Logical reasoning PrepTest 107 · Section 3 · Question 16

Incorrect. This argument is conditional ("only when"), not causal. Even if we view the relationship in the stimulus as conditional, the second premise there established the negation of the necessary condition, whereas here it uses the necessary condition to justify the sufficient—an illegal reversal not present in the stimulus.

Incorrect. There's only a single premise here, and it's not causal at all, so we can rule this answer out.

Incorrect. This argument has a very weak opening correlation ("In . . . many have . . . "), and the second premise jumps to a comparable group, not the one in the initial premise, so there isn't much in this answer that's shared with the stimulus.

Incorrect. The opening line here is the conclusion, and it's not certain ("probably") as the stimulus is ("will not"), so we can eliminate this answer.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Valid

Question Type:
Parallel Reasoning

Stimulus Summary:
Allow more steel imports would cause domestic steel makers harm
The current government won't harm domestic steel manufacturers
Therefore - The current government

Answer Anticipation:
This argument starts with a causal relationship ("would depress")—allowing more steel imports will cause harm to domestic producers. It then establishes that a group wouldn't allow that effect—the harm—to take place, and it concludes that the group therefore won't bring the cause about.

Let's find an answer that has a similar structure:
An action will have an effect, and a group won't let that effect happen, so they won't engage in the action.

Answer Explanation:
An action (installing bright floodlights) will have an effect (render the telescope useless). A group (the astronomy department) won't support something that has that effect, so they won't support the action that will bring it about. This answer follows the same pattern of reasoning as the stimulus, so it's the correct answer.

Key Takeaway:
There's an important distinction between causal and conditional statements, and it's particularly important in Parallel Reasoning questions. If the stimulus is causal, don't fall for conditional answers!