Logical reasoning PrepTest 141 · Section 4 · Question 16

Incorrect. This answer reverses the established causal relationship, so it's incorrect.

Incorrect. This answer reflects the second sentence, which was said to apply to "some people," not most.

Incorrect. While exercise is noted as being one way to calm one's mind and thus lower stress levels, it doesn't establish it as the primary, only, or best way to do so, so people who don't exercise might still have low stress levels because they, say, meditate.

Incorrect. The stimulus establishes that exercise can help calm one's mind, and calming one's mind can lower stress, which can lower blood pressure. That's an indirect relationship, not a direct one.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Valid or Flawed:
N/A

Question Type:
Must Be True

Stimulus Summary:
Stress causes high blood pressure. For some, being calm lowers stress and blood pressure. For most, exercise calms the mind.

Answer Anticipation:
Causal chains are as much of a valid inference as conditional ones. Here, there are several causal connections drawn, with overlap between them. Chaining them together, we can say:

Exercise calms the mind which lowers stress thereby lowering blood pressure.

Unlike conditional chains, however, we can't take the contrapositive, so the correct answer will likely stake out a portion of this chain (very likely the ends—Exercise can lower blood pressure). We should also be sure to note the "Some people/Most people" of the last two statements, as those quantifiers will likely factor into correct and incorrect answers.

Answer Explanation:
While this answer doesn't use all the premises, it does reflect the causal chain that we developed. Exercise can calm the mind, which is stated as lowering stress, supporting this answer.

Key Takeaway:
Causal relationships can be chained together, but be sure to note that you can't take the contrapositive, and the ensuing relationships are indirect.