Re: While many people think of the lottery as a harmless way to
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28 Jan 2025, 11:03
Official Explanation
The correct answer is an assumption that the author believes to be true in drawing the conclusion, which is "public officials shouldn't buy lottery tickets" (as indicated by "therefore"). The argument claims that "buying lottery tickets is a form of gambling" and "therefore" a certain group shouldn't do so. The author must believe that this group, the public officials, should not gamble.
(A) People who play the lottery are not likely to win, it's true. This is a reason why people in general should not buy lottery tickets. However, the correct answer needs to address why "public officials" specifically "shouldn't buy lottery tickets."
(B) It's irrelevant whether some public officials are guilty of more serious offenses than gambling.
(C) CORRECT. This choice provides the necessary link between lottery tickets and public officials. Premise: "Buying lottery tickets" = "gambling." Conclusion: "Public officials shouldn't buy lottery tickets." The missing assumption, which this choice supplies word for word, is "public officials shouldn't gamble." If an argument says "certain people shouldn't do $X$ because $X$ is $Y$," then the assumption is that those certain people shouldn't do $Y$.
(D) It may be true that many officials are tempted to violate the rules, but this assumption does not have to be made in drawing the given argument.
(E) Like choice (A), this choice provides a reason why people in general shouldn't play the lottery, but it does not address why "public officials" specifically "shouldn't buy lottery tickets."