Logical reasoning PrepTest 118 · Section 3 · Question 11

Incorrect. It doesn't matter if everyone is equally content to each other with the present configuration of fingers; it matters if each person would be equally content with having six.

Incorrect. This answer is the inverse of what we're looking for. However since the argument is about two finger configurations with equivalent usefulness this answer is out of scope.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Strengthen

Stimulus Summary:
Humans have five fingers because they descended from a fish with five pre—fingers. Six fingers would be equally useful, so people would be just as happy with six.

Answer Anticipation:
What a weird argument! However, we shouldn't care if an argument is weird or not—we should worry if it's valid.

Here, the conclusion is that people would be just as happy with six fingers as with five. Why is that? Because having six fingers is no more or less useful" than having five. However there's no indication that equal usefulness means equal satisfaction. Maybe the aesthetics would be different thus leading to less contentment despite having the same usefulness! Any answer connecting usefulness to contentment here will strengthen the argument.

Answer Explanation:
This answer connects the premise to the conclusion. Having six fingers is equally useful as having five fingers. If people are always equally content with things that are equally useful then they'd be equally content with six fingers justifying the conclusion.

Key Takeaway:
This argument uses a lot of language of equivalency—"no more or less useful"; "just as content." Such language is very specific and thus generally plays into the logic of an argument and the correct answer.

Incorrect. This answer more or less restates the premise discussing the equal usefulness of several configurations, so it doesn't add anything to the argument.

Incorrect. The discussion about descending from a species with six phalanges is a hypothetical, and the argument doesn't treat it as a legitimate possibility. so there being a real fish with such a configuration does nothing for the argument.