sq720 wrote:A recent survey found that more computers than copies of computer programs were purchased by Germans last year. The best interpretation of this finding is that the practice of illegally duplicating commercial computer programs is widespread among Germans.
Each of the following, if true, would counter some reasonable objection to the interpretation advanced above EXCEPT:
(A) Few German computer users write their own computer programs.
(B) There are few free noncommercial computer programs available in Germany.
(C) Some Germans purchase computers outside of Germany for use in Germany, and such purchases were counted in the survey.
(D) The typical German computer user has several commercially written computer programs on his or her computer.
(E) Many Germans legally make duplicates of commercial computer programs, but such duplicates were counted as purchased copies in the survey.
Any hints on how to solve EXCEPT questions?
The thing that makes this question tricky isn't the "EXCEPT", it's the question itself. The more complicated a question is, the more time you should spend ensuring that you've interpreted it correctly.
Let's start by ignoring the except:
"Which of the following, if true, would counter some reasonable objection to the interpretation advanced above?"
Still confused? I don't blame you - the double negative fools people every time. Let's break it carefully.
If we were looking for "an objection to the interpretation advanced above", we'd be weakening the argument.
If we're looking to "counter an objection", we're countering a weakener; hence, we're looking to strengthen the argument.
Now, adding our EXCEPT, we get:
"Each of the following strengthens the above interpretation EXCEPT".
For a regular strengthen question, the correct answer would make the conclusion more believable; the four wrong answers would either cast doubt on (weaken) the conclusion or be outside the scope of the conclusion.
For a strengthening except question, the world turns upside down:
the 4 wrong answers will all make the conclusion more believable; the correct answer will either WEAKEN or be OUTSIDE THE SCOPE (irrelevant).
Going through the choices:
(a) removes a legitimate reason for not buying software (people could just write it themselves), so it makes us believe that people are obtaining software illegally: eliminate (a).
(b) removes a legitimate reason for not buying software (people get it legally for free), so it makes us believe that people are obtaining software illegally: eliminate (b).
(d) confirms that computer owners actually have commercial software on their computers, so it reinforces that people are obtaining software illegally: eliminate (d).
(e) eliminates a possibile source of legally obtained software not counted by the survey, making the statistics cited more relevant: eliminate (e).
(c), on the other hand, focuses on where the computers were purchased. Since we have no clue how that affects software purchases, we cannot decide how (c) is relevant to the argument. Therefore, (c) is outside the scope and is NOT a strengthener: choose (c).
Remember: on strengthen/weaken/assumption EXCEPT questions, any choice that's outside the scope is a winner! So, even if you didn't understand exactly what this question was asking, if you can determine that it's some variation of strengthen/weaken EXCEPT, as soon as you notice that (c) is irrelevant you know it's the correct answer.
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