Critical Reasoning

Scientists have long searched for magnetic monopoles, hypothetical particles left over from the Big Bang. In 1982, a detector at Stanford recorded a single event that seemed to be the passage of a monopole. However, despite the fact that the Stanford experimental design has withstood all serious challenges, no other detectors have ever recorded similar events. Even though one team of physicists has recently claimed to have found indirect evidence that magnetic monopoles must exist, the consensus of the physics community is that monopoles, if they do exist, have not yet been discovered.

In the argument above, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A)The first is a difficulty that contradicts the status quo view of the majority of physicists; the second is that status quo view.

B)The first is a comment that supports a minority position among physicists; the second is an alternative to that minority position.


C)The first is evidence strengthening an unrepeated experimental result; the second is a claim supported by that evidence.

D)The first is an assertion that undermines a hypothesis commonly thought to be unproven; the second is that hypothesis.


E)The first is a corroboration of an assertion that lacks experimental support; the second is that assertion.

Where is the bold part ? ?

[spoiler]e?[/spoiler]

+1 E

C is tempting. But it seems that it refers to additional evidence that strengthens the result of the experiment.

bryan88 wrote:Scientists have long searched for magnetic monopoles, hypothetical particles left over from the Big Bang. In 1982, a detector at Stanford recorded a single event that seemed to be the passage of a monopole. However, despite the fact that the Stanford experimental design has withstood all serious challenges, no other detectors have ever recorded similar events. Even though one team of physicists has recently claimed to have found indirect evidence that magnetic monopoles must exist, the consensus of the physics community is that monopoles, if they do exist, have not yet been discovered.

In the argument above, the two portions in boldface play which of the following roles?

A)The first is a difficulty that contradicts the status quo view of the majority of physicists; the second is that status quo view.

B)The first is a comment that supports a minority position among physicists; the second is an alternative to that minority position.


C)The first is evidence strengthening an unrepeated experimental result; the second is a claim supported by that evidence.

D)The first is an assertion that undermines a hypothesis commonly thought to be unproven; the second is that hypothesis.


E)The first is a corroboration of an assertion that lacks experimental support; the second is that assertion.

Boldface CRs are a MATCH GAME.

C: The first is evidence strengthening an unrepeated experimental result; the second is a claim supported by that evidence.
Every word here can be matched back to the passage.

An unrepeated experimental result: A detector at Stanford recorded a single event that seemed to be the passage of a monopole...no other detectors have ever recorded similar events.

The first is evidence strengthening: The Stanford experimental design has withstood all serious challenges.

The second is a claim supported by that evidence: Magnetic monopoles must exist.

The correct answer is C.

E: an assertion that lacks experimental support.
Not so: the Stanford detector provided experimental support that magnetic monopoles exist.
Eliminate E.