Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument in Homework #18?
A. Overripe vegetables are more nutritious than underripe ones.
(A) is incorrect. Recall that the argument in Homework #18 is that frozen vegetables are more nutritious than fresh ones, because they lose less of their nutritional value between the time they are picked and the time they are eaten. The stimulus there did express some concern that fresh vegetables picked ripe would be overripe by the time they reached the consumer, but the difference between overripe and underripe vegetables is not relevant to the argument. Even if this is true, it does not undermine the author's claim.
B. Vegetables destined for freezing and those destined for the grocery store are picked at the same time.
(B) is correct. The argument hinges on a distinction between what happens to vegetables between the time they are picked and the time they are eaten. Frozen vegetables, picked ripe, lose some nutrients in the freezing process, whereas fresh vegetables, picked early, lose even more by ripening off the vine. Therefore the point at which the vegetables are picked is important; how much nutritional value they lose depends in part on when they are picked. If both categories of vegetables are picked at the same time, then it is harder to argue that frozen vegetables are "better" than fresh ones.
C. Fresh vegetables are refrigerated during transport to prevent them from spoiling.
(C) is incorrect because it does not weaken the argument. The argument is not concerned with spoilage, but with loss of nutritional value caused by either freezing or ripening off the vine. This statement does not undermine the claim that ripe vegetables lose less nutrition when frozen than unripe ones do in transit from farm to store.
D. Many people who live near farms can purchase vegetables directly from the farmers.
(D) is incorrect because where people buy vegetables is irrelevant to the author's claims about the loss of nutritional value caused by freezing versus off-the-vine ripening. This statement does not make the author's conclusion, that one method causes less nutritional loss than the other, any less likely to be correct.
E. Tests have shown that fresh vegetables taste a lot better than frozen vegetables.
(E) is incorrect because it is also irrelevant. How the vegetables taste is not the issue; the issue is how nutritious they are when they are purchased and eaten.
October 21, 2009
Homework #20
Many older men and women are still victims of age stereotypes. They are denied career advancement because they are simply considered "too old" to do the job, whether that's actually true or not. This is a terrible waste of human potential. To help fix this problem, older people applying for jobs should do everything they can to seem young, competent and energetic. Once they are hired, they should not tell anyone their true age, so they can avoid being treated unfairly by co-workers.
Which one of the following, if true, is most damaging to the argument above?
A. Harmful age stereotypes can only be destroyed if capable older people reveal their true age.
B. Scientific studies have found certain changes in brain function to be common in people older than 65.
C. More and more older people are already finding employment in clerical and food-service jobs.
D. There is wide popular support of laws forbidding age-based discrimination for workers between 40 and 70 years old.
E. Improved nutrition prevent, or maybe even reverse, many of the physical changes that occur as people get older.
Which one of the following, if true, is most damaging to the argument above?
A. Harmful age stereotypes can only be destroyed if capable older people reveal their true age.
B. Scientific studies have found certain changes in brain function to be common in people older than 65.
C. More and more older people are already finding employment in clerical and food-service jobs.
D. There is wide popular support of laws forbidding age-based discrimination for workers between 40 and 70 years old.
E. Improved nutrition prevent, or maybe even reverse, many of the physical changes that occur as people get older.
October 20, 2009
Note on Assumption Questions
I am seeing too many responses to assumption questions that indicate an answer choice is wrong because it is "not mentioned in the stimulus," or words to that effect, or because it "cannot be proven by the stimulus," or words to that effect. THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT OF AN ASSUMPTION QUESTION. As we discussed at the beginning of the term, an assumption is something the author has taken for granted and therefore left out, but that is so important to the argument's reasoning and validity that the whole thing falls apart if it is not true. Wrong choices in assumption questions are wrong not because they are "not mentioned in the stimulus," or because they "can't be proven," but because the argument does not depend on them being true; i.e., the argument remains valid even if they are false.
If you want to receive full credit for an explanation, you need to pay attention to the question and explain precisely WHY each answer choice is right or wrong. If your explanation indicates that you do not understand the question, or are answering the wrong question, you will not receive the full two (2) points for the explanation.
To review:
In an assumption question, the correct choice is the one on which the argument depends; the one which, if it were not true, would cause the argument to fail.
In a strengthen or support question, the correct choice is the one which makes the author's conclusion more likely to be correct.
