vivek6199
Advertisement: Among popular automobiles, Sturdimades stand apart. Around the world, hundreds of longtime Sturdimade owners have signed up for Sturdimade’s “long distance” club, members of which must have a Sturdimade they have driven for a total of at least 100,000 miles or 160,000 kilometers. Some members boast of having driven their Sturdimades for a total of 300,000 miles (480,000 kilometers). Clearly, if you buy a Sturdimade you can rely on being able to drive it for a very long distance.
Construed as an argument, the advertisement’s reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds?
(A) It draws a general conclusion from cases selected only on the basis of having a characteristic that favors that conclusion.
(B) Its conclusion merely restates the evidence given to support it.
(C) It fails to clarify in which of two possible ways an ambiguous term is being used in the premises.
(D) The evidence given to support the conclusion actually undermines that conclusion.
(E) It treats popular opinion as if it constituted conclusive evidence for a claim.
Around the world, hundreds of longtime Sturdimade owners have signed up for Sturdimade’s “long distance” club, members of which must have a Sturdimade they have driven for a total of at least 100,000 miles or 160,000 kilometers.
Some members boast of having driven their Sturdimades for a total of 300,000 miles (480,000 kilometers).
Conclusion: If you buy a Sturdimade you can rely on being able to drive it for a very long distance.
The author states the data of Sturdimade's "long distance" club. That 100s have used it to for 100k miles and some even for 300k miles.
He uses this data to establish that Surdimate is a sturdy vehicle.
But the only data he considered was from the Sturdimade club. It is possible that 1000s of other people who own Sturdimade did not see even 50k miles.
Those club members are the ones who could make it to above 100k.
Hence, what is the flaw in logic here?
(A) It draws a general conclusion from cases selected only on the basis of having a characteristic that favors that conclusion.
The cases (of the long distance club) have been able to get long distances from Sturdimade and they support our conclusion. Nothing is given about all Sturdimade owners. Hence , this is correct. It does draw a general conclusion from cases selected to suit the conclusion.
(B) Its conclusion merely restates the evidence given to support it.
Not correct. Evidence gives data. On that basis, the argument concludes that it is a long distance vehicle.
(C) It fails to clarify in which of two possible ways an ambiguous term is being used in the premises.
No such ambiguous term.
(D) The evidence given to support the conclusion actually undermines that conclusion.
Not true. Evidence supports the conclusion.
(E) It treats popular opinion as if it constituted conclusive evidence for a claim.
There is no "popular opinion". Note that it doesn't say that 80% of Sturdimate owners like the vehicle. Hence, the vehicle is likeable.
We only have data about Sturdimade's long distance club. Possibly, only 1% Sturdimade owners belong to it.
Answer (A)