Great question. I assume that when you say "last statement," you're referring to the last sentence of the stimulus. Is this correct?
If so, then yes, the last sentence of the stimulus, which reads, "Despite appearances, the survey data do not establish that financial problems are the major problem in contemporary marriages," is the conclusion. This claim is contrary to what Raghnall says in the background/context of the argument.
The support for the conclusion is the second-to-last sentence of the stimulus, which reads, "Yet couples often express other types of marital frustrations in financial terms."
Does that make sense? Let us know if you have any other questions!
MeredithAugust 8, 2019
@Ravi given that is the conclusion can you please explain why A is incorrect? Is it because it does not reference the survey?
RaviAugust 8, 2019
@Meredith,
Let's take a look at (A).
(A) says, "Financial problems are not an important factor contributing to the divorce rate."
(A) is too strong and goes too far. The author's conclusion is that the survey data do not establish that financial problems are THE MAJOR PROBLEM in contemporary marriages. It's entirely possible that they're still an important factor. The author is claiming that money is not THE problem, but financial problems could still be important. Thus, we can get rid of (A).
(C) says, "The conclusion drawn in Raghnall's article is inadequately justified."
Raghnall claims that financial problems are the major problem in marriages and an important factor in the high divorce rate. The author disagrees with this, since people generally express other problems in financial terms. (C) summarizes and paraphrases the main point of the stimulus very well, so it's the correct answer choice.
Does that make sense? Let us know if you have any questions!
