September 24, 2009

Homework #8

It is possible for a panhandler to collect a considerable amount of money from passersby, if he can convince them that he is destitute and that begging is the only way for him to help himself. If, on the other hand, passersby get the impression that they are being conned (tricked), or that the panhandler is just being lazy, they will not give him anything at all.

Which one of the following statements can be most reliably concluded from the passage above?

A. Passersby often decide whether or not to give money to a panhandler based on their impression of him and his honesty.

B. If someone begs for money when he does not really need to, people will not give him any money.

C. Most passersby would give a panhandler money if they thought he was not trying to con them.

D. Most panhandlers are unwilling to work.

E. People who give money to panhandlers are not influenced by how much change they have in their pockets when they decide how much money to give.