PrepTest 154

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Argument Structure

Stimulus Summary:
Since home insurance is a good idea and NEO research is done for the same reason that people buy home insurance, NEO research should be funded.

Answer Anticipation:
A situation that is compared to a different one to show that similar conclusions should be drawn? That sounds like an analogy to me! Let's find an answer that says the home insurance section of the argument is an analogy meant to justify the conclusion.

Answer Explanation:
This answer has the magic word—analogy—so we should consider it (don't just blindly accept it). The home insurance situation is, overall, the analogy, and the premise that it makes good financial sense ties it back to the conclusion about whether the NEO research program similarly makes financial sense, making this our answer.

Key Takeaway:
In general, when an argument falls into a common pattern in an early question type, you can feel pretty comfortable that only one answer will address that pattern. Multiple answers that talk about the same concepts is a trap generally reserved for harder questions. Still, here, seeing (A) mention an analogy should not have led you to immediately select the answer. Matching an anticipated concept is enough to dive into the answer choice, not blindly select it!

Incorrect. The argument is about research funding for NEOs, so the conclusion won't be about a different topic!

Incorrect. The statement in question doesn't define "insurance," "fiscal," or "sense"—really, anything at all!

Incorrect. The point of an analogy is to be similar to the initial situation, not to provide a contrast to it.

Incorrect. The argument doesn't provide any support that home insurance makes fiscal sense—it's a premise that serves as an analogy to prove the conclusion about the NEO research program.