Bunuel wrote:
Genevieve: Increasing costs have led commercial airlines to cut back on airplane maintenance. Also, reductions in public spending have led to air traffic control centers being underfunded and understaffed. For these and other reasons it is becoming quite unsafe to fly, and so one should avoid doing it.
Harold: Your reasoning may be sound, but I can hardly accept your conclusion when you yourself have recently been flying on commercial airlines even more than before.
Which one of the following relies on a questionable technique most similar to that used in Harold’s reply to Genevieve?
(A) David says that the new film is not very good, but he has not seen it himself, so I don’t accept his opinion.
(B) A long time ago Maria showed me a great way to cook lamb, but for medical reasons she no longer eats red meat, so I’ll cook something else for dinner tonight.
(C) Susan has been trying to persuade me to go rock climbing with her, claiming that it’s quite safe, but last week she fell and broke her collarbone, so I don’t believe her.
(D) Pat has shown me research that proves that eating raw green vegetables is very beneficial and that one should eat them daily, but I don’t believe it, since she hardly ever eats raw green vegetables.
(E) Gabriel has all the qualifications we have specified for the job and has much relevant work experience, but I don’t believe we should hire him, because when he worked in a similar position before his performance was mediocre.
Official Explanation
(A) No. Harold is objecting to the fact that Genevieve apparently does not practice what she preaches. She says one should avoid flying, yet she is flying more than ever before. In this argument, David is not offering advice.
(B) No. Harold is objecting to the fact that Genevieve apparently does not practice what she preaches. She says one should avoid flying, yet she is flying more than ever before. The person in this argument is not offering advice.
(C) No. Harold is objecting to the fact that Genevieve apparently does not practice what she preaches. She says one should avoid flying, yet she is flying more than ever before. In this argument, Susan does practice what she preaches—that rock climbing is safe.
(D) Yes. Harold is objecting to the fact that Genevieve apparently does not practice what she preaches. She says one should avoid flying, yet she is flying more than ever before. Similarly, the person in this answer-choice is objecting to the fact that Pat apparently does not practice what she preaches. Pat says raw green vegetables should be eaten daily, yet she hardly ever eats them.
(E) No. Harold is objecting to the fact that Genevieve apparently does not practice what she preaches. She says one should avoid flying, yet she is flying more than ever before. In this argument, Gabriel is not offering advice.