Explain How Reasoning Supports Thesis Practice Test

Read the following excerpt and answer the question.

A university student writes to the campus newspaper arguing that the school should adopt a pass/fail option for one elective each semester. The thesis is that the policy would strengthen learning rather than weaken standards. The student reasons that electives are where students explore unfamiliar fields; when every course threatens GPA, students choose “safe” classes that confirm existing strengths. If exploration is punished, students optimize for risk avoidance, not curiosity. Allowing one pass/fail elective preserves rigorous grading in the major while creating a low-stakes space for intellectual experimentation. Therefore, the student concludes, the policy aligns incentives with the university’s stated goal of broad education.

The author’s reasoning supports the thesis by…

Read the following excerpt and answer the question.

A workplace columnist argues that companies should cap the number of meetings per week for each employee. Her thesis is that “meeting overload” is not just annoying but structurally anti-productive. She reasons that meetings fragment the day into short blocks, and complex work requires long, uninterrupted stretches to plan, draft, and revise. When employees cannot reach that “deep work” threshold, they compensate by working after hours, which increases burnout and turnover. Because replacing employees is costly and institutional knowledge is fragile, she concludes that limiting meetings is a cost-saving strategy, not merely a morale perk.

The author’s reasoning supports the thesis by…