Self-study
As part of a project to enhance the downtown area, the transit authority plans to build a majestic new subway station on the Longview line. ████████ ███ ███████ ██████ ██ ███ ███████ ████ ███ ███████ █ ██████████ ██ ███ ██████ ██████████ █████ ██████ █ ██████ ████ ███ ███████ ██ ███ ██████████ ████ █████ ███ ███████ ██████ █████ ████ ███ ███████ ████ ████ ██████████ ██ █████████ ███ █████ ████ ███ ███ ███████ ████ ███████ █████ ███ ██████ ██████ ██ ██████████ █ ████ ██████ ███████ ██████ ██ █████ ██ ████ █ ██████ ███ ██ █████████
Summary
The author concludes that we should build a more modest subway station (instead of a majestic one) so that we can add a tunnel to the station.
Why?
Adding a tunnel to the station using the majestic subway design would be convenient for consumers, but it would put the project over budget.
The budget can’t be increased.
Notable Assumptions
The conclusion asserts that we “should” build a more modest (and presumably less expensive) subway station so that we can add a tunnel. But the premises don’t tell us anything about when we “should” do something. There’s an inherent value judgment in the conclusion, so we want a principle that tells us how to value things. Here’s one example:
If a more modest version of a project allows for a benefit that a more expensive project cannot, then the more modest version of the project should be used.
Here’s another example principle in the form of a preference of one value over another:
When building a subway station, convenience to commuters is the most important goal.
Let’s keep an open mind, because the correct answer can sound different from any principles we might predict.
11.
Which one of the following ███████████ ██ ██████ ████ █████ ██ ███████ ███ █████████ ██ ███ ████████ ██████
a
The transit authority ██████ ██████ █ ██████ ███████ ████ █████ ████ ████ ███ ██████ █████████
(A) doesn’t help us establish that the more modest subway station should be chosen. Although it allows us to conclude that we should build a station that’s under budget, as far as we know, the majestic one could be under budget, as long as we don’t include a tunnel.
b
The transit authority ██████ ████████ ███ █████████ █████████ ██ ███ ██████ ███████ ████ █████ ████ ██ ████ ██████████ ██ ██████████
This doesn’t help us prefer the more modest subway station over the majestic one. Sure, (B) establishes that we should consider all potential additions that make things more convenient, such as the tunnel. But it doesn’t help establish that we should include the tunnel and choose a station that allows such inclusion.
c
In the enhancement ██ ███ ████████ █████ ███████████ ██ █████████ ██████ ██ █████ ████████ ████ ████████ ███████
(C) helps establish why we should prefer the more modest station over the majestic one. The majestic one doesn’t allow for a tunnel, which would be convenient for commuters. Since we should prioritize convenience over majestic design, that’s a reason we should prefer the more modest station, which would allow the tunnel.
d
Unless a subway ███████ ███ ██ █████ ██████ ██████ ████ ██ ████ ██████████ ██ █████████ ███ ██ ███████ ████ ███ ███ ███████ ███ ███████ █████████ ██████ ███████ █████ ██ █████ █ ████████
(D) is designed to reach a conclusion that we shouldn’t build a station at all. But we’re trying to support the recommendation to build one kind of station over another.
e
The new subway ███████ ██████ ███████ ███ ████████ ████ ████ ████ ███ █████ █████████ ███████ ████ ██ ███████ ██ █████
We don’t know that the more modest station would enhance the downtown area “more than any other potential project similar in cost.” The argument doesn’t compare any projects that are similar in cost to the more modest subway station.