Critical reasoning – policy to build reading habits: “To cultivate interest in reading, the school mandates (from June) that each student must read two books per week and submit a weekly book report.” Identify which conclusions are logically supported about interest formation under compulsion and eventual habit development.

Given data

• Policy: From June, every student must read two books weekly and submit a report.
• Stated objective: Cultivate interest in reading.
• Conclusion I: Interest in reading can be created by force.
• Conclusion II: Some students will eventually develop interest in reading.

Concept/ApproachThe statement reveals the school's intent and mechanism (compulsion) but does not prove compulsion necessarily creates interest for all. However, instituting a structured, repeated practice reasonably supports the expectation that at least some students will develop interest over time.

Step-by-step evaluation1) The policy uses compulsion as a means. From that alone, we cannot conclude that 'interest can be created by force' as a general truth (too strong). Hence, Conclusion I does not necessarily follow.2) Given a sustained, system-wide reading routine with accountability (weekly report), it is reasonable that at least some students will acquire interest (habit formation). Thus, Conclusion II is a plausible, supported inference.

Verification/AlternativeIf compulsion failed for every student, the policy's intended outcome would be contradicted. The school's action presumes some positive effect; therefore II follows as a reasonable inference.

Common pitfalls

• Equating 'policy intent' with 'universal success'. Intent does not establish a universal causal law.

Final AnswerOnly conclusion II follows.