In a weaken, dispute, undermine or rebuttal question, the correct choice is the one which makes the author's conclusion less likely to be correct.
In an inference or conclusion question, the correct choice is the one which can be most reasonably, logically and/or reliably drawn from the statements in the stimulus.
New question types will be introduced next marking period, so be on your toes.
If you want to receive full credit for an explanation, you need to pay attention to the question and explain precisely WHY each answer choice is right or wrong. If your explanation indicates that you do not understand the question, or are answering the wrong question, you will not receive the full two (2) points for the explanation.
To review:
In an assumption question, the correct choice is the one on which the argument depends; the one which, if it were not true, would cause the argument to fail.
In a strengthen or support question, the correct choice is the one which makes the author's conclusion more likely to be correct.
In a weaken, dispute, undermine or rebuttal question, the correct choice is the one which makes the author's conclusion less likely to be correct.
In an inference or conclusion question, the correct choice is the one which can be most reasonably, logically and/or reliably drawn from the statements in the stimulus.
New question types will be introduced next marking period, so be on your toes.
Homework #18 Answer
It is healthier to eat frozen vegetables than fresh ones. This is not because freezing makes them more nutritious. In fact, freezing actually causes food to lose some nutrients. Still, frozen vegetables are better for you because crops are usually harvested before they are ripe. Vegetables are at their most nutritious when they are allowed to ripen in the field. However, if they are picked when they are ripe, they would go bad by the time they reached the consumer. That's why they have to be picked early, and allowed to ripen in transit. These fresh vegetables never reach their full nutritional value. On the other hand, vegetables can be picked when they are ripe and then immediately frozen. As a result, frozen vegetables are generally more nutritious than the fresh vegetables we buy at the grocery store.
The above argument is based on which one of the following assumptions?
A. Frozen food companies freeze only the most nutritious kinds of vegetables.
(A) is incorrect because the argument stands even if this is not true. The argument is that frozen vegetables are ultimately better for you than fresh ones because the frozen ones are picked ripe and retain more nutrients than the fresh ones, which are picked early and have to ripen on the truck or in the store instead of on the vine. This distinction would remain regardless of which kinds of vegetables are being frozen.
B. Vegetables lose less nutrition from freezing than they do from being picked early.
(B) is correct. The stimulus acknowledges that both freezing vegetables and picking them early cause them to lose nutrients by the time they are sold, prepared and eaten. Yet the stimulus unequivocally states that frozen vegetables are "healthier," "better for you" and "more nutritious" than fresh ones. If they both lose nutrients along the way, then the only way one can be "better" than the other is if it loses less than the other. Therefore, the assumption must be that freezing vegetables is less harmful to their nutritional value than picking them early. If the opposite is true, or if they're the same, the argument falls apart.
C. Fresh vegetables are never sold immediately, but rather sit on shelves for a long time.
(C) is incorrect because whether this is true or not does not affect the author's claim. The argument is that fresh vegetables lose nutrients because they are picked early and have to ripen on the truck or in the store instead of on the vine. This is still a valid argument whether they are "sold immediately" or not.
D. People never freeze the fresh vegetables they buy at the grocery store.
(D) is incorrect because what people do with the vegetables after they are purchased is not part of the argument. The author is concerned with what happens to the nutritional value of vegetables between the time they are picked and the time they reach the consumer. His argument in favor of frozen vegetables over fresh ones remains valid regardless of what happens outside of this time frame.
E. All kinds of vegetables ripen at about the same rate in the same amount of time.
(E) is incorrect because the author does not attempt to distinguish the ripening characteristics of different vegetable varieties. Even if different kinds ripen faster or slower than others, the argument remains valid that more nutrition can be preserved by freezing ripe vegetables than by picking them early and letting them ripen on the way to the store.
The above argument is based on which one of the following assumptions?
A. Frozen food companies freeze only the most nutritious kinds of vegetables.
(A) is incorrect because the argument stands even if this is not true. The argument is that frozen vegetables are ultimately better for you than fresh ones because the frozen ones are picked ripe and retain more nutrients than the fresh ones, which are picked early and have to ripen on the truck or in the store instead of on the vine. This distinction would remain regardless of which kinds of vegetables are being frozen.
