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- Mon Jul 17, 2017 4:15 pm
#37367
Complete Question Explanation
Parallel Reasoning—PR. The correct answer choice is (C)
The author cautions cardholders against skipping payments on their credit cards, even if they are
allowed to do so. This is because finance charges accumulate during the skipped-payment period,
which costs cardholders more in the long run. This question stem asks us to identify an answer
choice that illustrates this principle. The first step, then, is to produce an abstraction of the principle
in the argument. The abstraction should be broad and not reference finance charges or skipped
payments because the principle will have to be applied to new situations that likely will not be about
credit cards. A good abstraction of the principle underlying the argument would be: since the longterm
costs of certain actions outweigh their immediate benefits, pursuing such actions is unwise.
Answer choice (A): This answer choice may seem attractive, because the disadvantages of a
particular course of action (in this case, insecticide use) are said to outweigh its advantages.
However, since the argument does not weigh short-term benefits against long-term risks, this answer
choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (B): This answer choice does not parallel the principle underlying the stimulus.
Rather than cautioning against a particular course of action, this answer choice advocates increasing
base salary of new employees because the benefits of such an increase would outweigh the costs.
This reverses the argument contained in the stimulus.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. Since the long-term cost of road
maintenance outweighs the immediate benefit of building new roads, the author argues that using
highway maintenance funds for such construction is unwise. This line of reasoning is analogous to
that contained in the stimulus.
Answer choice (D): This is the Opposite answer. The stimulus warns against pursuing a course of
action whose long-term costs outweigh its immediate benefits, not an action whose initial costs
outweigh the long-term benefits.
Answer choice (E): This answer choice promotes a principle wherein practical considerations
outweigh less practical ones. This is markedly different from the principle contained in the stimulus.
Parallel Reasoning—PR. The correct answer choice is (C)
The author cautions cardholders against skipping payments on their credit cards, even if they are
allowed to do so. This is because finance charges accumulate during the skipped-payment period,
which costs cardholders more in the long run. This question stem asks us to identify an answer
choice that illustrates this principle. The first step, then, is to produce an abstraction of the principle
in the argument. The abstraction should be broad and not reference finance charges or skipped
payments because the principle will have to be applied to new situations that likely will not be about
credit cards. A good abstraction of the principle underlying the argument would be: since the longterm
costs of certain actions outweigh their immediate benefits, pursuing such actions is unwise.
Answer choice (A): This answer choice may seem attractive, because the disadvantages of a
particular course of action (in this case, insecticide use) are said to outweigh its advantages.
However, since the argument does not weigh short-term benefits against long-term risks, this answer
choice is incorrect.
Answer choice (B): This answer choice does not parallel the principle underlying the stimulus.
Rather than cautioning against a particular course of action, this answer choice advocates increasing
base salary of new employees because the benefits of such an increase would outweigh the costs.
This reverses the argument contained in the stimulus.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice. Since the long-term cost of road
maintenance outweighs the immediate benefit of building new roads, the author argues that using
highway maintenance funds for such construction is unwise. This line of reasoning is analogous to
that contained in the stimulus.
Answer choice (D): This is the Opposite answer. The stimulus warns against pursuing a course of
action whose long-term costs outweigh its immediate benefits, not an action whose initial costs
outweigh the long-term benefits.
Answer choice (E): This answer choice promotes a principle wherein practical considerations
outweigh less practical ones. This is markedly different from the principle contained in the stimulus.