Logical reasoning PrepTest 103 · Section 3 · Question 7

Question prompt

Lack of exercise produces Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: E

The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.

Argument or Facts

Facts

Valid or Flawed

NA

Question Type

Argument Completion Questions

Stimulus Summary

Exercise - Not doing it has similar effects to aging; doing it can slow aging down
Drug - None have any promise of slowing aging down
Therefore - __________

Answer Anticipation

Argument Completion questions come in two forms. In one, an argument is presented with a missing premise, and it’s our job to find an answer that completes the argument (which is akin to a Strengthen with Sufficient/Necessary Premise question). The other presents information, and then asks us to complete the argument with a conclusion - that’s what we have here, and it’s akin to a Must be True question.
When dealing with this variation of an Argument Completion question, we generally look for the same information in the stimulus, but we also anticipate an answer that brings everything together.
Here, the stimulus discusses two different potential “solutions” to aging - exercise, and drugs. Exercise is established as affecting the speed of aging, but “no drug” holds “any” promise for having a similar effect. That’s a pretty strong note that drugs aren’t the thing to look to for slowing down the aging process.
We should, thus, anticipate an answer bringing this together, and the premises give us enough information to compare exercise and drugs. As far as slowing down the aging process is concerned, exercise seems like a better thing to focus on than drugs. Let’s find an answer reflecting that.

Answer choices

  1. A
    taking drugs has the Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    This comparison isn’t supported. While it is established that a lack of exercise has similar effects on the body as aging, that doesn’t say anything about the effect on aging of a lack of exercise.

  2. B
    people who do not Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    The stimulus is about aging, not health, so this answer is out of scope. It also talks about “need[ing]” drugs to sustain health, and the only information we learn about drugs in the stimulus is that they aren’t effective in a given way.

  3. C
    appropriate exercise can prevent Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    This answer is too strong in saying that exercise can “prevent” the physical changes of aging - the stimulus establishes only that exercise can slow down these changes. This answer also doesn’t discuss drugs at all.

  4. D
    people who do not Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    There’s no discussion of exercising when young vs. old, so this answer is out of scope. It also doesn’t discuss drugs at all.

  5. E
    if the physical changes Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E matches the stem
    This answer brings up the comparison that we anticipated. Exercise can slow down the effects of aging, but no drug shows any promise of doing the same. As such, if you want to slow down the effects of aging, exercise is a more practical route to go down than drugs, as this answer states.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 8%
  2. B 1%
  3. C 10%
  4. D 1%
  5. E Credited 80%

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