IMAT 2011 Q3 [Amnesty International]

Amnesty International (AI), a non-governmental organization for the protection of human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, opposes the death penalty. Which one of the following reasons for opposing the death penalty is inconsistent with the principles of AI.

A. The death penalty can be carried out on an innocent person.

B. The death penalty is contrary to theological principles.

C. The death penalty is cruel, inhuman and degrading.

D. The death penalty is not a deterrent against crime.

E. The death penalty, once carried out, cannot be reversed

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As seen in Cambridge’s syllabus, some general knowledge questions can be analyzed and solved using problem-solving and not purely general knowledge.
Let’s break down each option and ask ourselves, “does this option support basic human rights?” If your answer was yes, it is most likely not our answer.

A. Death penalty can indeed be carried out on an innocent person, and it makes sense that someone who opposes it will use it as an argument.

B. While this might be true in some religions (For your general knowledge, theology is the study of the nature of god and religious belief), it’s not likely that a non-governmental international body (notice how we used as much information from the question itself) will oppose death penalty arguing the religious aspect of it. Some religions are not relevant to some people in different countries. We concluded that the question is referring to all human rights.
This is also our answer.

C, D, and E are all arguments that are either facts or probably one of the arguments of an international body that opposes the death penalty.

As you can see, we solved this question without using general knowledge. We did have to know what is “theology” while also trying to avoid our biases while answering this question.

I am attaching a link to a great list of all “ology” words. Review it quickly, and make sure you refresh your memories and enrich your general knowledge of these words as they might appear on the exam as a part of the general knowledge section.

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