Discussion

Explanation:

Go back to review the relevant text in the passage.. When are opinions justified, and when should they be punished? The author argues that they should be punished when they cause direct harm to others, and left alone when they don't. Opinions published in papers are cited as an example of opinions that should be protected. If the author thinks that these should be protected opinions, he must assume that they won't cause harm, leading to choice (D).

Wrong answers:

Option (a): Out of Scope: The author doesn't address this.
Option (b): Opposite. The author assumes that the mob will attack the person the opinion is expressed against, not the person expressing the opinion.
Option (c): Faulty Use of Detail. A classic wrong answer choice confusing the example with the principle. Whether corn dealers are greedy or not, the subject of the author's example, has nothing to do with the author's main point.

Hence, option (d).

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