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D
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
75%
(hard)
Question Stats:
53% (01:53) correct
47%
(02:09)
wrong
based on 215
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Beautiful beaches attract people, no doubt about it. Just look at this city's beautiful beaches, which are among the most overcrowded beaches in the state.
Which of the following exhibits a pattern of reasoning most similar to the one exhibited in the argument above?
(A) Moose and bear usually appear at the same drinking hole at the same time of day. Therefore, moose and bear must grow thirsty at about the same time.
(B) Children who are scolded severely tend to misbehave more often than other children. Hence if a child is not scolded severely that child is less likely to misbehave.
(C) This computer program helps increase the work efficiency of its users. As a result, these users have more free time for other activities.
(D) During warm weather my dog suffers from fleas more so than during cooler weather. Therefore, fleas must thrive in a warm environment.
(E) Pesticides are known to cause anemia in some people. However, most anemic people live in regions where pesticides are not commonly used.
Which of the following exhibits a pattern of reasoning most similar to the one exhibited in the argument above?
(A) Moose and bear usually appear at the same drinking hole at the same time of day. Therefore, moose and bear must grow thirsty at about the same time.
(B) Children who are scolded severely tend to misbehave more often than other children. Hence if a child is not scolded severely that child is less likely to misbehave.
(C) This computer program helps increase the work efficiency of its users. As a result, these users have more free time for other activities.
(D) During warm weather my dog suffers from fleas more so than during cooler weather. Therefore, fleas must thrive in a warm environment.
(E) Pesticides are known to cause anemia in some people. However, most anemic people live in regions where pesticides are not commonly used.
08 Aug 2024, 21:14
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To solve this question, let us deploy IMS's four-step technique.
STEP #1 -> IDENTIFY THE QUESTION TYPE
Let us read the question stem to identify the question type.
STEP #2 -> X-RAY THE ARGUMENT
In a parallel reasoning question, it is a must to x-ray the argument and find out the author's reasoning. Let us therefore read the argument first and note the reasoning soon after.
STEP #3 -> FRAME A SHADOW ANSWER
To frame a shadow answer, we need to know what the correct answer should do. In this question, the correct answer should parallel the reasoning we find in the argument.
SHADOW ANSWER: Any option that employs reasoning similar to that observed in the argument: observing a specific phenomenon and concluding about the cause of what is observed.
STEP #4 -> ELIMINATE INCORRECT OPTIONS
Options that do not match the shadow answer can be eliminated.
(A) Moose and bear usually appear at the same drinking hole at the same time of day. Therefore, moose and bear must grow thirsty at about the same time. | NOT A MATCH | This option infers a cause (thirst) from a correlation (appearance at the same time). But why do both appear at the same drinking hole? We do not know that, and since this option does not tell us the cause of what is observed, we can eliminate it. | ELIMINATE
(B) Children who are scolded severely tend to misbehave more often than other children. Hence if a child is not scolded severely that child is less likely to misbehave. | NOT A MATCH | The author's argument does not tell us what the situation will be if the beaches are not overcrowded; however, the second sentence in this option says, 'If a child is not scolded severely that child is less likely to misbehave'. This reasoning obviously does not match that of the author. | ELIMINATE
(C) This computer program helps increase the work efficiency of its users. As a result, these users have more free time for other activities. | NOT A MATCH | This option connects an increase in work efficiency to having more free time, which is a result of using a computer program. It does not parallel the pattern because it tells us about the outcome of a phenomenon (increased work efficiency) instead of concluding about the cause what is observed. In other words, we do not know why the computer program helps increase the work efficiency of its users. | ELIMINATE
(D) During warm weather my dog suffers from fleas more so than during cooler weather. Therefore, fleas must thrive in a warm environment. | MATCHES THE SHADOW ANSWER | Let us look at the rephrased version of this option and compare it with the rephrased version of the author's argument.
OPTION: Since fleas cause suffering to my dog the most during warm weather, fleas (must) thrive in a warm environment.
ARGUMENT: Since the city's beautiful beaches are in the state among the most overcrowded, beautiful beaches attract people.
The reasoning pattern in this option parallels the one in the argument, for it observes a phenomenon (fleas are more problematic in warm weather) and concludes about the cause of what is observed (fleas thrive in warm environments). We do not have a reason to eliminate this option. | KEEP
(E) Pesticides are known to cause anemia in some people. However, most anemic people live in regions where pesticides are not commonly used. | NOT A MATCH | This option clearly contradicts the reasoning presented in the argument (as indicated by the use of 'however'). Therefore, we can safely eliminate this option. | ELIMINATE
Hence, (D) is the correct answer.