B. Vegetables lose less nutrition from freezing than they do from being picked early.
(B) is correct. The stimulus acknowledges that both freezing vegetables and picking them early cause them to lose nutrients by the time they are sold, prepared and eaten. Yet the stimulus unequivocally states that frozen vegetables are "healthier," "better for you" and "more nutritious" than fresh ones. If they both lose nutrients along the way, then the only way one can be "better" than the other is if it loses less than the other. Therefore, the assumption must be that freezing vegetables is less harmful to their nutritional value than picking them early. If the opposite is true, or if they're the same, the argument falls apart.
C. Fresh vegetables are never sold immediately, but rather sit on shelves for a long time.
(C) is incorrect because whether this is true or not does not affect the author's claim. The argument is that fresh vegetables lose nutrients because they are picked early and have to ripen on the truck or in the store instead of on the vine. This is still a valid argument whether they are "sold immediately" or not.
D. People never freeze the fresh vegetables they buy at the grocery store.
(D) is incorrect because what people do with the vegetables after they are purchased is not part of the argument. The author is concerned with what happens to the nutritional value of vegetables between the time they are picked and the time they reach the consumer. His argument in favor of frozen vegetables over fresh ones remains valid regardless of what happens outside of this time frame.
E. All kinds of vegetables ripen at about the same rate in the same amount of time.
(E) is incorrect because the author does not attempt to distinguish the ripening characteristics of different vegetable varieties. Even if different kinds ripen faster or slower than others, the argument remains valid that more nutrition can be preserved by freezing ripe vegetables than by picking them early and letting them ripen on the way to the store.
Homework #19
Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument in Homework #18?
A. Overripe vegetables are more nutritious than underripe ones.
B. Vegetables destined for freezing and those destined for the grocery store are picked at the same time.
C. Fresh vegetables are refrigerated during transport to prevent them from spoiling.
D. Many people who live near farms can purchase vegetables directly from the farmers.
E. Tests have shown that fresh vegetables taste a lot better than frozen vegetables.
A. Overripe vegetables are more nutritious than underripe ones.
B. Vegetables destined for freezing and those destined for the grocery store are picked at the same time.
C. Fresh vegetables are refrigerated during transport to prevent them from spoiling.
D. Many people who live near farms can purchase vegetables directly from the farmers.
E. Tests have shown that fresh vegetables taste a lot better than frozen vegetables.
Homework #17 Answer
Toy manufacturer: "The MegaBall rubber ball is very expensive to make. We should switch to a cheaper brand of rubber to make the MegaBall."
Marketing analyst: "But the MegaBall sells so well! People buy it because it bounces higher than any other ball. No other kind of rubber bounces that high. We should stick with what we know we can sell."
On which one of the following issues do the speakers above disagree?
A. Whether the rubber used to make the MegaBall is more expensive than other materials.
(A) is incorrect because this fact is not in dispute. The manufacturer makes this claim, and the analyst does not dispute it; rather, the analyst argues that they should continue using the more expensive rubber because its properties are the reason the ball sells so well. In other words, the manufacturer says it's expensive, but the analyst argues that it's worth the extra cost. Both speakers' arguments are compatible with the fact that the rubber is more expensive than other materials.
B. Whether the MegaBall sells as well as it is supposed to sell.
(B) is incorrect because it is also not in dispute. Nothing in the manufacturer's statement suggests he is concerned about sales of the MegaBall; his only concern is the cost of the rubber used to manufacture it. The analyst's statement might suggest that he thinks the manufacturer is unaware of this or has not taken it into consideration, but there is no evidence in the stimulus that this point is under dispute. The manufacturer could still argue for using a cheaper rubber even if he knows that the ball does sell well.
C. Whether the company should make the MegaBall from a different brand of rubber.
(C) is correct because it is the only matter in dispute. The manufacturer wants to switch to a cheaper brand of rubber, and the analyst's response suggests they should continue using the one they have because it's worth the extra cost. That's the only point of contention in the exchange.
D. Whether they should consider what customers want before they make important business decisions.
(D) is incorrect because it is not in dispute in the above exchange. Even though the analyst might be implying that the manufacturer has not considered this, just because he may think so does not make it true. Nothing in the manufacturer's statement suggests that he does not think customer preferences should be considered; the fact that he has a different priority does not mean that he thinks other factors should not be considered.
E. Whether other rubber materials bounce as high as the rubber they are currently using to make the MegaBall.
(E) is incorrect because the properties of the rubber are not in dispute. The only issue is whether the higher-bouncing rubber is worth the extra cost.
