Logical reasoning PrepTest 151 · Section 3 · Question 17

Incorrect. The argument isn't about the feasibility of raising more fish in experimental hatcheries, so this answer is out of scope. If the argument were about expanding this practice to more fisheries, this answer would warrant more consideration.

Incorrect. The release environment can affect the survival rate, as long as experimentally raised fish released in a given environment out-survive the fish raised in the traditional hatcheries.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Strengthen with Necessary Premise

Stimulus Summary:
Fish raised in experimental, stimulating hatcheries are bolder in exploring and eating than fish raised in dull, traditional hatcheries. Therefore, the former fish are more likely to survive.

Answer Anticipation:
This argument jumps from being bold to being more likely to survive. There's no evidence that this is true. In fact, one could make an argument that a fish that loves exploring is more likely to end up a bigger fish's food, even if fish are friends, not food.

Answer Explanation:
This answer connects survival to boldness in foraging. If no fish from the traditional hatcheries dies because it's not bold in finding food, then the conclusion doesn't hold. It's the correct answer.

Key Takeaway:
Strip arguments down to their key premises and conclusion, and it's generally a lot easier to spot the gap. Here, a lot of words in the stimulus could be broken down to, "Bolder, therefore more likely to survive," which is much easier to analyze.

Incorrect. This answer is tempting, but there's a subtle shift here. The stimulus talks about trying new types of food, whereas this answer talks about a variety of food. It's possible the fish already eat a variety of food, it's just an even wider variety for the experimental-hatchery fish.

Incorrect. The hatchery doesn't have to match the wild in order to prepare fish to survive better in it. Even if a dull hatchery is more representative of the wild, a stimulating hatchery might lead to better survival.