Read Each Passage

question 6

Multiple Choice

Read each passage.Then choose the appropriate letter or letters to indicate the presence or absence of an error or errors in reasoning. Women's gymnastics is a sport dominated by very young girls.As a matter of fact, 18- and 19-year-old gymnasts are usually considered "old" and nearing the end of their competitive years.Critics of the sport correctly point out that its emphasis on pre-teen athletes is harmful to the girls who participate.To begin with, gymnastics can be physically damaging to young athletes' bodies.For example, intense regular physical activity during the child-hood years can lead to weakening of the bones.A 1996 New England Journal of Medicine article warned that female gymnasts are prone to an "accumulation of minor physical insults that can result in permanent injury or deformity.These injuries include stress fractures; growth-plate fractures; wrist and elbow injuries; [and] spinal injuries such as scoliosis." Girls in gymnastics are also prone to dangerous eating disorders because the sport demands a thin physique.In 1992, the average gymnast was just 4 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 83 pounds.Then, too, competitive gymnastics can be emotionally and mentally damaging.The sport pushes very young girls beyond their maturity level and many cannot effectively cope with the extreme pressures of high-stress training and competitions.The stress these little girls endure as they try to live up to expectations of their coaches, their parents, and themselves can be overwhelming.The New England Journal of Medicine said that "at its worst, the sport can result in serious, life-endangering ...emotional disabilities."

• A) circular reasoning
• B) hasty generalization
• C) slippery slope
• D) unidentified or dated research
• E) unidentified experts
• F) irrelevant reason
• G) no error

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Definitions:

Explicit Memory

Memory for specific information, including autobiographical information, such as what you had for breakfast, and general knowledge, such as state capitals.

Osteoarthritis

A chronic condition characterized by the degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint, leading to pain and stiffness.

Long-Term Memory

The capacity of the brain to store, retrieve, and maintain information over prolonged periods, extending from minutes to a lifetime.

Distortion

A change, twist, or exaggeration that alters the original shape, form, or sound of something, often leading to a misrepresentation of reality.