What is the argument built on?
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
A student committee proposed moving its exhibition to a smaller room on the premise that less wall space would reduce preparation time. The rationale sounded practical, since the volunteers had only one afternoon to install the work. However, a claim that a smaller room must always be easier to prepare was specious: it ignored the possibility that the available space would require additional stands and a new arrangement. The chair asked the proposer to compare the actual rooms before treating their size as a complete explanation.
The premise could be reasonable under some conditions without supporting every conclusion drawn from it. After visiting the rooms, the committee revised its rationale to include the number of usable display surfaces and the equipment already available. The earlier argument had been specious because it sounded sufficient while leaving out a relevant complication. The members could still choose the smaller room, but they needed a reason that described the real work rather than a rule that merely sounded convenient.
Before you move on
Look away from the passage. Can you explain each focus word in your own words?
Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.