PrepTest 77, Section 2, Question 5

Difficulty:

A person's personality is linked to that person's genes. And since a person's genes do not ordinarily change over time, it follows that a person's personality remains unchanged with the passing of time.

Question

Which one of the following is most closely parallel in its reasoning to the flawed reasoning in the argument above?

The way historians understand the First World War is related to what happened in that war. But what actually happened in that war cannot change. Therefore, historians' understanding of the war cannot change.

Market forces are to some degree influenced by governmental actions. Hence, a change in the government's policies could result in a change in the economy.

It is well known that some diseases have genetic causes. Therefore, it should be possible to prevent such diseases by manipulating the genes that cause them.

Getting regular exercise over a long period contributes to the prevention of heart disease. Therefore, getting regular exercise over a short period contributes slightly to the prevention of heart disease.

The levels of certain hormones control body temperature. Therefore, if one has a high fever, the levels of one's hormones must be elevated as well.

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