Logical reasoning PrepTest 143 · Section 1 · Question 13

Incorrect. It's rare that a Must Be True question will have a hypothetical answer ("If the recent observations had been made . . . "), and this question isn't an exception. There's no information that would justify a conclusion about what would have happened in a separate case.

Incorrect. This answer is too strong. While the recent observations don't prove the initial ones are false, they aren't shown to actually prove the initial ones, either. Selecting this answer would see you falling for an absence of evidence flaw.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Must Be True

Stimulus Summary:
Earlier reports Ð There's a comet reservoir out in our solar system
New reports Ð Fail to confirm this
Prof. Burns's conclusion Ð Earlier reports are wrong
Rebuttal Ð The new reports were under poor conditions

Answer Anticipation:
While this is a Must Be True question, the stimulus has all the hallmarks of a full argument. We are given background (the earlier reports and the new ones), an opposing point (Prof. Burns), and a pivot to rebuttal evidence. The only thing we're missing is Dr. Khan's conclusion!

Here, it's clear that he believes Prof. Burns is basing her conclusion on evidence that isn't strong enough to support it. He pivots ("But") and calls the strength of the evidence into question. While normally we shouldn't draw a conclusion from this, the question asks us to find an answer that's only "most supported" by the stimulus—a bit weaker than the normal question. As such, the correct answer will probably reflect Khan's strongly implied belief that Burns's conclusion isn't warranted by the recent evidence.

Answer Explanation:
While Dr. Khan never directly states that Prof. Burns is incorrect, he brings up the poor conditions as part of a rebuttal ("But . . . ") to her claims, thus supporting that he believes she's incorrect. While this answer normally wouldn't fly, this is a "most supported" question—a rare Must Be True variation where the bar to a correct answer is a little lower.

Key Takeaway:
Normally, we shouldn't read a conclusion into an argument where one isn't written. However, when a viewpoint is rebutted by the author of an argument ("But . . . "), it's implied that the author disagrees with that viewpoint in some key way. We've seen this play out in Point at Issue questions before, and now we've seen it in a Must Be True question, albeit a "most supported" one.

Incorrect. There's no way to know what would have happened under good conditions.

Incorrect. This answer is too extreme in calling those results "worthless"—while Dr. Khan may discount their value, he may believe there is some value to them.