Bunuel
World-class marathon runners do not run more than six miles per day when they are training. Therefore, if you run more than six miles per day, you are not world-class.
Which of the following statements supports its conclusion in the same manner as the argument above?
A. Sprinters always run in the morning. If it is morning, and you see someone running, it will not be a sprinter.
B. Paint never dries in less than three hours. If it dries in less than three hours, it is not paint.
C. Little League games are more fun for the parents than for the children who actually play. Therefore, the parents should be made to play.
D. If a car starts in the morning, chances are it will start again that evening. Our car always starts in the morning, and it always starts in the evening as well.
E. If you sleep less than four hours per night, you may be doing yourself a disservice. Studies have shown that the most valuable sleep occurs in the fifth hour.
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
World-class marathon runners do not run more than six miles per day when they are training. Therefore, if you run more than six miles per day, you are not world-class.
Which of the following statements supports its conclusion in the same manner as the argument above?First, simplify the argument in the passage. World-class marathon runners do not run more than six miles per day when they are training. (If A, then B.) Therefore, if you run more than six miles per day, you are not world-class. (If not B, then not A.)
Now let’s attack the answer choices:
A. Sprinters always run in the morning. If it is morning, and you see someone running, it will not be a sprinter.
Just because this answer choice is also about running doesn’t mean the reasoning will be the same. In fact, it is unlikely that the test writers would use the same subject matter for the correct answer. If we simplify this argument, we get: If A, then B. If B, then not A. Is this the same reasoning used in the passage? No. Eliminate it.B. Paint never dries in less than three hours. If it dries in less than three hours, it is not paint.
If we simplify this argument, we get: If A, then B. If not B, then not A. This is the best answer.C. Little League games are more fun for the parents than for the children who actually play. Therefore, the parents should be made to play.
Simplifying this argument, we get ... not much. The reasoning here is totally different. Also, note that the subject matter here is still about sports. Eliminate it.D. If a car starts in the morning, chances are it will start again that evening. Our car always starts in the morning, and it always starts in the evening as well.
If we simplify this argument, we get: If A, then B. If always A, then always B. That doesn’t sound right. Eliminate it.E. If you sleep less than four hours per night, you may be doing yourself a disservice. Studies have shown that the most valuable sleep occurs in the fifth hour.
Simplifying this argument, we get ... again, not much. The reasoning in this answer choice is very different from the reasoning in the passage. Eliminate it.