Self-study
A worker for a power company trims the branches of trees that overhang power lines as a prevention against damage to the lines anticipated because of the impending stormy season. ███ ██████ ███████ ████ █████ ████ ██ ██ ████ ███ ███ ██ ████ ███ ███████████ ████████ ██ █ ███████ ████ ███████ ███ ██████ ██ ███ ████ ████ █████████ ████ ████ █████ ███ ██ ████ ███████
Method of Reasoning
The worker concludes that there is no need to complete a task (trim a certain tree). Her reasoning is that an outside force may eliminate the problem (the owners may cut down the tree anyway).
Identify and Describe Flaw
The worker’s reasoning has a clear flaw. The owners might decide not to cut down the tree (or cut it down after the stormy season), in which case damage could occur.
6.
Which one of the following █████████ ██ █████ ██ ██████ █████████ ████ ██ ████ ███████ ██ ███ ████████ ██████ ██████████
a
A well inspector ███ █ ███████ ██████ ██ ████ ██ ███████ ███ █████ ██ █ █████ ███ █████████ ███████ ████ ███ █████ ██████ ██ █████████ ██ ███ █████ ██ ████ ████ ██ █████ █████ ███████ █████ █████ ███ ██ ██████ ████ ██ ███████ ████ ████
The inspector’s reasoning here is not clearly flawed, unlike that of the worker in the stimulus. If not all wells can be inspected, prioritizing the most commonly used ones makes sense. By contrast, the worker in the stimulus fails to consider that an intervention may either never happen or happen too late.
b
All sewage and ████████ █████ █████ ██ █ █████ ████ ██ █████████ ███ ███████ ███████ ████ ███ ███████ █████████ ████████ █████ ██████ ██ ████ ███ ██████ ██████ ████ ██████ ██████ █████ ███ █████ █████ █████ ██ ████ ██ ███████ ████ █████████
The plumber’s reasoning is not clearly flawed, unlike that of the worker in the stimulus. Saving money is a relevant consideration when replacing the pipes. By contrast, the worker in the stimulus fails to consider that an intervention may either never happen or happen too late.
c
A mechanic must ███████ ███ ████ ██████ ██ █ █████████ ████ ████ ███ ████ ████ ████████ ███ ████████ ███████ ████ █████ ███ ██ ███ ████ ██ ███████████ █████████ ██ ██ ███████ ██ ████ ███ ████ ██ ███████ ███ ███████
The mechanic concludes that there is no need to complete a task (replacing the brakes). His reasoning is that an outside force may eliminate the problem (the van may be junked anyway). This has the same flaw as the stimulus: failing to consider that the possible intervention may not occur.
d
A candidate decides ██ ████████ ██ ███ █████ ██ ███ ████ █████ ███ ████ ███ █████ ███ █████████████ ███ █████████ ███████ ████ ███████████ ██ █████ █████ ██ ███████████ ███████ ██ █████ █████ ███ ███████████ ███████ ██ ████████ ██████ ██ ████████ ███████
The candidate’s reasoning is not clearly flawed, unlike the worker’s in the stimulus. The areas with more new votes might be more efficient to focus on. By contrast, the worker in the stimulus fails to consider that an intervention may either never happen or happen too late.
e
None of the ████████ ██ █ ███████ ████████████ █████ ████ ████ ██████████████ ███ ███ ██████ ███████ ██ ███ █████████ █████ ███ ███████ ███████ ████ ██ ██ ████ ██ ████ ███ ███ ████████████ ████████ ██ ██████ ██████ ██ █████ ██ ██ ███████ ██ ██████ ███ ███ ███ ███ ███ ███████ ██ ███ █████
This argument is not clearly flawed, unlike the stimulus. We don’t know if collective punishment is a good or bad idea here. By contrast, the worker in the stimulus fails to consider that an intervention may either never happen or happen too late.