Logical reasoning PrepTest 144 · Section 4 · Question 17

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Must Be True

Stimulus Summary:
Ostrich farming start-up: 2 pairs of yearlings and 1 acre
Cattle farming start-up: Large herd of cows, 1 bull, 2 acres/cow
Comparisons:

Ostriches reproduce faster than cows
Ostrich farming has higher start-up costs
Ostrich farming can make up to 5x what cattle farming does

Answer Anticipation:
The stimulus brings up many points of comparison between ostrich farming and cattle farming. Since there are so many, it's hard to anticipate a specific answer, so we should make sure that we clearly understand each point of comparison and head to the answers ASAP so we can check the details against the stimulus. Some of our instructors like to make a grid with the various points of comparison, but you should do whatever works best for you to keep track of all the information.

Answer Explanation:
Start-up costs for ostrich farming are higher than for cattle farming. Cattle farming requires more land, which means that the land costs are higher. Therefore, the other start-up costs of ostrich farming must be higher compared to the other start-up costs for cattle farming. Those costs are the animals listed here, so this comparison is supported.

Key Takeaway:
When a Must Be True question has a stimulus that brings up comparison after comparison, keep track of what's being compared and then head to the answer choices. It's going to be hard to anticipate an answer, and you'll need the extra time to compare the details from each answer to the stimulus. However, heading to the answers knowing what elements are being compared—in other words, what's in scope—should help you limit yourself to considering only the answers that were involved in the discussion of the stimulus.

Incorrect. While cattle ranching might not provide as much income as ostrich ranching, it could still be a good source of income.

Incorrect. There's no discussion of feed (or operating costs) in the stimulus, so this answer is out of scope.

Incorrect. While the stimulus notes that ostrich farming can bring in "as much as" 5x what cattle ranching does, there's no indication that this is the average.

Incorrect. While start-up costs may be higher than in cattle ranching, there's no indication that this leads to a loss during the start-up phase. Maybe if we knew cattle ranchers tended to lose money their first year this would be supported, but there's no such indication.