Statement: It is desirable to put the child in school at the age of 5 or so. Assumptions: At that age the child reaches appropriate level of development and is ready to learn. The schools do not admit children after six years of age.

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: Only assumption I is implicit

Explanation:

Given data

  • Statement: It is desirable to put the child in school at the age of 5 or so.
  • Assumption I: At that age the child reaches appropriate development and is ready to learn.
  • Assumption II: Schools do not admit children after six years of age.

Concept/Approach
Assumptions are unstated beliefs that must hold true for the statement's recommendation to make sense. Test each assumption by asking: if it were false, would the recommendation lose force?


Step-by-step reasoning
Testing I: If 5-year-olds were not developmentally ready, recommending school at 5 would not be 'desirable.' Therefore, I underlies the recommendation and is implicit.Testing II: The claim of desirability does not depend on a hard admission cut-off after 6. Even if schools admitted after 6, one could still prefer 5 for readiness or habit formation. So II is not required.


Verification/Alternative
The statement frames a positive reason (readiness), not a fear of missing admission. Hence I fits, II does not.


Common pitfalls

  • Confusing a policy constraint (admission cut-off) with a developmental rationale.
  • Assuming 'desirable' must mean 'otherwise impossible later.'

Final Answer
Only assumption I is implicit.

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