Logical reasoning PrepTest 135 · Section 1 · Question 24

Question prompt

Editorial: One of our Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: C

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

Principle Questions / Strengthen Questions

Stimulus Summary

Critics - The local coverage of the politician’s nephew’s personal problems was inappropriate
Editorial - The info was accurate and ratings were up because people are curious about it, so it was good journalism.

Answer Anticipation

Principle (Strengthen) questions task us with justifying the judgment in the conclusion based on the details in the premises.
Here, the conclusion is that coverage of someone’s personal problems was “good journalism.” That’s based on the reporting being accurate and the ratings being up (showing that people were interested in the information). The correct answer, then, should connect those:
If reporting is accurate and/or people are interested in it, then it’s good journalism.

Answer choices

  1. A
    Journalism deserves to be Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    The Editorial’s conclusion is that certain journalism was good journalism, not that it deserved criticism.
  2. B
    Any journalism that intentionally Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    This answer is essentially the negation of what we’re looking for - the argument treats accuracy as justifying a conclusion of “good journalism,” not inaccuracy justifying the opposite conclusion.
  3. C
    Any journalism that provides Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C matches the stem
    This answer connects the premises of the argument to the conclusion. The coverage of the politician’s nephew’s personal problems was accurate and popular, and this answer establishes that as enough to warrant that journalism being called good journalism.
  4. D
    Good journalism will always Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    This answer is tempting! However, it reverses the principle we need. The argument assumes that journalism that gives people what they want is good journalism, and this answer guarantees that good journalism gives people what they want.
  5. E
    Journalism that neither satisfies Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    This answer is a negation of what we’re looking for, justifying a conclusion that journalism isn’t good instead of that it is.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 2%
  2. B 2%
  3. C Credited 86%
  4. D 3%
  5. E 6%

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