Marketing analyst: "But the MegaBall sells so well! People buy it because it bounces higher than any other ball. No other kind of rubber bounces that high. We should stick with what we know we can sell."
On which one of the following issues do the speakers above disagree?
A. Whether the rubber used to make the MegaBall is more expensive than other materials.
(A) is incorrect because this fact is not in dispute. The manufacturer makes this claim, and the analyst does not dispute it; rather, the analyst argues that they should continue using the more expensive rubber because its properties are the reason the ball sells so well. In other words, the manufacturer says it's expensive, but the analyst argues that it's worth the extra cost. Both speakers' arguments are compatible with the fact that the rubber is more expensive than other materials.
B. Whether the MegaBall sells as well as it is supposed to sell.
(B) is incorrect because it is also not in dispute. Nothing in the manufacturer's statement suggests he is concerned about sales of the MegaBall; his only concern is the cost of the rubber used to manufacture it. The analyst's statement might suggest that he thinks the manufacturer is unaware of this or has not taken it into consideration, but there is no evidence in the stimulus that this point is under dispute. The manufacturer could still argue for using a cheaper rubber even if he knows that the ball does sell well.
C. Whether the company should make the MegaBall from a different brand of rubber.
(C) is correct because it is the only matter in dispute. The manufacturer wants to switch to a cheaper brand of rubber, and the analyst's response suggests they should continue using the one they have because it's worth the extra cost. That's the only point of contention in the exchange.
D. Whether they should consider what customers want before they make important business decisions.
(D) is incorrect because it is not in dispute in the above exchange. Even though the analyst might be implying that the manufacturer has not considered this, just because he may think so does not make it true. Nothing in the manufacturer's statement suggests that he does not think customer preferences should be considered; the fact that he has a different priority does not mean that he thinks other factors should not be considered.
E. Whether other rubber materials bounce as high as the rubber they are currently using to make the MegaBall.
(E) is incorrect because the properties of the rubber are not in dispute. The only issue is whether the higher-bouncing rubber is worth the extra cost.
October 19, 2009
Homework #18
It is healthier to eat frozen vegetables than fresh ones. This is not because freezing makes them more nutritious. In fact, freezing actually causes food to lose some nutrients. Still, frozen vegetables are better for you because crops are usually harvested before they are ripe. Vegetables are at their most nutritious when they are allowed to ripen in the field. However, if they are picked when they are ripe, they would go bad by the time they reached the consumer. That's why they have to be picked early, and allowed to ripen in transit. These fresh vegetables never reach their full nutritional value. On the other hand, vegetables can be picked when they are ripe and then immediately frozen. As a result, frozen vegetables are generally more nutritious than the fresh vegetables we buy at the grocery store.
The above argument is based on which one of the following assumptions?
A. Frozen food companies freeze only the most nutritious kinds of vegetables.
B. Vegetables lose less nutrition from freezing than they do from being picked early.
C. Fresh vegetables are never sold immediately, but rather sit on shelves for a long time.
D. People never freeze the fresh vegetables they buy at the grocery store.
E. All kinds of vegetables ripen at about the same rate in the same amount of time.
The above argument is based on which one of the following assumptions?
A. Frozen food companies freeze only the most nutritious kinds of vegetables.
B. Vegetables lose less nutrition from freezing than they do from being picked early.
C. Fresh vegetables are never sold immediately, but rather sit on shelves for a long time.
D. People never freeze the fresh vegetables they buy at the grocery store.
E. All kinds of vegetables ripen at about the same rate in the same amount of time.
October 16, 2009
Homework #16 Answer
Harry became very frustrated with what a disorganized mess his baseball card collection had become. Sensing Harry's frustration, Harry's brother Archie suggested that Harry organize the cards in a display album, containing special pages to showcase his most valuable cards. Harry went to the store and then looked online for an album he could use. However, none of the albums he found had special showcase pages that were big enough to hold all of his cards. So he told Archie, "That was a stupid suggestion."
Which of the following assumptions has Harry made in dismissing Archie's recommendation?
