Donna: For the most part, medical researchers agree that someone who

Question

Donna: For the most part, medical researchers agree that someone who regularly consumes large amounts of alcohol will probably have serious health problems.

Steve: Heavy drinking does not adversely impact one’s health. My great uncle drank heavily for years and seemed in perfect health. In fact, he lived to be 87 years old.

Which one of the following is a major flaw in Steve’s argument?

(A) Steve’s argument uses only one example to attempt to refute a probable, not a foregone, result.

(B) Steve cites an example that medical researchers did not study.

(C) Steve’s argument implies that there can be no correlation between heavy drinking and poor health.

(D) Steve’s argument fails to acknowledge the possibility that his great uncle may not have been in good health after all.

(E) Steve doesn’t indicate how long ago his great uncle lived so that different medical treatments can be taken into account.

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

Official Explanation

Selection (A) is correct.  Donna’s argument does not state that people who drink heavily will necessarily have serious health problems, only that they will probably have serious health problems. Providing only one example to attempt to disprove a probable result is a serious flaw.

We do not know whether medical researchers considered the case of Steve’s great uncle, so (B) is not correct. Steve’s argument does not imply that there is no correlation between drinking and health. He is unequivocal that there is no correlation. Therefore, (C) is not correct. Steve’s great uncle clearly didn’t have any serious health problems because he appeared to be in good health and he lived to be 87, so selection (D) cannot be correct. Finally, (E) is irrelevant to the arguments presented. What type medical treatments were used is irrelevant to whether or not Steve’s great uncle was affected by his heavy drinking.

Hatakekakashi · Answer

I'm stuck between A and D

B,C,E seem extreme - the researched studying Steve's uncle is irrelevant and c/e - are not flaws

since the premise says he seemed in perfect health D could be possible

but I would choose (A)

(A) imo - he used one example to refute a probable result ( here the agreement of medical researchers may not be a result, so I'm curious as to why this is worded this way) any OE would help

Regards, 
HK

winterschool · Answer

Donna: For the most part, medical researchers agree that someone who regularly consumes large amounts of alcohol will probably have serious health problems.

Steve: Heavy drinking does not adversely impact one’s health. My great uncle drank heavily for years and seemed in perfect health. In fact, he lived to be 87 years old.

Which one of the following is a major flaw in Steve’s argument?

(A)  Steve’s argument uses only one example to attempt to refute a probable, not a foregone, result.   Correct

(B) Steve cites an example that medical researchers did not study.  Incorrect

argument based on researchers study, so this choice is wrong

(C) Steve’s argument implies that there can be no correlation between heavy drinking and poor health.  Incorrect

Steve doesnt say this

(D) Steve’s argument fails to acknowledge the possibility that his great uncle may not have been in good health after all.  Incorrect

this choice contradicts with arguments

(E) Steve doesn’t indicate how long ago his great uncle lived so that different medical treatments can be taken into account.  Incorrect

irrelevant

BLTN · Answer

VeritasKarishma

Dear Karishma,
I have doubt regarding D answer, could you elaborate?

(D) Steve’s argument fails to acknowledge the possibility that his great uncle may not have been in good health after all.

I presume that official answer is not cogent:
 -Steve’s great uncle clearly didn’t have any serious health problems because he appeared to be in good health and he lived to be 87, so selection (D) cannot be correct.

Argument clearly states that: 
My great uncle drank heavily for years and    seemed    in perfect health.
Thus, how word " seems " can be equal to " for sure or truly " ?

What if Steve’s great uncle did not drink to heavily and thus could prolong his life for years?

Thank you in advance.

KarishmaB · Answer

Donna - Someone who regularly consumes large amounts of alcohol will  probably  have serious health problems.

Steve - My great uncle drank heavily for years and seemed in perfect health. In fact, he lived to be 87 years old.

The big problem with Steve's argument - He gives one example to refute the statement. Even that example is not perfect because he says that he 'seemed' to be in perfect health, not that he was in perfect health. But even if the example were perfect, Steve's logic would still be deeply flawed. He is giving a single example to refute a "probable" result.

Hence, answer has to be (A).

(D) would be a flaw if one example were enough. Then he wouldn't have given the right example.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Donna: For the most part, medical researchers agree that someone who

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Donna: For the most part, medical researchers agree that someone who

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