- Tue Apr 26, 2016 3:52 pm
#23437
Complete Question Explanation
Flaw in the Reasoning-#%. The correct answer choice is (B)
The argument is that since 7.6 million women have incomes and have preschool-aged children, and 6.4 million women are the sole income-earners for their families, most of the women who have preschool-aged children are the sole income-earners for their families.
The argument is horribly flawed, because the truth is that there is no necessary overlap between the discussed groups. A woman could be a sole income-earner, without having any children at all, let alone pre-school aged children. Remember, a "family" does not have to include "children." Every "family" with a woman who has and income and preschool-aged children could be a family with two parents who both work.
Answer choice (A): The figures are not too imprecise, they are just the wrong figures to look at.
As a note, unless approximated numbers are equal in all of their higher places, and almost equal in their approximated place, there is no reason to assume that they are too imprecise for general comparisons. If we assume that an author uses a consistent rounding method for rounded numbers, there is no barrier to general comparison unless the rounded numbers are equal.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. Since "women who earn incomes and have preschool-aged children" is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for "women who are the sole income-earners for their families," there is no way to be formally certain that these groups are related to each other. Remember, "family" does not necessitate "children."
Answer choice (C): Since the stimulus was not at all concerned with whether the supposed trend would continue, this response is off-topic and incorrect.
Answer choice (D): For the purposes of the comparison in the stimulus, it does not matter whether families with preschool-aged children also have older children, so this response does not describe a flaw, and is wrong. You may have chosen this response anyway, because a careless reading of this choice might create the impression that this choice points out that the families discussed do not have to include preschool-aged children. This response may have made you consider that possibility, but it does not actually state that possibility, and you must be careful to read the choice for what it actually states.
Answer choice (E): Since the stimulus was not concerned with making conclusions about men, it is acceptable to leave out data about men, and this choice does not offer a legitimate flaw.
Flaw in the Reasoning-#%. The correct answer choice is (B)
The argument is that since 7.6 million women have incomes and have preschool-aged children, and 6.4 million women are the sole income-earners for their families, most of the women who have preschool-aged children are the sole income-earners for their families.
The argument is horribly flawed, because the truth is that there is no necessary overlap between the discussed groups. A woman could be a sole income-earner, without having any children at all, let alone pre-school aged children. Remember, a "family" does not have to include "children." Every "family" with a woman who has and income and preschool-aged children could be a family with two parents who both work.
Answer choice (A): The figures are not too imprecise, they are just the wrong figures to look at.
As a note, unless approximated numbers are equal in all of their higher places, and almost equal in their approximated place, there is no reason to assume that they are too imprecise for general comparisons. If we assume that an author uses a consistent rounding method for rounded numbers, there is no barrier to general comparison unless the rounded numbers are equal.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. Since "women who earn incomes and have preschool-aged children" is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for "women who are the sole income-earners for their families," there is no way to be formally certain that these groups are related to each other. Remember, "family" does not necessitate "children."
Answer choice (C): Since the stimulus was not at all concerned with whether the supposed trend would continue, this response is off-topic and incorrect.
Answer choice (D): For the purposes of the comparison in the stimulus, it does not matter whether families with preschool-aged children also have older children, so this response does not describe a flaw, and is wrong. You may have chosen this response anyway, because a careless reading of this choice might create the impression that this choice points out that the families discussed do not have to include preschool-aged children. This response may have made you consider that possibility, but it does not actually state that possibility, and you must be careful to read the choice for what it actually states.
Answer choice (E): Since the stimulus was not concerned with making conclusions about men, it is acceptable to leave out data about men, and this choice does not offer a legitimate flaw.