A. Larger showcase display albums produced in the past were big enough to hold all of Harry's cards.
(A) is incorrect because it is irrelevant. Harry dismissed Archie's suggestion that a display album would help organize Harry's baseball card collection. Harry called it a "stupid suggestion," because he thought it wouldn't work. But (A) is not the assumption upon which that conclusion is based. Harry's frustration stemmed from the fact that the collection was messy and disorganized, not that it was too large to fit into a single display album. Therefore it doesn't matter whether larger albums produced in the past were big enough, so this is not the flaw in Harry's reasoning.
B. Albums without showcase pages are never as effective for organizing baseball cards as are albums that do have showcase pages.
(B) is incorrect because Harry would still be upset with Archie, albeit wrongly, even if this wasn't true. Whether the albums in question have showcase pages or not is not the issue. Harry thinks the albums can't neatly organize his collection because the showcase pages in a single album won't hold all of them; faulty reasoning, but not because of this.
C. Any album large enough to hold all of Harry's cards would contain enough special showcase pages to display all of his most valuable cards.
(C) is incorrect because it also does not represent the flaw in Harry's reasoning. Clearly he's upset because the albums' showcase pages are each too small to hold all of his cards, but whether a hypothetical large-enough album would contain adequate special showcase pages for his most valuable cards is not the point. Harry thinks the albums are no good because the pages are too small and thus won't hold all of the cards, but the issue is why he dismisses Archie's suggestion as "stupid." He has no reason to do so if the size of the collection and album were not the focus or purpose of the suggestion. Archie was suggesting a way to organize the cards, not hold them all.
D. Harry's baseball card collection would not be well-organized if it were displayed in more than one showcase album.
(D) is correct. Harry's problem is that the cards are messy and disorganized; Archie's suggestion is that he organize them in an album. Harry dismisses the suggestion because he can't find an album large enough to hold all of his cards, but the obvious possibility that he's ignoring is that he can use more than one album to organize them. This is the flaw in his reasoning; he assumes, wrongly, that he has to fit all of the cards into one album in order for them to be organized. If this is not the case, then there's no reason for him to denigrate and dismiss Archie's suggestion.
E. Harry's baseball card collection is a mess because he has more cards now than he did last year.
(E) is incorrect because, once again, the size of Harry's collection is not the issue.
Which of the following assumptions has Harry made in dismissing Archie's recommendation?
A. Larger showcase display albums produced in the past were big enough to hold all of Harry's cards.
(A) is incorrect because it is irrelevant. Harry dismissed Archie's suggestion that a display album would help organize Harry's baseball card collection. Harry called it a "stupid suggestion," because he thought it wouldn't work. But (A) is not the assumption upon which that conclusion is based. Harry's frustration stemmed from the fact that the collection was messy and disorganized, not that it was too large to fit into a single display album. Therefore it doesn't matter whether larger albums produced in the past were big enough, so this is not the flaw in Harry's reasoning.
B. Albums without showcase pages are never as effective for organizing baseball cards as are albums that do have showcase pages.
(B) is incorrect because Harry would still be upset with Archie, albeit wrongly, even if this wasn't true. Whether the albums in question have showcase pages or not is not the issue. Harry thinks the albums can't neatly organize his collection because the showcase pages in a single album won't hold all of them; faulty reasoning, but not because of this.
C. Any album large enough to hold all of Harry's cards would contain enough special showcase pages to display all of his most valuable cards.
(C) is incorrect because it also does not represent the flaw in Harry's reasoning. Clearly he's upset because the albums' showcase pages are each too small to hold all of his cards, but whether a hypothetical large-enough album would contain adequate special showcase pages for his most valuable cards is not the point. Harry thinks the albums are no good because the pages are too small and thus won't hold all of the cards, but the issue is why he dismisses Archie's suggestion as "stupid." He has no reason to do so if the size of the collection and album were not the focus or purpose of the suggestion. Archie was suggesting a way to organize the cards, not hold them all.
D. Harry's baseball card collection would not be well-organized if it were displayed in more than one showcase album.
(D) is correct. Harry's problem is that the cards are messy and disorganized; Archie's suggestion is that he organize them in an album. Harry dismisses the suggestion because he can't find an album large enough to hold all of his cards, but the obvious possibility that he's ignoring is that he can use more than one album to organize them. This is the flaw in his reasoning; he assumes, wrongly, that he has to fit all of the cards into one album in order for them to be organized. If this is not the case, then there's no reason for him to denigrate and dismiss Archie's suggestion.
