Bunuel wrote:
Joe’s Lumber stocks only two types of 2 × 4 planks, pine and oak. Roberto never uses pine to build his tables because he likes the heavier feel of oak and believes it is more durable. When he built Marion a dining room table he bought the wood from Joe’s Lumber, so the table must be made of oak.
The argument above is most similar in its logical structure to which one of the following?
(A) Rocky wants to go with three friends to the amusement park. His father owns both a sedan and a compact. The compact holds four people, but even though the sedan’s engine has more horsepower, if Rocky borrows a car from his father he will borrow the compact.
(B) The Roddick Corporation offers Pedzisai a choice between an assignment in Sweden and an assignment in South Africa. Pedzisai would never accept an assignment in his home country of South Africa if it meant turning down an assignment in Europe, so if he chooses an assignment it must be the assignment in Sweden.
(C) If Georgia wants to ride her bike from her apartment to work she must either take a thoroughfare or go through a maze of neighborhoods. The neighborhood streets are always full of potholes and the thoroughfare has too much traffic, so she never rides her bike to work.
(D) Antonio can take a 15-minute break in the morning or an hour and a quarter for lunch later. The haircut Antonio planned takes 30 minutes, but his barber had only morning appointments available, so no matter what Antonio will have to get his haircut another day.
(E) If the team owner does not fire his coach, his football team will rebel and they will lose more games. Losing the coach will also mean losing more games, so if no alternative solution presents itself, the team will lose more games.
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
Answer: B
STEP 1: Read the question and identify your task.This is a Parallel question. It asks you to look for a set of statements that follow a similar logical pattern to the one given in the passage.
STEP 2: Read the argument with your task in mind.In this case, the argument states that a lumberyard sells only two types of lumber, pine and oak, and Joe never uses pine to build tables. Thus, when he builds a table for Marion, it must be made of oak. The key word never restricts Joe’s choice.
STEP 3: Know what you’re looking for.You must look for a similar pattern in the answers.
STEP 4: Read every word of every answer choice.In answer A there is no definitive “only” statement that restricts Rocky’s choice and determines the conclusion. He just makes a judgment call as to which car works for him. In answer B you see the right pattern. The Roddick Corporation offers Pedzisai only two choices, Sweden and South Africa. Pedzisai would never choose South Africa if given a choice between the two. Thus, when choosing an assignment, he will choose Sweden. The word never is used in almost exactly the same way, as a restricting factor and one that determines the concluding statement. Answer C actually sets up conditions under which Georgia will choose neither of the options at her disposal. Answer D has a conclusion that has nothing to do with the choice between the break and a longer lunch. Rather, it has to do with a third element, whether to get a haircut or not. The pattern is not the same. In answer E, the owner has equally bad choices and the conclusion gives no indication of what choice is made. Rather, it just describes the conditions regardless of what choice the owner makes, unless of course a third alternative presents itself. The correct choice is answer B.
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06 Sep 2021, 04:30
25%
(medium)
18%
(02:39)
wrong 
