Logical reasoning PrepTest 144 · Section 3 · Question 1

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Argument Completion

Stimulus Summary:
not Right to approve article → not Hermann grants interview
Editors believe action compromises integrity → Refuse action
Therefore Ð not Interview Hermann

Answer Anticipation:
This Argument Completion question features a conclusion that we have to support with a missing premise, so we should analyze what information is present in support of that conclusion and identify what's missing.

Here, the conclusion is that the magazine won't interview Hermann. There is a premise that establishes when he would refuse to give an interview—if the publication refuses to give him approval of an article before publication.

The stimulus doesn't establish that the editors of the newspaper won't give Hermann such approval. What it does establish is that they won't do anything that they believe compromises their editorial integrity.

So to reach the conclusion, we need to establish that the editors believe that Hermann's requirement will compromise their editorial integrity:

The editors of TGM believe that giving an interviewee approval over an article written compromises editorial integrity.

Answer Explanation:
Added to what we know about the editors from the stimulus, this answer guarantees they won't give Hermann approval over the article generated from an interview with him, which means he won't grant an interview, thus justifying the conclusion here. This answer completes the argument.

Key Takeaway:
Argument Completion questions will either ask you to fill in a conclusion or, as here, fill in a premise. When you're tasked with filling in a premise, identify the conclusion, what support is offered for it, and where the gap is. The correct answer should fill that gap.

Incorrect. Them never having done so before doesn't guarantee they won't in this case. This answer also doesn't address the premise about the editors at all, so it ignores a key portion of the argument.

Incorrect. What other TV stars are willing to do doesn't change Hermann's rule about granting interviews.

Incorrect. Without establishing that requesting these changes is believed by the editors to compromise their editorial integrity, this answer doesn't connect the premises to the conclusion.

Incorrect. He might still grant an interview if they agree to his terms, so this answer doesn't complete the argument.