E. Harry's baseball card collection is a mess because he has more cards now than he did last year.
(E) is incorrect because, once again, the size of Harry's collection is not the issue.
Homework #17
Toy manufacturer: "The MegaBall rubber ball is very expensive to make. We should switch to a cheaper brand of rubber to make the MegaBall."
Marketing analyst: "But the MegaBall sells so well! People buy it because it bounces higher than any other ball. No other kind of rubber bounces that high. We should stick with what we know we can sell."
On which one of the following issues do the speakers above disagree?
A. Whether the rubber used to make the MegaBall is more expensive than other materials.
B. Whether the MegaBall sells as well as it is supposed to sell.
C. Whether the company should make the MegaBall from a different brand of rubber.
D. Whether they should consider what customers want before they make important business decisions.
E. Whether other rubber materials bounce as high as the rubber they are currently using to make the MegaBall.
Marketing analyst: "But the MegaBall sells so well! People buy it because it bounces higher than any other ball. No other kind of rubber bounces that high. We should stick with what we know we can sell."
On which one of the following issues do the speakers above disagree?
A. Whether the rubber used to make the MegaBall is more expensive than other materials.
B. Whether the MegaBall sells as well as it is supposed to sell.
C. Whether the company should make the MegaBall from a different brand of rubber.
D. Whether they should consider what customers want before they make important business decisions.
E. Whether other rubber materials bounce as high as the rubber they are currently using to make the MegaBall.
Homework #15 Answer
A passenger vehicle is defined as any fully-enclosed four-wheeled vehicle with room for at least one other person besides the driver. A semi truck, though it does have enclosed room to transport one non-driving passenger, always has more than four wheels. A jeep, though it may have four wheels and enough room for a driver plus at least one passenger, is rarely fully enclosed. A postal van, though it may be enclosed and have four wheels, usually does not have room for any passengers other than the driver.
If all of the above statements are true, which one of the following MUST also be true?
A. If an automobile is neither a semi truck, nor a jeep, nor a postal van, then it is not a fully enclosed four-wheeled vehicle.
(A) is incorrect because it could obviously still be a passenger vehicle, which according to the stimulus is a fully-enclosed four-wheeled vehicle. Of course it could be something else, meaning it COULD be an open vehicle and/or one with more or fewer than four wheels, but it doesn't HAVE to be.
B. If an automobile is not a semi truck, or a jeep, or a postal van, then it must be a passenger vehicle.
(B) is incorrect because the stimulus leaves open the possibility that there are more types of automobiles besides the four that are described. We can reach this conclusion logically, regardless of our outside knowledge about automobiles, because there is no language in the stimulus that tells us an automobile MUST or CAN ONLY be one of the four types described.
C. If a jeep is fully enclosed with four wheels and room for non-driving passengers, then it is both a jeep and a passenger vehicle.
(C) is correct. The key to answering a question like this is being able to determine, and more importantly to distinguish, what MUST be, what COULD be, and what CANNOT be. All of the descriptions in the stimulus contain qualifiers that indicate whether the particular characteristic is ALWAYS true, USUALLY true, RARELY true, or NEVER true of that type of vehicle. If something is true "usually," "rarely," "sometimes," "often," "seldom," etc., that means it CAN be true but it doesn't HAVE to be true, and it can also be false but doesn't have to be false. The stimulus tells us that a jeep is "rarely fully enclosed," not that it is never fully enclosed, which means it CAN be fully enclosed. Since the question contemplates a fully-enclosed jeep, and since any fully-enclosed vehicle with four wheels and room for two or more people is a passenger vehicle, then such a vehicle would be both a jeep and a passenger vehicle. Even if the stimulus told us that a jeep was never fully enclosed, this would still be the correct answer because the answer itself contemplates a fully-enclosed jeep, and what such a vehicle would be if it did exist.
D. Postal vans are more like passenger vehicles than semi trucks are.
(D) is incorrect not because it is a matter of opinion, but because there are no objective, logical criteria for comparison, i.e., whether having the same number of wheels makes a vehicle "more like" another than if it had the same amount of passenger room. Postal vans are similar to passenger vehicles in that they tend to be enclosed and have four wheels, but they have no room for passengers. Semi trucks are like passenger vehicles in that they are enclosed and have room for passengers but they have more than four wheels. Each compared vehicle therefore shares two of the three stated characteristics with passenger vehicles, but we don't know which characteristic is more important, so it is impossible to say that either is definitively "more like" a passenger vehicle than the other.
