Logical reasoning PrepTest 150 · Section 3 · Question 13

Incorrect. H agrees with this statement explicitly. However, M doesn't talk about the specific situation in H's argument, so we don't know if she'd agree with this answer.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Point at Issue

Stimulus Summary:
H: Strikes should generally be allowed, but not university faculty, because it would hurt students, and I believe strikes shouldn't be allowed if it would hurt customers.

M: If that's your standard, then strikes should almost never be allowed.

Answer Anticipation:
M doesn't make an argument of her own, instead point out a contradiction in H's argument. That can make it hard to see where they disagree. However, since M points out a contradiction, and H presumably believes that his argument isn't contradictory (people tend to try to not contradict themselves), they disagree over either the logic of H's argument, or a premise.

Answer Explanation:
In order for H's principle to lead to the conclusion that most strikes should not be allowed, one would have to believe that most strikes harm the employer's customers. This commits M to believing this answer to be true. The opposite is the case for H—he must believe that most strikes don't harm the employer's customers to reach his conclusion that most strikes should be legally permitted, based on the principle he believes.

Key Takeaway:
In a Point at Issue question, when the second speaker starts their rebuttal with an If, it means that we're getting a hypothetical argument, not one that the speaker necessarily agrees with. Be careful on answers that are based on facts instead of on an analysis of the initial speaker's argument.

Incorrect. H disagrees with this statement, but we can't be sure if M agrees with it. Her statements are based on "if" H's principle is true, but she never states whether she accepts it as true.

Incorrect. This answer is a bit tricky, since H states this, and M says something that sounds like she disagrees with this answer. However, M's statement is what she believes H must believe based on his premises, so it doesn't necessarily reflect her own beliefs.

Incorrect. H states this, but M never weighs in on the specific situation mentioned by H, so we don't know if she'd disagree with this.