Logical reasoning PrepTest 102 · Section 2 · Question 2

Incorrect. Beth, here, has attempted to find bugs. Additionally, this argument assumes that there are bugs to be found! That's a different assumption/argument, so this answer is incorrect.

Incorrect. This answer talks about hoping to find someone else, whereas the stimulus concludes that no one will apply for the job. That's a fundamentally different conclusion, so we can eliminate this answer.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Flawed Parallel Reasoning

Stimulus Summary:
Josh wants the job more than anyone, but he's not applying, so no one will.

Answer Anticipation:
It can be a little hard to spot the specific flaw in this stimulus, but it should be more straightforward for you to spot the relevant language here. That language is very strong, and it compares Joshua to others.

What do we learn about Joshua? He wants this job more than anyone else. We also learn that he's not going to apply for it. From this, the argument concludes that no one will apply for the job, even if the salary is quite high.

So the argument is assuming that if the person who wants the job the most isn't applying for it, then no one will. Let's look for an answer that similarly establishes one person who wants something the most, says they're not going to opt for that thing, and then concludes that no one will.

Answer Explanation:
This answer starts by establishing that Manfred wants a plot of land more than anyone else ("has the strongest motive of anyone"). It then establishes that he's not going to buy the land before concluding that no one will buy the land, no matter how low the price goes. In other words, it establishes one person who wants something the most, says they're not going to opt for that thing, and then concludes that no one will. It's the same flawed logic as the stimulus, so this is the correct answer.

Key Takeaway:
Identifying key language in an argument can be a great way to quickly home in on the problems with the logic in it!

Incorrect. First, this answer has a timeline element to it in discussing the person who "initially" was most interested in the contract. Second, it concludes that others will "redouble their efforts," not that no one will get the contract.

Incorrect. This answer is missing most of the elements from the stimulus. It doesn't establish that Paul was most interested in the vacation package, nor that no one else ended up taking advantage of it.