Logical Reasoning

PT107 · S1 · Q4 Cats spend much of their time sleeping

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Cats spend much of their time sleeping; they seem to awaken only to stretch and yawn.

GIVEN THAT Cats spend a lot of time sleeping, waking up only to stretch and yawn.

HOW CAN IT BE THAT They have strong, agile muscles?

EVALUATE Essentially, we're wondering how cats are looking so jacked when they just nap. Most animals would have to exercise strenuously to have these strong, agile muscles.

GOAL Find an answer that explains how cats could have these awesome muscles, even though they mostly sleep.

4.

Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent paradox described above?

  1. Cats have a greater physiological

    Explains the Background

    This is explaining why cats sleep all the time, but we're trying to explain how it is that they have awesome muscles.

    7% picked this

  2. Many other animals also spend

    Restates Paradox, Doesn't Explain

    This tells us that other animals have this mysterious combo of sleeping all the time and yet still being muscular. But HOW? We still don't have a way to explain how these sleepy animals have such well developed muscles.

    4% picked this

  3. Cats are able to sleep

    Unrelated to Goal

    This gives more detail about their sleeping, but this says nothing about what we care about: how do cats get their awesome muscles?

    1% picked this

  4. Correct

    Cats derive ample exercise from

    Why this is right

    We know that having muscles like cats have usually requires strenuous exercise. And we know that cats wake up to yawn and stretch. This answer says that "Stretching counts as exercise". So cats' muscles are no longer a mystery. They ARE getting ample exercise, which is why they can have such well developed muscles. They're just getting it via stretching (rather than via running around).

    Skill tested: Paradox · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    84% picked this

  5. Cats require strength and agility

    Unrelated to Goal

    This gives a reason why cats would WANT to have strong and agile muscles. But it doesn't give us a way to explain HOW these sleepy creatures are developing strong/agile muscles, given that they spend much of their time sleeping.

    4% picked this

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