#22 - If there is an election, you can either vote or not.

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Parallel Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (D)

This conditional reasoning stimulus presents a scenario two possible options, each with its own necessary outcome: if there is an election you can either vote (giving you satisfaction of knowing that you influenced the election results) or not vote (giving you no right to complain about the outcome). The conclusion, that an election will lead to one outcome or the other, is valid; the argumentation can be diagrammed as follows:

• Vote satisfaction
  Election or
  Not Vote no right to complain

Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice. The correct answer choice should parallel this basic, valid argumentation, and only correct answer choice (D) does so. This answer choice can be diagrammed as follows:

• Messages easily readable password protected
  Use computer or
  Messages not easily readable electronically encrypted

Based on the above diagram, we can see that the logic from the stimulus is effectively paralleled, and that this choice’s conclusion is valid: If you use a computer, one of the referenced two outcomes will result: either password protection or electronic encryption.

Incorrect answer choice (A) looks like a contender at first, but the conclusion rules this choice out. If the conclusion were that renting a car leads to one of the two referenced outcomes, this answer would be a winner. Instead, the conclusion is that you will be better off in one case (being insured) than in the other (being uninsured).

Incorrect answer choice (B) goes clearly off track in the 5th line (though your muscles…).

Answer choice (C) goes awry at the beginning of the second sentence. If this answer choice were to parallel the stimulus, its first sentence would be followed with a necessary condition if the courses are found stimulating, and a different necessary outcome if the courses were not found stimulating.

The beginning of answer choice (E), like that of incorrect answer choice (A) above, makes choice (E) look at first like a contender: when natural resources are used, this is done either efficiently (leading to longer lasting resources), or inefficiently (leading to quicker depletion). This portion appears to roughly parallel the stimulus, diagrammed as follows:

• Efficiently longer lasting resources
  Natural resources used or
  Inefficiently quicker depletion

When we get to the conclusion, however, this answer choice becomes a clear loser. “When natural resources are used, manufacturers are efficient or they should be fined.” Since the fine is not mentioned at all in the conditional reasoning presented, this answer choice fails to parallel the logic of the stimulus.