Summary
A new computer system will only really increase an organization’s efficiency if the new system forces employees into more productive work habits. The Ministry of Transportation is getting a new system that accommodates its employees’ existing work habits. So, what can we conclude?
In Lawgic:
P1: new system improves efficiency → requires more productive work habits
P2: Ministry’s new system → /requires change in work habits
C: ?
In Lawgic:
P1: new system improves efficiency → requires more productive work habits
P2: Ministry’s new system → /requires change in work habits
C: ?
Strongly Supported Conclusions
Based on these facts, we can conclude that the Ministry’s new system does not force employees into more productive work habits. We can further conclude that it will not meaningfully increase the Ministry’s efficiency.
A
the new computer system will not increase the efficiency of the Ministry of Transportation to any appreciable degree
This is strongly supported. We know that to significantly increase efficiency, a new system must require employees to work more productively. The Ministry’s new system doesn’t require employees to change how they work at all, so it won’t significantly increase efficiency.
B
it is likely that the new computer system will not function correctly when it is first installed
This is not supported. The stimulus suggests nothing about how likely new computer systems are to work or not, so we can’t draw any conclusions about this.
C
the leaders of the Ministry of Transportation must not be concerned with the productivity of the ministry’s employees
This is not supported. The stimulus doesn’t inidcate anything about the intentions or concerns of the Ministry’s leadership, so we just can’t say.
D
the new computer system will be worthwhile if it automates many processes that are currently performed manually
This is not supported. The stimulus isn’t about whether computer systems are worthwhile, it’s about whether they increase efficiency. Because we don’t know what makes a system worthwhile, we cannot support this conclusion.
E
it will be easy for employees of the Ministry of Transportation to learn to use the new computer system
This is not supported. The stimulus doesn’t give us any information about how easily employees can learn to use a new computer system, so this would just be a baseless assumption.
Summarize Argument
The author concludes that if more landlords install individual electricity meters on tenant dwellings (thereby giving individuals an incentive save energy), energy will be conserved. This is because tenants who don’t have to pay for their own electricity bills don’t have a financial incentive to conserve electricity.
Notable Assumptions
The author assumes that the financial incentive created by the indvidual electricity meters is powerful enough to cause people to actually change their behavior. The author also assumes that there aren’t other aspects of using individual electricity meters that would cause more energy use that could outweigh whatever savings are created by the individual’s own incentive to use less energy.
A
Tenants who do not have to pay their own electricity bills generally must compensate by paying more rent.
This has no clear impact on how much energy would be used. Tenants would still have an incentive to save on energy. Whether they get to pay less rent doesn’t influence how much energy they use.
B
Many initiatives have been implemented to educate people about how much money they can save through energy conservation.
This suggests people might be aware of how much they can save on energy. If anything, this strengthens the author’s argument by giving another reason to think tenants will start to save on energy use if tenants were responsible for their own electricity bills.
C
Landlords who pay for their tenants’ electricity have a strong incentive to make sure that the appliances they provide for their tenants are energy efficient.
This raises the possibility that by switching to individual meters, landlords won’t be as likely to ensure their appliances are energy-efficient. Thus, even if tenants use the appliances less often, the appliances themselves might use more energy.
D
Some tenant dwellings can only support individual electricity meters if the dwellings are rewired, which would be prohibitively expensive.
This suggests that landlords won’t be able to switch to individual meters in some buildings. The author never said this was possible everywhere. The conclusion is simply about what would result if landlords were able to make this switch.
E
Some people conserve energy for reasons that are not related to cost savings.
This suggests some people might save energy for other reasons. But this doesn’t mean that cost can’t also be a motivating factor for those people. The individual meter can still incentivize them to save on energy. And, the author never assumed every tenant will conserve energy.
Summarize Argument: Counter-Position
The position that criminals should be punished in proportion to the severity of their crimes but that repeat offenders should receive harsher sentences is flawed. It wrongly assumes that past misdeeds are relevant to the seriousness of an offense. This introduces a vague standard that would make almost every other consideration relevant, making it impossible to apply this proportional principle.
