- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 8948
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Fri Apr 15, 2016 4:51 pm
#23168
Complete Question Explanation
Flaw in the Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (C)
In this stimulus, as in all critical reasoning questions, you need to pay careful attention to the words used. There are weapons research laboratories and weapons production plants, two different entities. However, this is an easy trick to notice and it is placed in this question because faulty comparisons are common flaws. The authors want you to focus on this comparison, when it is actually irrelevant to the argument as a whole. Then, the conclusion in the second half of the first sentence claims that production plants are "wasteful" of tax dollars. The only evidence given to support this conclusion states that a plant the government plans to reopen "violates environmental, health and safety laws" and its weapons could be produced for the same cost at a "safer" facility. However, none of that evidence supports the conclusion of "wasteful."
Answer choice (A) The argument does not offer this evidence, but it does not need to offer that evidence. The issue of safety or compliance with the laws is irrelevant to the conclusion, which is the flaw of this argument.
Answer choice (B) This answer choice addresses the extra information about inflated government spending and weapons research laboratories given in the opening sentence. This information does not "undermine" the conclusion, as this answer choice states, and it is also irrelevant.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice, because the evidence the stimulus offers addresses violations and safety but not wasteful spending.
Answer choice (D) Again, the writers try to tempt you by going back to the superfluous comparison in the first line. There is no mention the "necessary expenditures" of this answer choice and the stimulus calls both the research laboratories and production plants wasteful.
Answer choice (E) The irrelevant comparison in the opening line once again appears. The stimulus does not need to establish their similarity because the comparison is irrelevant to the conclusion of the argument.
Flaw in the Reasoning. The correct answer choice is (C)
In this stimulus, as in all critical reasoning questions, you need to pay careful attention to the words used. There are weapons research laboratories and weapons production plants, two different entities. However, this is an easy trick to notice and it is placed in this question because faulty comparisons are common flaws. The authors want you to focus on this comparison, when it is actually irrelevant to the argument as a whole. Then, the conclusion in the second half of the first sentence claims that production plants are "wasteful" of tax dollars. The only evidence given to support this conclusion states that a plant the government plans to reopen "violates environmental, health and safety laws" and its weapons could be produced for the same cost at a "safer" facility. However, none of that evidence supports the conclusion of "wasteful."
Answer choice (A) The argument does not offer this evidence, but it does not need to offer that evidence. The issue of safety or compliance with the laws is irrelevant to the conclusion, which is the flaw of this argument.
Answer choice (B) This answer choice addresses the extra information about inflated government spending and weapons research laboratories given in the opening sentence. This information does not "undermine" the conclusion, as this answer choice states, and it is also irrelevant.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice, because the evidence the stimulus offers addresses violations and safety but not wasteful spending.
Answer choice (D) Again, the writers try to tempt you by going back to the superfluous comparison in the first line. There is no mention the "necessary expenditures" of this answer choice and the stimulus calls both the research laboratories and production plants wasteful.
Answer choice (E) The irrelevant comparison in the opening line once again appears. The stimulus does not need to establish their similarity because the comparison is irrelevant to the conclusion of the argument.
