Question

read the excerpt from the republic by plato.
and if so, we must infer that all things are produced
more plentifully and easily and of a better quality when
the man does one thing which is natural to him and
does it at the right time, and leaves other things.
undoubtedly.
then more than four citizens will be required, for the
husbandman will not make his own plough or mattock,
or other implements of agriculture, if they are to be
good for anything. neither will the builder make his
tools—and he too needs many, and in like manner the
weaver and shoemaker.
true
then carpenters, and smiths, and many other
artisans, will be sharers in our little state, which is
already beginning to grow?
how does the speaker support the validity of his claim
about how a society develops?
○ he shares his ideas for establishing a viable
standard of living
○ he describes the services that a given society
would need.
○ he converses with someone who agrees with him
○ he asserts that the community will expand.

Explanation:

To determine how the speaker supports his claim about societal development, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The excerpt focuses on the need for different workers, not on ideas for a standard of living. Eliminate.
• Option 2: The speaker describes the services (like husbandman, builder, weaver, shoemaker, carpenters, smiths) a society would need, showing how specialization leads to more citizens and societal growth. This matches the excerpt.
• Option 3: There's no conversation with an agreeing person. Eliminate.
• Option 4: The speaker shows the community expands because of the need for different workers, not just asserting it. The description of needed services (different professions) is the support, so this is less accurate than Option 2.

Answer:

B. He describes the services that a given society would need.