LR Question 6 Explanation
QUESTION TEXT: Of the many test pilots who have flown the new plane…
QUESTION TYPE: Parallel Reasoning
CONCLUSION: Tomorrow’s test pilot probably won’t find it hard to operate the plane.
REASONING: None of the previous test pilots found it hard to operate the plane, and there have been many test pilots.
ANALYSIS: This is a good argument. The conclusion sticks to probability. The past can’t guarantee the future, but it can show us what’s probable.
To parallel the argument, look for a statement about the past, and a conclusion that’s merely probable.
___________
- This switches between book reviewers and average readers. The original was comparing the same group: test pilots. This also switches between “well written” and “enjoy”. A well written book might not be enjoyable! (e.g. If the book were on a dull subject.)
- As with A, this answer switches between reviewers and “people who buy the book”. Reviewers may have different tastes than normal readers. The stimulus stuck to test pilots.
- The stimulus mentioned many test pilots. This just gives evidence about two reviewers. If this had said “none of the many reviewers”, then this would have been correct.
- CORRECT. This matches. All of the many reviewers disliked the book. So it is probable that the next reviewer will dislike it.
This answer did use different wording. It said: “Many…have read….but none….enjoyed”. However, this sentence is logically equivalent to saying “of the many who flew….none found it difficult to operate”. - This is a bad argument. We don’t know how many reviewers there were. Also, the general public is large. A small minority of people are easily offended. So most books probably offend someone, even if 100 reviewers would find nothing offensive.
The stimulus only made a conclusion about the next test pilot. They didn’t say “it’s unlikely any test pilot will find this difficult to operate.”
More Resources for Parallel Reasoning Questions
- Conditional Reasoning Article: Learn about conditional statements.
- LR Diagrams Guide: Learn how to draw LR diagrams.
- Intro Course lesson: This intro course lesson covers Parallel Reasoning questions.
- Mastery Seminar lesson: This LR Mastery seminar lesson covers parallel reasoning questions.
Hi,
You explanations are excellent. However, I believe that your explanation for answer choice C is wrong or at least not complete. Neither of the two reviewers “who enjoyed” Sharlene Lo’s new novel – hoped she would write a sequel. So it qualifies these reviewers as having enjoyed the novel – it then bases its prediction on this qualified set which is of course nonsense.
I don’t believe the prediction is based on the qualified set though. It’s like if I said: “No one who voted for Johnson will vote for Jackson. So, Johnson will win”. I’ve completely ignored how many people voted for Jackson! The author hasn’t said the reviews must come from one of the two reviewers who did enjoy the book. A reviewer who didn’t enjoy the book could be publishing the review.
Note: This is an old comment but I wanted to clarify the point.