Logical reasoning PrepTest 135 · Section 1 · Question 1

Question prompt

In a recent study 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

Argument

Valid or Flawed

Flawed

Question Type

Strengthen Questions

Stimulus Summary

Study - 400 heart attack sufferers
Group A - Follow a Mediterranean diet, which is high in fat with veggies, fish, etc...
Group B - Keep following a Western diet but cut down on fat
Results - Group A members were significantly less likely to have a second heart attack
Conclusion - Cutting down on fat isn’t necessary to protect the heart

Answer Anticipation

This opening Strengthen question definitely trades in causality, but the conclusion is a little bit different than we’d expect! While the argument seems to be leading to a conclusion that the Mediterranean diet leads to increased heart health, or that the fats included in it contribute to heart protection, it actually goes in a bit of a flipped direction in concluding eliminating fat isn’t necessary to protecting the heart. However, this is clearly based on believing that the fatty Mediterranean diet is the cause of the lower rate of heart attacks in the group that ate it.

Answer choices

  1. A
    Research has shown that Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    This answer cuts against the conclusion that eliminating fat might not be necessary to protect the heart.
  2. B
    Studies suggest that the Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B matches the stem
    This answer explains how the causality in the stimulus works - how the fats in the Mediterranean diet can help the heart.
  3. C
    The patients who consumed Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    If anything, this suggests an alternative potential cause for the lower heart disease - enjoyment. While we wouldn’t say this weakens the argument, it’s closer to an answer for that question type.
  4. D
    Many people who have Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    There’s no indication that exercise played a role in the study, so this answer is out of scope.
  5. E
    Some cardiologists believe that Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    The ability to enhance the benefits of a given treatment doesn’t strengthen an argument about how that causality works unless it directly deals with the factors in the stimulus. Since blood cholesterol levels aren’t mentioned, we can eliminate this answer.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 3%
  2. B Credited 93%
  3. C 1%
  4. D 2%
  5. E 1%

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