PrepTest 82, Section 3, Question 1
Rhett: Otto gives me a ride to work every morning and expects me to help pay for fuel. But I shouldn't have to pay. Giving me a ride doesn't increase the amount he spends on fuel, since he has to go right by my house anyway.
Rhett: Otto gives me a ride to work every morning and expects me to help pay for fuel. But I shouldn't have to pay. Giving me a ride doesn't increase the amount he spends on fuel, since he has to go right by my house anyway.
Barbara: By that flawed logic, you would be entitled to the warm air that heats the unused spare room of my house, if you could divert it to your house without increasing my expenses.
Rhett: Otto gives me a ride to work every morning and expects me to help pay for fuel. But I shouldn't have to pay. Giving me a ride doesn't increase the amount he spends on fuel, since he has to go right by my house anyway.
Barbara: By that flawed logic, you would be entitled to the warm air that heats the unused spare room of my house, if you could divert it to your house without increasing my expenses.
Rhett: Otto gives me a ride to work every morning and expects me to help pay for fuel. But I shouldn't have to pay. Giving me a ride doesn't increase the amount he spends on fuel, since he has to go right by my house anyway.
The dialogue provides the most support for the claim that Rhett and Barbara disagree over whether
Otto requires Rhett to help pay for fuel for the ride to work
Rhett should have to help pay Otto's fuel expenses
giving Rhett a ride to work increases Otto's fuel expenses
Rhett is entitled to the warm air that heats Barbara's unused spare room
Rhett could divert to his house the warm air that heats Barbara's unused spare room without increasing her expenses
Explanations
The question asks us to identify Rhett and Barbara's disagreement.
Rhett argues he shouldn't have to pay Otto gas money because it doesn't increase what Otto would otherwise pay for fuel. Barbara disagrees—she thinks Rhett should pay and counters his reasoning by analogy.
That's our prediction: that the two disagree about whether or not Rhett should have to help pay for Otto's fuel.
Let's take a look.
No, they aren't concerned whether Otto needs Rhett to pay for the fuel, only whether or not Rhett should have to contribute.
Bingo. This is the answer. They disagree about whether or not Rhett should have to pony up the gas money.
Nope. If anything, they probably agree that giving Rhett the ride doesn't materially increase Otto's costs.
Nah, this is just the analogy Barbara uses to poke at Rhett's flawed reasoning.
No, similar to D, this point isn't at issue. This just reflects the hypothetical scenario Barbara draws out to demonstrate Rhett's flawed reasoning.
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