Supervisor: If Johnson were secretly interviewing for another job, he would call in sick in order to provide an excuse for not being at work. Johnson did call in sick. So he must be secretly interviewing for another job.The supervisor's argument commits which one of the following errors of reasoning?
Answer(s): D
The argument treats one possible explanation for Johnson calling in sick (interviewing for another job) as though it is the only possible explanation, ignoring alternative reasons such as genuine illness.
Resourceful thieves can break Breakproof's supposedly unbreakable bicycle locks. But using one of Breakproof's bicycle locks will nevertheless stop your bicycle from being stolen so long as other bicycles are in the vicinity. When looking to steal a bicycle, thieves will always go for the bicycle that is easiest to steal.Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument relies?
Answer(s): E
The argument assumes that a bicycle locked with a Breakproof lock will never be the easiest to steal when other bicycles are in the vicinity. This ensures that thieves will target other bicycles, supporting the claim that using a Breakproof lock will prevent theft.
The Loch Ness Monster is claimed to be a dinosaur-like creature inhabiting Loch Ness, a lake in Scotland. According to those who claim to have seen it, it resembles a plesiosaur, an aquatic reptile that has been extinct for 65 million years. But the lake is too cold and small to support a plesiosaur, which lived in tropical climates and consumed large amounts of fish. Thus, the Loch Ness Monster cannot possibly be real.The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument presumes, without providing justification, that
Answer(s): A
The argument assumes, without justification, that the Loch Ness Monster would have the same physical needs as a plesiosaur merely because it resembles one. This assumption underpins the conclusion that the lake is unsuitable for such a creature and thus the monster cannot exist.
Widespread use of neonicotinoid pesticides on canola plants began in 2002 in England. Since that time, populations across all species of wild bees there have declined significantly. So the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on canola plants has probably contributed to these declines in wild bee populations.Which one of the following, if true in England, most strengthens the argument?
Answer(s): B
The argument is strengthened by evidence that species of wild bees that forage on canola plants, which are treated with neonicotinoid pesticides, have experienced much larger population declines than species that do not forage on those plants. This suggests a direct link between the pesticide use and the bee population declines.
Legislator: We should reject new legislation that makes it illegal to operate a drone in a way that delays an emergency vehicle. Obviously drones should not be used in ways that delay emergency vehicles, but we already have a law that makes it illegal to delay emergency vehicles.Which one of the following principles, if valid, most strongly supports the legislator's reasoning?
The legislator's reasoning is supported by the principle that legislatures should avoid making redundant laws.The argument rests on the claim that the proposed law is unnecessary because an existing law already addresses the issue.
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