PrepTest 119

Incorrect. They both are using "observed" in its normal sense, so there's no ambiguity present or pointed out.

Incorrect. Sue doesn't point out that two of Anne's statements contradict each other—she brings in a new consideration.

Incorrect. Anne doesn't mention anything about how frequently people are observing comets so far from the sun, so Sue's statement on that frequency doesn't address any of Anne's evidence, let alone contradict it.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument/Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed/Flawed

Question Type:
Methods of Reasoning

Stimulus Summary:
A: Halley's Comet flared brightly while far from the sun, which has never been seen before, so it must be rare.

S: People usually don't look at comets far from the sun, so it's probably not that rare.

Answer Anticipation:
When a Methods of Reasoning question asks about a rebuttal, it's important to think about a few things. First, does the second speaker think the first speaker's conclusion is wrong, unproven, or right but for the wrong reasons—the first two are much more common. If the second speaker debates the conclusion, does she do so by questioning the first speaker's premises, assumptions, logic, or by bringing in new considerations.

Here, Sue concludes that Anne's conclusion is wrong—it is, in fact, nonsense. She doesn't question any of her premises, however. She seems to accept that Halley's Comet is far from the sun, it was seen flaring brightly, and no one has seen that before on a comet so far from the sun. However, she brings in a new consideration—that usually no one is looking at comets so far away from the sun.

So we should look for an answer stating that Sue challenges Anne's argument by bringing in a new consideration that leads to a different explanation for the phenomenon—it's not that flares are rare that far from the sun, it's that people generally aren't looking for them.

Answer Explanation:
Sue brings up other evidence that leads to an alternative explanation for the evidence Anne cites that no comet has ever been seen to flare so far from the sun before—that usually no one is looking, so of course no one has ever seen it.

Key Takeaway:
When a Methods of Reasoning question asks about a rebuttal, it's important to think about a few things. First, does the second speaker think the first speaker's conclusion is wrong, unproven, or right but for the wrong reasons—the first two are much more common. If the second speaker debates the conclusion, does she do so by questioning the first speaker's premises, assumptions, logic, or by bringing in new considerations.

This was an example of the second speaker arguing that the first speaker's conclusion was wrong based on bringing in new considerations.

Incorrect. Sue thinks Anne's conclusion is [n]onsense, so she definitely doesn't agree with it.