Logical reasoning PrepTest 105 · Section 2 · Question 1

Question prompt

French divers recently found Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: B

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

Must Be True Questions

Stimulus Summary

There’s a cave completely underwater that has stalagmites that formed from water dripping on the cave floor.

Answer Anticipation

This stimulus is almost a Paradox question, in that it brings up a stalagmite that must have formed when this underwater cave wasn’t underwater. After all, the stalagmite was formed by water dripping from the ceiling to a single spot on the cave floor - not something that can happen when the cave is full of water! As such, the only way that could have happened is if, at some point in the past, the cave wasn’t filled with water. Let’s find an answer stating that.

Answer choices

  1. A
    The Mediterranean Sea was Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    The Mediterranean Sea’s current level places the cave underwater, and we know that it was not underwater in the past. As such, if anything, we can infer that the Mediterranean Sea was at a lower level in the past, not a higher level.
  2. B
    The water level within Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B matches the stem
    When the stalagmite formed, the cave must not have been underwater, so the water level in the cave now when it’s filled must be higher than when it wasn’t filled. This answer is therefore correct.
  3. C
    The French divers were Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    The French divers found the cave while diving, but it doesn’t say they discovered it, nor that no one had ever been in it before, so this answer is incorrect.
  4. D
    There was once an Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    There’s no evidence suggesting another way to get into the cave ever existed.
  5. E
    Seawater in the Mediterranean Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    There’s no way to know the relative mineral content, as all we know is that the water had minerals in it when the stalagmite formed.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 8%
  2. B Credited 80%
  3. C 2%
  4. D 3%
  5. E 6%

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