E. Some postal vans may be considered to be jeeps.
(E) is incorrect because the descriptions of both jeeps and postal vans are so equivocal that even if the categories could overlap, it is also possible that they don't, i.e., that no postal vans are jeeps. The facts that jeeps are RARELY enclosed (which postal vans always are) and that postal vans USUALLY have no passenger room (which jeeps always do), suggest that it's unlikely that a postal van is also a jeep, but not impossible; still, we cannot conclude with any certainty that there must be postal vans out there that are also jeeps. Maybe there are, maybe there aren't; remember the question is what MUST be true, not what COULD be true. (Note also the use of the phrase "may be," as opposed to "can be" or "could be." As you know from elementary school, "may" implies permission, not possibility; i.e., that such vehicles DO exist, not that they CAN exist.)
If all of the above statements are true, which one of the following MUST also be true?
A. If an automobile is neither a semi truck, nor a jeep, nor a postal van, then it is not a fully enclosed four-wheeled vehicle.
(A) is incorrect because it could obviously still be a passenger vehicle, which according to the stimulus is a fully-enclosed four-wheeled vehicle. Of course it could be something else, meaning it COULD be an open vehicle and/or one with more or fewer than four wheels, but it doesn't HAVE to be.
B. If an automobile is not a semi truck, or a jeep, or a postal van, then it must be a passenger vehicle.
(B) is incorrect because the stimulus leaves open the possibility that there are more types of automobiles besides the four that are described. We can reach this conclusion logically, regardless of our outside knowledge about automobiles, because there is no language in the stimulus that tells us an automobile MUST or CAN ONLY be one of the four types described.
C. If a jeep is fully enclosed with four wheels and room for non-driving passengers, then it is both a jeep and a passenger vehicle.
(C) is correct. The key to answering a question like this is being able to determine, and more importantly to distinguish, what MUST be, what COULD be, and what CANNOT be. All of the descriptions in the stimulus contain qualifiers that indicate whether the particular characteristic is ALWAYS true, USUALLY true, RARELY true, or NEVER true of that type of vehicle. If something is true "usually," "rarely," "sometimes," "often," "seldom," etc., that means it CAN be true but it doesn't HAVE to be true, and it can also be false but doesn't have to be false. The stimulus tells us that a jeep is "rarely fully enclosed," not that it is never fully enclosed, which means it CAN be fully enclosed. Since the question contemplates a fully-enclosed jeep, and since any fully-enclosed vehicle with four wheels and room for two or more people is a passenger vehicle, then such a vehicle would be both a jeep and a passenger vehicle. Even if the stimulus told us that a jeep was never fully enclosed, this would still be the correct answer because the answer itself contemplates a fully-enclosed jeep, and what such a vehicle would be if it did exist.
D. Postal vans are more like passenger vehicles than semi trucks are.
(D) is incorrect not because it is a matter of opinion, but because there are no objective, logical criteria for comparison, i.e., whether having the same number of wheels makes a vehicle "more like" another than if it had the same amount of passenger room. Postal vans are similar to passenger vehicles in that they tend to be enclosed and have four wheels, but they have no room for passengers. Semi trucks are like passenger vehicles in that they are enclosed and have room for passengers but they have more than four wheels. Each compared vehicle therefore shares two of the three stated characteristics with passenger vehicles, but we don't know which characteristic is more important, so it is impossible to say that either is definitively "more like" a passenger vehicle than the other.
E. Some postal vans may be considered to be jeeps.
(E) is incorrect because the descriptions of both jeeps and postal vans are so equivocal that even if the categories could overlap, it is also possible that they don't, i.e., that no postal vans are jeeps. The facts that jeeps are RARELY enclosed (which postal vans always are) and that postal vans USUALLY have no passenger room (which jeeps always do), suggest that it's unlikely that a postal van is also a jeep, but not impossible; still, we cannot conclude with any certainty that there must be postal vans out there that are also jeeps. Maybe there are, maybe there aren't; remember the question is what MUST be true, not what COULD be true. (Note also the use of the phrase "may be," as opposed to "can be" or "could be." As you know from elementary school, "may" implies permission, not possibility; i.e., that such vehicles DO exist, not that they CAN exist.)
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