Question

Alfredo, Diego and Lionel are discussing Argentinean football.
Alfredo: Argentina was a football powerhouse.
Diego: Argentina is a football powerhouse.
Lionel: Argentina will be a football powerhouse.
Which of the following cannot be inferred from the above conversation?

• A. Lionel is optimistic about the future.
• B. Alfredo, Diego and Lionel may disagree on certain things.
• C. Diego views the present positively.
• D. Alfredo completely disagrees with Diego.
• E. Alfredo has positive feelings about the past.

Hint:

- Distinguish between \textbf{time frames} (past, present, future) when interpreting conversations.
- “Cannot be inferred” means there is insufficient evidence or the statement goes beyond what is given.
- Look for absolute words like “completely” or “always,” which often make options incorrect.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Alfredo’s statement “Argentina was a football powerhouse” reflects a positive view of the past. It does not give any indication about his views of the present or future.
Step 2: Diego’s statement “Argentina is a football powerhouse” clearly reflects a positive view of the present.
Step 3: Lionel’s statement “Argentina will be a football powerhouse” shows optimism about the future.
Step 4: From this, we can infer that:
- (A) is true because Lionel is clearly optimistic about the future.
- (B) is true because their statements differ across time frames, indicating potential disagreement.
- (C) is true because Diego views the present positively.
- (E) is true because Alfredo has positive feelings about the past.
Step 5: Option (D) says Alfredo completely disagrees with Diego. However, Alfredo’s statement focuses on the past, not directly rejecting or opposing Diego’s view of the present. There is no evidence that he completely disagrees with Diego; their statements simply concern different time periods.
Hence, the correct answer is (D).