Statement:\nTo cultivate interest in reading, the school has made it compulsory (from June 1996) for each student to read two books per week and submit a weekly report.\n\nConclusions:\nI. Interest in reading can be created by force.\nII. Some students will eventually develop an interest in reading.\n\nWhich option is correct?

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: If only Conclusion II follows

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
The school introduces a compulsory reading program to cultivate interest. We must judge what necessarily follows regarding efficacy and outcomes, while avoiding absolute claims about “force.”


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Policy: Mandate two books per week plus a report.
  • Stated aim: cultivate interest in reading.
  • No explicit causal proof, but it is reasonable to infer that at least some students will respond positively over time.


Concept / Approach:
Conclusion I (“created by force”) makes a universal causal claim about “force” producing interest, which the premise does not establish. Conclusion II is a weaker existential claim: in large student populations, structured exposure commonly leads at least some students to develop interest, aligning with the policy’s intention.


Step-by-Step Solution:

• I is too strong: compulsion may backfire for some; the statement does not prove that “force” can create interest universally.• II is plausible and consistent with the goal—given repeated exposure and reporting, it is reasonable that some students will develop interest.


Verification / Alternative check:
Consider heterogeneous student responses: some indifferent, some resistant, some engaged. The existence of at least one engaged subgroup is highly plausible and requires no overreach.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Asserting I alone or both I & II turns a policy aim into a universal causal truth, which is not given.


Common Pitfalls:
Conflating “mandatory” with “effective for all”; demanding absolute proof instead of recognising a minimal existential outcome.


Final Answer:
If only Conclusion II follows.

More Questions from Statement and Conclusion

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