945 - Logical Reasoning

In the past, teachers, bank tellers, and secretaries were predominantly men; these occupations slipped in pay and status when they became largely occupied by women. Therefore, if women become the majority in currently male-dominated professions like accounting, law, and medicine, the income and prestige of these professions will also drop.

Question1 : The argument above is based on

1. another argument that contains circular reasoning
2. an attempt to refute a generalization by means of an exceptional case
3. an analogy between the past and the future
4. an appeal to popular beliefs and values
5. an attack on the character of the opposition.

Question2 : Which of the following, if true, would most likely be part of the evidence used to refute the conclusion above?

1. Accountants, lawyers, and physicians attained their current relatively high levels of income and prestige at about the same time that the pay and status of teachers, bank tellers, and secretaries slipped.
2. When large numbers of men join a female-dominated occupation, such as airline flight attendant, the status and pay of the occupation tend to increase.
3. The demand for teachers and secretaries has increased significantly in recent years, while the demand for bank tellers has remained relatively stable.
4. If present trends in the awarding of law degrees to women continue, it will be at least two decades before the majority of lawyers are women.
5. The pay and status of female accountants, lawyers, and physicians today are governed by significantly different economic and sociological forces than were the pay and status of female teachers, bank tellers, and secretaries in the past.