PT153.S3.Q11

PrepTest 153 - Section 3 - Question 11

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Studies have shown that Support those who take daily doses of vitamin C are less likely to contract colds than are those who do not. █████ ██ █ ██████ █████████ █ █████ ██ ██ ███ ████████ ████ ███ ████ █████ █████ ██ ███████ ██

Method of Reasoning

The argument proceeds by citing a negative correlation between taking daily doses of vitamin C and likeliness of contracting a cold (those who take more vitamin C are less likely to contract colds). It then concludes that one who contracts a cold likely doesn’t take daily doses of vitamin C.

Identify and Describe Flaw

This argument commits a mistaken reversal. It assumes that because vitamin C users are less likely to catch colds, anyone who catches a cold probably doesn’t take vitamin C. However, it never establishes the relative sizes of the groups involved. If nearly everyone takes vitamin C, then even if it reduces one’s chances of catching a cold, most people who get colds could still be vitamin C users.

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11.

The questionable reasoning in the ████████ █████ ████ ███████ █████████ ████ ██ █████ ███ ██ ███ ██████████

a

To be classified ██ █ ██████████ █ ████████ █████ ██ ███ ████████ █████ ████ ████ █████████ ████ ██████ ██ ████ ██ █████ ████ ███████████ ███ █████ ██ ████████ ██████ ████ █████████ ████ ██████ ██ █████ ████ █████ ███ ███ ███████████

b

Everyone who ate ███ ████ █████ ████████ ██ ███ █████████ ███ ██████████ █████████ ██ █████ ███ ███ █████ ██████ ████████ ██ ███ █████████ ████ ████████ ████ ███ ████ ████████

c

Laboratory rats given ██ █████████ ███████████ ████ ████ ██ ██ ██ ███████ ██████ ████ ██ █████ █████ █ ████ ████████ █████ ██ ████ ██████ █████ ██████ █████ ████ █████ ██ ██████ █ █████ ████ ████ ████ ████ ███████ ███

d

People who train ██████████ ██ ████ █████ ███ ███████ █ ███████ █████ ██ ████████████ ██ █████ ███████ ███ █████ ███████ ██ ████ ████ ██████

e

Automobile engines that ███████ ███████ ███ ███████ ███ ████ ██████ ██ ██ ███████ ████ ████ ███ █████ ████ ██ ████ ██ ███████████ ████ ██████ ████████ ████████ ████ ███ ███ ███████ ███ ████████

Confirm action

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