It is widely assumed that people need to engage in intellectual activities such as solving crossword puzzles or mathematics problems in order to maintain mental sharpness as they age. In fact, however, simply talking to other people—that is, participating in social interaction, which engages many mental and perceptual skills—suffices. Evidence to this effect comes from a study showing that the more social contact people report, the better their mental skills.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the force of the evidence cited?


As people grow older, they are often advised to keep exercising their physical and mental capacities in order to maintain or improve them.

Many medical conditions and treatments that adversely affect a person's mental sharpness also tend to increase that person's social isolation.

Many people are proficient both in social interactions and in solving mathematical problems.

The study did not itself collect data but analyzed data bearing on the issue from prior studies.

The tasks evaluating mental sharpness for which data were compiled by the study were more akin to mathematics problems than to conversation.

考题讲解

情景:一直以来我们都认为,人们需要保持诸如解决英语字谜或者数学问题才能在他们变老的时候依然保持敏锐的智力。但是,实际上,简简单单和其他人说话就足以了。这点的证据是,一个研究表明,人们越多的和社会接触,他们就有越好的智力技巧。

推理:推理文段的结论句其实不在最后一句,而是在中间,即,simply talking to other people—that is, participating in social interaction, which engages many mental and perceptual skills—suffices。真正有用的前提句,即,真正能推出这个结论的句子,其实是最后一句。显然地,推理文段的最后一句给出了“接触社会”和“智力技巧”的统计关联,结论句给出了此两者的因果关系。因此,推理文段为相关因果推理
前提:“接触社会”和“智力技巧”具有正相关关系
结论:接触社会导致了智力技巧的保持

选题方式:相关因果推理有四个评估方向,简而言之,即,答案选项要么同时提及“接触社会”和“智力技巧”,要么给智力技巧的保持另一个原因。

选项分析:

A选项:当人们老的时候,他们经常会被劝去锻炼身体和智力以保持和提升自己。本选项虽然提到了智力的保持,但是没有给智力技巧的保持一个原因。

B选项:Correct. 很多影响人们智力的治疗也会提升人们的社会孤独。本选项同时提到了推理文段的因和果。给出了一个因果的方向问题,即,可能是因为人类智力的下降导致的社会孤独,而不是因为接触社会导致的智力保持。属于CQ3:因果方向问题

C选项:很多人既精通社会交流又精通解决数学问题。本选项讨论的是人类的特点,不是推理文段的因果。

D选项:
这个研究自己不收集数据,仅仅是分析数据。本选项和推理文段的因果无关。

E选项:
研究给出的评估人类智力的任务更相似与数学问题而不是对话。本选项给出的是研究利用的测试智力的手段,没有理由认为这个手段可以影响人类的智力表现

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