Logical reasoning PrepTest 120 · Section 1 · Question 4

Incorrect. Aaron states this in his argument, and Belinda implies that she agrees with this in stating that people should know the "damage" caused by their negative behavior.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument/Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed/Flawed

Question Type:
Point at Issue

Stimulus Summary:
A: A judge criticized unprepared famous lawyers for hurting their client's cause. Her remarks were irresponsible.

B: People should be told the effects of their bad behavior, so the judge's criticisms are laudable.

Answer Anticipation:
Both Aaron and Belinda discuss the criticisms levied by a judge against lawyers. They seem to agree on the content of that criticism, and the debate isn't over whether it's fair or true.

Instead, it's over the judgment on this criticism. Aaron believes that the remarks were "irresponsible," whereas Belinda believes that it was "admirable." The answer should reflect these opposed conclusions.

Answer Explanation:
Aaron directly states this answer as his conclusion. Belinda, in calling the criticism "admirable," disagrees with it. This is therefore the point at issue between the two.

Key Takeaway:
Especially when early in the section, Point at Issue questions usually feature two speakers with diverging conclusions. As such, you should start your analysis there—just like you would in almost any argument-based question!

Incorrect. Belinda categorizes the actions in question as negligent, so she agrees with this answer. Aaron only discusses his thoughts on the judge's criticism, not the lawyers's actions, so we don't know his opinion on this answer. We can't infer that he disagrees with the criticism just because it finds it irresponsible—it could be that he agrees with the judge but believes that publicly remarking on the fairness of a trial she's presiding over is irresponsible.

Incorrect. While the judge's remarks are about "famous" lawyers, there's no indication that they have a greater responsibility—this comparison isn't made by either speaker. The judge, Aaron, and Belinda could all believe that all lawyers have an equal responsibility to prep, but it's the famous ones who tend to show up unprepared, hence them specifically being called out.

Incorrect. Belinda agrees with this in calling the judge's reaction "natural." Aaron doesn't weigh in on his thoughts on this, however. He calls the "remarks" irresponsible, not the viewpoint expressed in those remarks. You can agree with remarks while believing that they were made in an irresponsible manner.