Identify Argument Part
This is a undesirable consequence of believing the argument that the author is refuting.
A
It is a statement the argument provides grounds to accept and from which the overall conclusion is inferred.
The statement is not a premise. It does not support any other claim in the stimulus. It is an undesirable consequence that would result from believing the argument that the author rejects.
B
It is a statement inferred from a position the argument seeks to defend.
The author does not want to defend this statement. The author strongly disagrees with this statement.
C
It is the overall conclusion in favor of which the argument offers evidence.
This is not the main conclusion of the argument. The author does not believe in the truth of this statement, so it cannot be the main conclusion.
D
It is an allegedly untenable consequence of a view rejected in the argument’s overall conclusion.
This is an accurate description of the statement. The author argues that considering remote actions (an untenable consequence) is a result of the rejected view that repeat offenders should receive harsher punishments.
E
It is a premise offered in support of an intermediate conclusion of the argument.
This statement is not a premise and there is no sub-conclusion for it to support.
Summary
Heavy tapestry fabrics are only for applications that do not need frequent laundering. These applications do not include any types of clothing, but include types of window treatments such as swags and balloon valances.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
If a fabric is appropriate for clothing, then that fabric is not a heavy tapestry fabric.
A
If a fabric is not a heavy tapestry fabric, then it is not appropriate for use in swags.
This answer is unsupported. The stimulus is limited to heavy tapestry fabrics. We don’t know anything about fabrics that are not heavy tapestry fabrics.
B
Heavy tapestry fabrics should not be used unless swags or balloon valances are being made.
This answer is unsupported. To say that heavy tapestry fabrics should only be used for swags or balloon valances is too extreme. These applications were only examples, not an exhaustive list.
C
If heavy tapestry fabrics are appropriate for a particular application, then that application must be a window treatment.
This answer is unsupported. To say that heavy tapestry fabrics should only be used for window treatments is too extreme. This application was only provided as an example.
D
If a fabric is appropriate for use in a skirt or jacket, then that fabric is not a heavy tapestry fabric.
This answer is strongly supported. We know from the stimulus that heavy tapestry fabrics are not appropriate for any type of clothing. Therefore, if a fabric is appropriate for clothing, then that fabric must not be a heavy tapestry fabric.
E
Heavy tapestry fabrics are sometimes appropriate for use in types of clothing other than skirts and jackets.
This answer is anti-supported. The stimulus tells us that heavy tapestry fabrics are not appropriate for any type of clothing.
"Surprising" Phenomenon
Increased housing supply generally leads to lower rents for existing apartments, but rents for existing apartments in Brewsterville rose when the housing supply increased.
Objective
The correct answer will be a hypothesis that explains why, contrary to what usually happens, existing apartments became more expensive when the housing supply increased. This explanation must show some quirk in Brewsterville’s housing situation that causes rents to rise with supply, or else some other factor that affected the prices of existing apartments without factoring in housing supply.
A
Fewer new apartments were constructed than originally planned.
Even if just one new apartment was constructed, existing rents would be expected to drop. We need to know why they rose.
B
The new apartments were much more desirable than the existing apartments.
The new apartments, no matter how desirable, contributed to the housing supply. And yet, rents for existing apartments rose. We need something that explains why that happened.
C
Rents in some areas close to Brewsterville dropped as a result of the construction of the new apartments.
We care about what happened in Brewsterville, not in areas close-by.
D
A sizeable number of people moved out of the existing apartments while the new apartments were being constructed.
Does this mean the rents would rise? We don’t know. This doesn’t give us enough information to be a true explanation.
E
The new apartments were constructed at the outset of a trend of increasing numbers of people seeking residence in Brewsterville.
Even though the housing supply rose, that housing supply was quickly filled by people moving into Brewsterville. The end result was either a net neutral or net negative for the housing supply, hence why rents didn’t drop as expected for existing apartments.