sort of work though. The argument does oppose what is said in the second boldfaced portion. Because the first half of this answer choice does not match, it's out.

E) Clearly, the argument does not dispute the first boldfaced portion. So this one is out.

So, since none of the others work at all, I guess I will accept that the first boldfaced portion is a form of evidence and choose A.
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