#3 - Harry: Airlines have made it possible for anyone to

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Must be True. The correct answer choice is (E)

Harry states that airline travel makes it possible for anyone to travel around the world in less time than formerly possible.

Judith replies that since many people cannot afford many flights, Harry is incorrect.

Judith replies as if Harry is discussing an actual ability rather than a potential. Since you are asked to identify how Judith interprets Harry's remarks, you should focus on the fact that Judith presumes that Harry believes that simply because everyone has the abstract capability to now travel the world in less time than formerly possible, everyone has the realized ability to do so.

Answer choice (A): Judith does not presume that Harry thinks that the majority of people are rich; if she thought that, her objection would not be appropriate. This choice is wrong.

Answer choice (B): Neither Harry nor Judith are definitely interested in whether world-travel is a right; they only discuss whether it is possible for all. This choice is wrong.

Answer choice (C): Harry and Judith are discussing whether because of air travel all may now travel the globe more quickly, not whether other forms of transportation are available, so this response is incorrect.

Answer choice (D): Judith and Harry discussed air travel, not most forms of transportation, so there is no reason to think that either of the two has an opinion on the cost of non-airline travel. Furthermore, you should not try to justify this choice by assuming that airline travel is more expensive than other forms, because it need not be so (and in fact it often is not). This choice is wrong.

Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer choice. Judith seems to assume that Harry must mean that everyone possesses the immediate ability (access, money, etc.) to utilize airlines for world travel, even though Harry might have simply meant that everyone possesses the capability (the reasonable possibility of eventual access, money, etc.) to obtain such airline travel.

[min_223]

Is this a Method of Reasoning question?
Why is answer choice B incorrect?
And why is answer choice E the correct one if Harry didn't mention affordability?

[Steve Stein]

That's a good question--part of the challenge is breaking down the convoluted language of the question stem itself (a Must Be True question stem). Let's start from the beginning:

Harry: "Thanks to airlines, anyone can now fly around the world in less time than it used to take." When Harry says "anyone can," he is referring to the fact that the technology is available.

Judith: "That's not true--tickets are too expensive for many people." Judith has misunderstood; she thinks that Harry meant anyone can afford it. Again, what he really meant was that we have access to that technology.

The question basically asks how Judith has misunderstood Harry. When he was talking about access to the technology, she thought he was saying that anyone can afford it. That's what answer choice E provides.

I hope that's helpful! Let me know whether everything's clear--thanks!

~Steve

[reop6780]

When it comes to these kinds having two views, I am personally frustrated which one of the view is asked. Since, the question says, "Judith's response shows that she interprets Harry's statement to imply that," I assumed I ought to look for Judith's perspective.

However, with the correct answer E, it is clear that the question asks Harry's view.

Can I just regard this question same as "disagreement" type?
- because the correct answer is supported by only one of the two.

I got this question wrong by choosing C only because nothing else reflected Judith's view.

Thank you

Hyun Kim

[David Boyle]

On page 31, question number 36, the answer is E.

When it comes to these kinds having two views, I am personally frustrated which one of the view is asked. Since, the question says, "Judith's response shows that she interprets Harry's statement to imply that," I assumed I ought to look for Judith's perspective.

However, with the correct answer E, it is clear that the question asks Harry's view.

Can I just regard this question same as "disagreement" type?
- because the correct answer is supported by only one of the two.

I got this question wrong by choosing C only because nothing else reflected Judith's view.

Thank you

Hyun Kim

Dear Hyun:

You have to look at both of the views, in that it's Judith's interpretation of Harry's view. (By the way, I'm not sure C reflects Judith's view.)
This does look like a "point at issue"/"disagreement" question, since the term "anyone" seems to mean different things to different folks, maybe. Or not, since for all we know, Harry didn't really mean that *anyone* could fly around the world. Maybe Harry knows that plane tickets are expensive. What matters is what Judith thought he said, even though neither she nor he may really believe that some homeless guy on the street is rich enough to buy a round-the-world plane ticket.

David