Critical Reasoning

Deb: It's worrisome that 80% of the people in this country know at least one person who did not finish high school.

Erik: But the average person has about one hundred different acquaintances, so, even if the normal high school dropout rate is only 10%, most people will probably know at least one dropout.

Erik's argument relies on the assumption that:

1. The normal dropout rate has remained very stable over time.
2. The dropout rate varies little from region to region across the country.
3. The number of people who know a dropout is usually over 80% of the population.
4. The statistics cited by Deb don't overstate the fraction of the population that actually does know a high school dropout.
5. Being personally acquainted with a dropout causes more anxiety about the dropout problem than do the dropout statistics themselves.

OA -
B

singhsa wrote:Deb: It's worrisome that 80% of the people in this country know at least one person who did not finish high school.

Erik: But the average person has about one hundred different acquaintances, so, even if the normal high school dropout rate is only 10%, most people will probably know at least one dropout.

Erik's argument relies on the assumption that:

1. The normal dropout rate has remained very stable over time.
2. The dropout rate varies little from region to region across the country.
3. The number of people who know a dropout is usually over 80% of the population.
4. The statistics cited by Deb don't overstate the fraction of the population that actually does know a high school dropout.
5. Being personally acquainted with a dropout causes more anxiety about the dropout problem than do the dropout statistics themselves.

OA -
B

Only A and B are contenders

C and D can be conclusion/interference
E is non relevant.

I will go with B.
This implies that this survey sampling was done in proper way.Hence it is answer.