PrepTest 115

Incorrect. There's no equivalent to the increase in fees here. The closest that we get is the improved service, but that results in more users, not fewer.

Incorrect. There's no equivalent to a decrease in the number of users here.

Incorrect. To be equivalent, this answer would need to discuss raising road taxes, and then maintenance on the roads. However, it shifts from a fee on roads to maintenance of the mass transit system, so it's not illustrating the same principle.

Incorrect. In this case, there are increases that come from more spending, not decreases based on higher fees.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Illustration (Principle)

Stimulus Summary:
Park user fees maintain the park. More users = more wear.
Conclusion - If fees go up, visitors go down, so even if fewer people visit, maintenance is improved.

Answer Anticipation:
There are multiple types of Illustration (Principle) questions, so we need to know which type this is. Here, we're given a situation. From it, we need to determine the principle that underlies the argument. And then we need to find an answer that brings up a similar situation conforming to the same principle.

The stimulus here is all about an interesting relationship between park wear/maintenance costs, user fees, and the number of users who go to the park. The more users, the more they pay in fees. The more users, the more wear, and thus the higher maintenance costs. So more users both provide more money for park maintenance, but more of a need for maintenance.

Raising fees will increase the money per user, but it could decrease the number of users. However, if the number of users go down, then there's less maintenance needed. The argument concludes that this balance comes out in favor of the park being better maintained—that an increase in fees will lower users, possibly to the point where there's less money for maintenance, but the lowered need for maintenance would outweigh it.

The principle is hard to put into terms, but if we understand the relationship between these three elements (fees, users, maintenance), then we should be able to find the correct answer.

Answer Explanation:
This answer matches up with all the elements in the stimulus. A fee is raised for maintenance of books, and this decreases the number of users and thus the need for book maintenance, allowing for better book maintenance despite decreased money for it. That's the same situation as the raised park fees leading to less need for maintenance and thus better maintenance despite less money for it.

Key Takeaway:
Illustration (Principle) questions can have a lot of moving parts to them. When you're confronted with one that you're having trouble translating into a principle, focus instead on the relationship between key elements. If you can define that, you can find the correct answer.