STEP #1 -> IDENTIFY THE QUESTION TYPE
Let us read the question stem to identify the question type.
Quote:
The stem indicates a parallel reasoning question.
STEP #2 -> X-RAY THE ARGUMENT
In a parallel reasoning question, it is a must to x-ray the argument and find out the author's reasoning. Let us therefore read the argument first and note the reasoning soon after.
Quote:
The author observes a specific phenomenon (overcrowded beaches) and then concludes about the cause of what is observed (beautiful beaches attract people).
STEP #3 -> FRAME A SHADOW ANSWER
To frame a shadow answer, we need to know what the correct answer should do. In this question, the correct answer should parallel the reasoning we find in the argument.
SHADOW ANSWER: Any option that employs reasoning similar to that observed in the argument: observing a specific phenomenon and concluding about the cause of what is observed.
STEP #4 -> ELIMINATE INCORRECT OPTIONS
Options that do not match the shadow answer can be eliminated.
(A) Moose and bear usually appear at the same drinking hole at the same time of day. Therefore, moose and bear must grow thirsty at about the same time. | NOT A MATCH | This option infers a cause (thirst) from a correlation (appearance at the same time). But why do both appear at the same drinking hole? We do not know that, and since this option does not tell us the cause of what is observed, we can eliminate it. | ELIMINATE
(B) Children who are scolded severely tend to misbehave more often than other children. Hence if a child is not scolded severely that child is less likely to misbehave. | NOT A MATCH | The author's argument does not tell us what the situation will be if the beaches are not overcrowded; however, the second sentence in this option says, 'If a child is not scolded severely that child is less likely to misbehave'. This reasoning obviously does not match that of the author. | ELIMINATE
(C) This computer program helps increase the work efficiency of its users. As a result, these users have more free time for other activities. | NOT A MATCH | This option connects an increase in work efficiency to having more free time, which is a result of using a computer program. It does not parallel the pattern because it tells us about the outcome of a phenomenon (increased work efficiency) instead of concluding about the cause what is observed. In other words, we do not know why the computer program helps increase the work efficiency of its users. | ELIMINATE
(D) During warm weather my dog suffers from fleas more so than during cooler weather. Therefore, fleas must thrive in a warm environment. | MATCHES THE SHADOW ANSWER | Let us look at the rephrased version of this option and compare it with the rephrased version of the author's argument.
OPTION: Since fleas cause suffering to my dog the most during warm weather, fleas (must) thrive in a warm environment.
ARGUMENT: Since the city's beautiful beaches are in the state among the most overcrowded, beautiful beaches attract people.
The reasoning pattern in this option parallels the one in the argument, for it observes a phenomenon (fleas are more problematic in warm weather) and concludes about the cause of what is observed (fleas thrive in warm environments). We do not have a reason to eliminate this option. | KEEP
(E) Pesticides are known to cause anemia in some people. However, most anemic people live in regions where pesticides are not commonly used. | NOT A MATCH | This option clearly contradicts the reasoning presented in the argument (as indicated by the use of 'however'). Therefore, we can safely eliminate this option. | ELIMINATE
Hence, (D) is the correct answer.
01 Sep 2024, 09:45
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Bunuel
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
The correct response is (D). The original argument bases a conclusion that one phenomenon causes another on an observed correlation between the two phenomena. The argument boils down to the following:
- Premise: X (beautiful beach) is correlated with Y (crowd of people).
Conclusion: X (beautiful beach) causes Y (crowd of people).
Answer choice (D) demonstrates the same pattern of reasoning:
- Premise: X (warm weather) is correlated with Y (fleas).
Conclusion: X (warm weather) causes Y (fleas).
(A) demonstrates a different pattern of reasoning than the original argument:
- Premise: X (moose at the drinking hole) is correlated with Y (bears at the drinking hole).
Conclusion: X (moose) and Y (bear) are both caused by Z (thirst).
(B) demonstrates a different pattern of reasoning than the original argument:
- Premise: X (scolding children) is correlated with Y (misbehavior among children).
Assumption: Either X causes Y, or Y causes X.
Conclusion: Not X (no scolding) will be correlated with not Y (no misbehavior).
(C) demonstrates a different pattern of reasoning than the original argument:
- Premise: X (computer program) causes Y (efficiency).
Assumption: Y (efficiency) causes Z (free time).
Conclusion: X (computer program) causes Z (free time).
(E) demonstrates a different pattern of reasoning than the original argument. In fact, (E) is not a complete argument; it contains two premises but no conclusion:
- Premise: X (pesticides) causes Y (anemia).
Premise: Not X (pesticide-free regions) is correlated with Y (anemia).
