In each question below is given a statement followed by two assumptions…
2024
In each question below is given a statement followed by two assumptions numbered I and II. You have to consider the statement and the following assumptions and decide which of the assumptions is implicit in the statement.
Statement: Films have become indispensable for the entertainment of people.
Assumptions:
I. Films are the only media of entertainment.
II. People enjoy films.
- A.
Only assumption I is implicit
- B.
Only assumption II is implicit
- C.
Either I or II is implicit
- D.
Neither I nor II is implicit
Attempted by 19 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept: An assumption is something the statement takes for granted without stating it; it is implicit only if the statement necessarily presupposes it. Test each candidate with the negation method: negate the candidate assumption -- if the statement then becomes meaningless or self-contradictory, the assumption is implicit; if the statement still makes sense without it, the assumption is not implicit. A word like 'indispensable' asserts necessity, not exclusivity, so an assumption claiming exclusivity is a stronger claim than the statement supports.
Application:
Assumption I: negate it -> 'films are not the only medium of entertainment.' The statement 'films have become indispensable for the entertainment of people' remains perfectly sensible even so -- other media could exist alongside films. So assumption I is not a necessary presupposition.
Assumption II: negate it -> 'people do not enjoy films.' Then films could not possibly be indispensable for entertainment, since something indispensable for a purpose must actually serve that purpose. The statement becomes self-contradictory. So assumption II is a necessary presupposition.
Cross-check: Exactly one candidate survives the negation test, and the two candidates are independent claims rather than a mutually exclusive pair, so the 'either/or' and 'neither' framings do not fit this case.
Correct: only assumption II is implicit in the statement.