Self-study
An advertisement states: Like Danaxil, all headache pills can stop your headache. ███ ████ ███ ███ ██ █████ ███ ████ ██████ █████ █████ ███████ ██ ███ ████████ ████████ ████ █████ ████ ████ ████████ ██████ ███ ████ ███ ████ █████████ ████ █ █████████ ███████ ██████ █████ ███████ ███ ████ █████ ███ ███████ ███████████
The Crux: [Not More] Means [The Same Or Less]
No headache pill stops pain more quickly [than Danaxil], but there still might be a headache pill that stops pain just as quickly as Danaxil.
Let’s say Danaxil stops pain in 15 minutes. Another headache pill, Pain-B-Gone, also stops pain in 15 minutes. They stop pain equally quickly.
In this scenario, the advertisement’s guarantee is still true: Pain-B-Gone does not stop pain more quickly than Danaxil. More quickly would mean stopping pain in 14:59 or less.
23.
Which one of the following ███ ██ ████████ █████████ ████ ███ ██████ ██ ███ ██████████████
a
Evelyn’s headache pain ████ ██ █████████ ███ ████████ ████ ████
The notion that Jane’s headache will not be relieved is undercut by the stimulus’ premise that all headache pills can stop headaches.
The difference isn’t whether these pills stop headaches, but how quickly they stop headaches.
b
Evelyn’s headache pain ████ ██ ████████ ████ ███████ ████ █████████
(B) is spot on except for the distinction described in the analysis: the advertisement’s guarantee that no pill stops pain more quickly than Danaxil includes the possibility that Evelyn’s and Jane’s headaches will be cured equally quickly.
(D) and (B) are actually two sides of the same coin – both single out one part of “equally quickly or more quickly” and leave out the other.
c
Evelyn’s headache will ██ ████████ ██ █████ ██ ███████ ██ █████████
(C) stays on the right side of the “not more = the same or less” distinction: saying Evelyn’s headache will be relieved at least as quickly as Jane’s means it’ll either be cured equally quickly or more quickly.
d
Jane’s headache pain ████ ██ ████████ ██ ███ ████ ████ ██ ██ ███████████
While it’s possible their headaches will be cured at the same time, it’s also possible that Evelyn’s headache will be relieved more quickly than Jane’s.
(D) and (B) are actually two sides of the same coin – both single out one part of “equally quickly or more quickly” and leave out the other.
e
Jane will be ██████ ███████ ███ ██████ ████ ████████ █████
(E) might sound good as a way to round out the advertisement’s script – like “oh boy, you can bet next time Jane will use Danaxil!” while some footage of Evelyn frolicking through a field plays in the background – but it’s not a claim that’s directly supported by the stimulus.
Currently, of course, she’s not taking Danaxil – she’s taking a competing pill. And in the future? Who knows!