wife and husbrand

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wife and husbrand

by NSNguyen » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:26 am
Wife: The work of the artist who painted the portrait of my grandparents 50 years ago has become quite popular lately, so the portrait has recently become valuable. But since these sorts of artistic fads fade rapidly, the practical thing to do would be to sell the portrait while it is still worth something, and thereby enable our daughter to attend the college she has chosen.
Husband: How could you make such a suggestion? That painting is the only thing you own that belonged to your grandparents. I don’t think it’s a very good painting, but it has great sentimental value. Besides, you owe it to our daughter to keep it in the family as a link to her family’s past.
3. Which one of the following principles, if established, does most to justify the husband’s reply?
(A) Gifts offered as sentimental tokens of affection should not be accepted if the recipient intends to sell them later for profit.
(B) A beautiful work of art is more valuable than the money it could be sold for, whatever the amount.
(C) It is more important for parents to provide their children with tangible links to the family’s past than it is to enable them to attend the college of their choice.
(D) Children and grandchildren have a duty to preserve family heirlooms only if they have promised their parents or grandparents that they would do so.
(E) Providing one’s children with an education is more important than providing them with material goods, even if the goods have sentimental value.
4. The husband uses which one of the following argumentative techniques in replying to the wife’s suggestion?
(A) taking issue with the practicality of her suggestion
(B) questioning her aesthetic judgment
(C) claiming that the reasons she gives are based on emotions rather than on rational considerations
(D) asserting that the evidence she cites in support of her suggestion is false
(E) invoking a competing obligation that he judges to override her practical considerations
Please share your idea and your reasoning :D
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by CappyAA » Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:26 pm
IMO, C and E

In the first one, I chose C because the husband essentially believes the family heirloom has sentimental value that is greater than that of providing a college education. There is no mention of whether they should receive it or not, so A is out. B is tempting, but wrong as he mentions he doesn't like the painting particularly. D is out of scope as no promise was mentioned. E is a reverse answer. C summarizes the argument well.

In the second one, I chose E as the husband is making a different argument to override the first. He does not touch on practicality so A is not right. He doesn't use looks of the painting in his argument, so B is out. There are no mentions of emotions, so C is wrong. And he never rebuts her argument as a false one.
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by banker1 » Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:31 pm
3. IMO: C

We want to establish a principle that will justify the husbands response.

(A) is out of scope. We don't know when the picture was given to the wife, how it was offered to her, and what her original intention was when she first received the picture.

(B) is wrong. The husband states: I don’t think it’s a very good painting, but it has great sentimental value. Clearly he does not think the picture is beautiful.

(C) is the best answer IMO. It is the only principle which justifies the husband's response.

(D) is wrong. We don't know what how the picture was obtained and under what terms.

(E) is wrong, it goes against the husband's reply.

4. IMO: E

We want to identify the technique the husband used to present his argument.

(A) is wrong, he does not have an issue with the practicality of her suggestion

(B) is wrong, he does not question aesthetic judgement, she does not say anything about the appearance of the picture

(C) emotions are not mentioned in the passage

(D) he does not try to disprove the painter's works of art are worth more money now.

(E) is the best answer IMO.

What is the OA?

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by john83.amar » Wed May 11, 2016 12:15 pm
Answer E seems to be logical one out of other answer choices