Critical Reasoning

Please provide an explanation for your answer choices (especially for #2)...

In the industrialized nations, the last century has witnessed a shortening of the average workday from twelve hours or longer to less than eight hours. Mindful of this enormous increase in leisure time over the past century, many people assume that the same trend has obtained throughout history, and that, therefore, prehistoric humans must have labored incessantly for their very survival.
We cannot, of course, directly test this assumption. However, a study of primitive peoples of today suggests a different conclusion. The Mbuti of central Africa, for instance, spend only a few hours each day in hunting, gathering, and tending to other economic necessities. The rest of their time is spent as they choose. The implication is that the short workday is not peculiar to industrialized societies. Rather, both the extended workday of 1880 and the shorter workday of today are products of different stages of the continuing process of industrialization.

#1 Which of the following inferences about industrialization is best supported by the passage above?
(A) People in advanced industrialized societies have more leisure time than those in nonindustrialized societies.

(B) An average workday of twelve hours or more is peculiar to economies in the early stages of industrialization.

(C) Industrialization involves a trade-off between tedious, monotonous jobs and the benefits of increased leisure.

(D) It is likely that the extended workday of an industrializing country will eventually be shortened.

(E) As industrialization progresses, people tend to look for self-fulfillment in leisure rather than work.


#2 Which of the following, if true, would most greatly strengthen the argument made in the passage above?
(A) In recent decades, the economy of the Mbuti has been markedly affected by the encroachment of modern civilization.

(B) The life-style of the Mbuti is similar to that of prehistoric humans.

(C) The Mbuti have no words in their language to express the distinction between work activities and leisure activities.

(D) The workday of a European peasant in medieval times averaged between eleven and fifteen hours.

(E) The members of the Shaklik tribe in central Asia have an average workday of ten to twelve hours.

D & A?

OA pl?

Jan08,
The answer for 1st question is correct (D), which seems quite logical.

Answer for the 2nd question is B. Can you please provide a reasoning for your answer for Q#2.

I concluded A as the answer for 2nd question via POE:

(A) In recent decades, the economy of the Mbuti has been markedly affected by the encroachment of modern civilization.

(B) The life-style of the Mbuti is similar to that of prehistoric humans. - This actually weakens the argument. Mbuti spends less time in hunting, gathering and other economic activities, rest of the time they leisure but the prehistoric humans tend to work a lot for their survival (end of 1st para)

(C) The Mbuti have no words in their language to express the distinction between work activities and leisure activities. - No connection..Negated

(D) The workday of a European peasant in medieval times averaged between eleven and fifteen hours. - This is just an example of the history, cannot be assumed same as Mbuti

(E) The members of the Shaklik tribe in central Asia have an average workday of ten to twelve hours. - same as D

But now when you say that the answer is B, I will think about this...do you have any explanation for this?

Thanks

After a lot of thought here is my reasoning for B (though Im not 100% about this)

The argument states that prehistoric people worked long hours but Mbuti men didn't. However this contrast is a bit unclear until it can be shown that Mbuti tribe had a similar lifestyle to prehistoric people. i.e. everything is similar between prehistoric people and Mbuti except the hours of work.

This would help conclude clearly that Mbuti are indeed an exception to the rule.

This reasoning is based more on hindsight and with an intent to justify the answer than anything else.

but then how can you assume that the 2 guys will have different work hrs and same lifestyle? isnt this assuming too much?

thanks

By lifestyle he means the working and living conditions.

The author is saying that many people assume that pre-historic humans had to work hard for their living,however he didnt want to support that argument ,so he quoted the example of mtubi.However still there is a missing link b/w Mtubi and pre-historic humans i.e if mtubi people didnt work hard it doesnt mean that pre-historic humans didnt work hard.
By saying
"The life-style of the Mbuti is similar to that of prehistoric humans. "
the argument is fully supported.

Guess it's four years too late to answer this one ... but here goes my reasoning for the question

Conclusion -Humans have had short work days since the times primitive man; the extended work day was /is an aberration -evidenced in initial period of industrialization

Option B weakens the counter-statement introduced in the first para. Thus it strengthens the principal argument.

Here's how I would break down the passage.

1. "MOST people assumed prehistoric humans, based on trends throughout history, labored non stop for survival. But, it cannot be assumed."
So, the author of the passage is saying industrial workers and prehistoric humans CANNOT be assumed similar.

2. The passage states an example of PRIMITIVE M tribe from central Africa to show they have a leisurely life.

3. Using M tribe as example, the statement concludes that "(t)he implication is that the short workday is not peculiar to industrialized societies. Rather, both the extended workday of 1880 and the shorter workday of today are products of different stages of the continuing process of industrialization."

#2 Which of the following, if true, would most greatly strengthen the argument made in the passage above?
(A) In recent decades, the economy of the Mbuti has been markedly affected by the encroachment of modern civilization.

(B) The life-style of the Mbuti is similar to that of prehistoric humans.

(C) The Mbuti have no words in their language to express the distinction between work activities and leisure activities.

(D) The workday of a European peasant in medieval times averaged between eleven and fifteen hours.

(E) The members of the Shaklik tribe in central Asia have an average workday of ten to twelve hours.

If there is a strong correlation between the prehistoric humans and M tribe, then it will strengthen the conclusion of the statement. We can assume that primitive M tribe and prehistoric humans have leisurely life and the changes of the work hour is just a progression of Industrialization. If you want to use POE, it's more clear. A is nonsense because the statement is concerned about work hours. C is out of scope again. D is a bit tricky. If we take D as true, would the conclusion be affected in any ways? It may weaken the conclusion, but not strengthen. E is out of scope.

Also, the author states the M tribe's example is a SUGGESTION, "suggests a different conclusion". So if there is a strong correlation between prehistoric humans and M tribe, the conclusion will be strengthened.

a. Option 'a' has nothing to do with the argument made in the passage as it talks about the effects of modern civilization and not about the pre historic period.
b. The author in the passage has mentioned the study of primitive people. If we consider the life-style of Mbuti similar to that of pre historic people, we can have a study of primitive people.
c. This weakens the argument as the author is making conclusions based in the study of Mbuti.
d. The author wants to compare today's work hours with pre historic period and not with medieval period.
e. Opens up a different case study.
Hence, b is the answer.