PrepTest 83, Section 3, Question 26
Decreased reliance on fossil fuels is required if global warming is to be halted. The current reliance would decrease if economic incentives to develop alternative energy sources were present. So ending global warming requires offering economic incentives to develop alternative energy sources.
Decreased reliance on fossil fuels is required if global warming is to be halted. The current reliance would decrease if economic incentives to develop alternative energy sources were present. So ending global warming requires offering economic incentives to develop alternative energy sources.
Decreased reliance on fossil fuels is required if global warming is to be halted. The current reliance would decrease if economic incentives to develop alternative energy sources were present. So ending global warming requires offering economic incentives to develop alternative energy sources.
Decreased reliance on fossil fuels is required if global warming is to be halted. The current reliance would decrease if economic incentives to develop alternative energy sources were present. So ending global warming requires offering economic incentives to develop alternative energy sources.
The flawed pattern of reasoning exhibited by the argument above most closely parallels that exhibited by which one of the following?
If we end poverty we will end hunger. Ending unemployment will end poverty. So ending unemployment will end hunger.
Daily exercise guarantees good health. Good health ensures a happy life. So daily exercise is required for good health.
Going to college is required for getting a professional job. Graduating from high school is necessary for going to college. So graduating from high school is necessary for getting a professional job.
Keeping good teachers is necessary for improving education. If teachers' salaries were improved, good teachers would remain in the profession. So an increase in teachers' salaries is necessary to improve education.
Preventing abuse of prescription drugs requires expanding drug education efforts. Increased cooperation between schools and law enforcement agencies is needed if drug education efforts are to be expanded. So, if cooperation between law enforcement and schools increases, the abuse of prescription drugs will be prevented.
Explanations
Success on Parallel and Parallel Flaw comes down to identifying argument parts and how they interact. Let's break down this argument.
First, we have a conditional premise. Rephrased, it means that if global warming is to be halted, then we must decrease reliance on fossil fuels.
Next, we have another conditional premise. Rephrased, it means that if economic incentives to develop energy alternatives were present, then current reliance on fossil fuels would decrease.
Note that each of these conditions has a similar necessary condition, but not the same necessary condition. Before reading the conclusion, we know that if we had economic incentives to develop energy alternatives, we'd decrease current reliance on fossil fuels, which would meet the necessary condition presented in the first sentence. But that only means we then could halt global warming, not that we would—we'd have met a prerequisite condition, but we wouldn't have ensured it.
Finally, the author concludes ending global warming requires offering these economic incentives. Not so.
This implies another conditional: if we end global warming, then we have the incentives. All we know is that the incentives provide one way that will certainly decrease dependency, thereby making it possible that we halt global warming. It's certainly not a requirement.
So, the correct answer will proceed something like this:
If we hope to stop A, then we need less B.
If we had C, then we would have less B.
Therefore, if we stop A, then we have C.
Let's find it.
No way. This is valid logic. If A (end poverty), then B (end huger). If C (end unemployment), then A (end poverty). Therefore, if C, then A, then B.
Nope. Follow me here. If you exercise daily, you'll have good health. If you have good health, you have a happy life. So daily exercise is required for good health? No. This confuses sufficient for necessary. If you exercise daily, you'll have good health, and therefore you'll have a happy life. Daily exercise is sufficient to create a happy life in this context, but it's not required.
Nope. Like A, this is valid logic. If you get a professional job, then you went to college. If you go to college, then you went to high school. So, high school is necessary for a professional job. Absolutely, because college requires high school, and professional jobs require college.
Bingo. This is the answer. Follow along. If we improve education, then we keep good teachers. If teachers' salaries were improved, then more good teachers would remain. Note how those necessary conditions are similar—the latter satisfies the former—but they aren't the same. Therefore, D concludes, if we improve education, then we must improve teachers' salaries. All this does is satisfies the necessary condition of the original conditional statement. It makes it possible to improve education, but far from certain.
Nah. This is flawed, but it's not the same flaw made in the passage. If we prevent prescription drug abuse (A), then we expand drug education efforts (B). If drug education efforts are to be expanded (B), then we need increased cooperation between schools and law enforcement (C). So if we increase cooperation (C), we'll prevent drug abuse (A). A → B. B → C. C → A? No. C is a downstream requirement of A, but it's not sufficient to cause A.
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