3.6 - Most Strongly Supported

Most Strongly Supported (MSS) questions task us with finding an answer choice with the most support in the passage. You might be asked to finish an argument or uncover something that's likely to be true.

Sometimes it's easy to predict the answers to these questions, sometimes not. It all boils down to a clear understanding of the passage and each answer choice. You should be able to point to clear support for your answer in the passage.

They usually look like this:

• The author's statements, if true, most strongly support which one of the following?
• Which one of the following statements is most strongly supported by the author's claims?
• Which one of the following most logically completes the argument?

Let's work through some examples.

Examples

June 2007 PrepTest, Section 2, Question 3

Here's June 2007 PrepTest, Section 2, Question 3:

A century in certain ways is like a life, and as the end of a century approaches, people behave toward that century much as someone who is nearing the end of life does toward that life. So just as people in their last years spend much time looking back on the events of their life, people at a century's end _______.

So nostalgic! The author opens by drawing a parallel between a century (a 100-year span) and a life (presumably the lifespan of an individual). They continue with a premise we must grant: apparently people treat lives and centuries similarly as they near their respective ends. They finish up by drawing the first half of a comparative conclusion: "since people spend their later years reminiscing about their lives, people spend the final years of a given century..."

Doing what?! Don't leave us on a cliff-hanger! Just kidding. But this is what we're supposed to figure out.

How would you finish this comparison to follow the author's logic? If people treat the ends of lives the same way they treat the ends of centuries, and they spend the ends of their lives reminiscing, what would they do at the end of a century? The answer to those questions is your prediction (and very likely, the correct answer).

They'd spend it reflecting on that century's history.

Here's another one from June 2007 PrepTest, Section 2, Question 18:

Modern science is built on the process of posing hypotheses and testing them against observations—in essence, attempting to show that the hypotheses are incorrect. Nothing brings more recognition than overthrowing conventional wisdom. It is accordingly unsurprising that some scientists are skeptical of the widely accepted predictions of global warming. What is instead remarkable is that with hundreds of researchers striving to make breakthroughs in climatology, very few find evidence that global warming is unlikely.

This one's going to be a little tougher to predict. But I'm drawn to the author's surprise—that, despite the massive incentive to disprove global warming, very few scientists how found evidence against the theory.

My curiosity and attention get rewarded in the answer choices. It turns out that B's our answer here:

Most researchers in climatology have substantial motive to find evidence that would discredit the global warming hypothesis.

Like we said at the outset, you need to be able to justify your answer with support from the passage.

Here's mine: Modern science is, in essence, built upon attempting to disprove hypotheses. Disproving hypotheses brings the most recognition. That makes it unsurprising that some scientists are skeptical of global warming, but curious that few seem to find much counter evidence. Why? Because nothing would bring them more recognition that to be the scientist who disproved global warming.

See how the ideas from the passage paint the same picture as answer B? If not, check out our full explanation at the link above.

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That's all for Most Strongly Supported. If you're still struggling, hit the Raise Hand button or leave me a comment below. Next, we're covering Agree / Disagree questions. See you there!