W
Those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that by the pope's indulgences a man is freed from every
penalty, and saved; ..
If it is at all possible to grant to any one the remission of all penalties whatsoever, it is certain that this
remission can be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to the very fewest.
It must needs be, therefore, that greater part of the people are deceived by that indiscriminate and high
sounding promise of release from penalty.
- Martin Luther, "Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther
on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences" (95 Theses)
What is the purpose of the pope's indulgences?
a. to score more points
b. to save money
C. to save people from their sins
d. to become perfect

It is widely assumed that people need to engage in intellectual activities such as solving crossword puzzles or mathematics problems in order to maintain mental sharpness as they age. in fact, however, simply talking to other people—that is, participating in social interaction, which engages many mental and perceptual skills—suffices. evidence to this effect comes from a study showing that the more social contact people report, the better their mental skills. which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the force of the evidence cited? (a) as people grow older, they are often advised to keep exercising their physical and mental capacities in order to maintain or improve them. (b) many medical conditions and treatments that adversely affect a person's mental sharpness also tend to increase that person's social isolation. (c) many people are proficient both in social interactions and in solving mathematical problems. (d) the study did not itself collect data but analyzed data bearing on the issue from prior studies. (e) the tasks evaluating mental sharpness for which data were compiled by the study were more akin to mathematics problems than to conversation.