PT111.S3.Q9 > Analytics

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Conclusion A running track with a hard surface makes for greater running speed than a soft one, at least under dry conditions, because even though step length is shorter on a hard surface, Support the time the runner's foot remains in contact with the running surface is less with a hard surface.

Argument Summary

The author claims that a hard running track allows greater running speed than a soft running track, at least under dry conditions. The author explains that this is because the runner's foot stays in contact with the running surface for less time on a hard surface than on a soft one, even though step length is shorter.

Which one of the following, ██ █████ ██ ████████ ████ ███ ███████████ █████ █████ ██ ████ █ ███████ ████

Question Type

Miscellaneous (LR)

If you break down the argument to its premise → conclusion structure, like in the diagram above, you'll see that the only support given for the argument's conclusion is the claim that the runner's foot is in contact with the running surface for less time on a hard surface than on a soft one. The other statements are concessions or context.

But without additional information, it's unclear why shorter step duration — less time in contact with the running surface — necessarily leads to higher running speed. It seems like other factors might be relevant to running speed, too, like the number of steps taken or the amount of power generated with each step. So an answer choice that shows why step duration alone does not entirely explain faster running speed would effectively show that the explanation provided in the stimulus is only partial.

Dry running conditions ███ ██ ██████████ ███ ██████ █████ █████ █████

Incorrect. We know that the argument is only talking about running tracks in dry conditions. (A) just confirms that, for outdoor running tracks, the argument might only apply sometimes, when the tracks happen to be dry (which can't be guaranteed all the time). (A) doesn't suggest that some factor besides step duration helps explain faster running speed on hard tracks vs. soft tracks in dry conditions. So (A) doesn't show that the explanation in the stimulus is only partial.

11%

In general, taller ███████ ████ ███████ ███████ ████ ██████ ████ ███████ ███████ ███

Incorrect. The stimulus is only about how running speed varies based on the surface of the track, and never mentions height or step length. Since we don’t know how either height or step length relates to running speed, we can’t say that either of them provides a supplementary explanation for the phenomenon described in the stimulus.

Hard tracks enhance █ ████████ █████ ██ ██████ ██ ██████ ███ ███ ██████ ██ ████████ █ ███████ ████ █████████ ████ ███████████

Correct. (C) points out another way a hard track causes runners to run faster, besides step duration: hard tracks help runners reduce wind resistance. By pointing out another relevant factor, (C) suggests that step duration alone is only a partial explanation for why runners can run faster on a hard track than on a soft one.

80%

The tracks at █████ ███ ███████ ███████ ███████ █████ ████ ████ ████████ ███ ███████ ████ █████ ███ ██████ █████ ███ ███ ██ ██████████ █████

Incorrect. We aren’t talking about absolute times in the stimulus, like the fastest running times ever recorded. We’re trying to explain a phenomenon about relative times: why is it possible to run faster on a hard track than on a soft one? The stimulus provided one explanation: the shorter duration of steps on a hard track. (D) doesn’t suggest any additional factors that are relevant, so (D) isn’t the answer choice we want.

To remain in ███ ██████████ █ ████ █████ ███████ ████████ █████████ ███████████ ██████████ ████ ████ █ ████ ████

Incorrect. The fact that a soft track requires different maintenance from a hard one doesn’t suggest any additional reasons why it’s possible to run faster on a hard track than on a soft one.

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PrepTest 111 - Section 3 - Question 9

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PrepTest 111 - Section 3 - Question 9

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