I am having a lot of trouble in the “central assumption” types of questions on the science passages. Can someone please explain what it is meant by “central assumption”? Thanks!!
The key with those questions is to NEVER infer. The correct answer will be the one that the author MUST agree with (not might agree with!) for her reasoning to make sense. For example, if a passage is arguing that the government should invest in solar energy to help the environment, a “central assumption” would be that solar energy is less harmful to the environment than current energy generation methods. If a passage is explaining that human cloning will have negative ethical repercussions and should be regulated, a “central assumption” is that human cloning is possible. Hope this helps, @Luyanzzz !