Logical Reasoning

PT117 · S3 · Q13 City council member: Despite the

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City council member: Despite the city's desperate need to exploit any available source of revenue, the mayor has repeatedly blocked council members' attempts to pass legislation imposing real estate development fees.

Conclusion (It Is Clear That)

In blocking bills that would impose fees on real estate development, the mayor is sacrificing the city's interests to personal interests.

Intermediate Conclusion (Thus)

The mayor's family has a strong financial interest in these bills.

Evidence

The mayor's family is heavily involved in real estate development.

Evaluate

This towering paragraph is a tough read. When we do Main Conclusion or Role questions, we need to remind ourselves of their pattern, so that we can make it easier to understand when we're hearing the Main Conclusion.

In 90% of Main Conclusion questions, the Main Conclusion is earlier than (at least some of) the Supporting ideas. It's usually the very First Claim, if that first claim sounds like the author's opinion, or it's some Rebuttal / Pivot moment.

This first claim sounds part opinionated / part factual: The city badly needs money / the mayor has blocked a bill to impose real estate fees.

Does the 2nd sentence try to support the opinion that ?

No, instead it begins with Opinion Indicator language like "It is clear that". Our author thinks the mayor is looking out for himself, not the city. Does she defend that claim?

Yes, but she starts by citing the mayor's defense of his actions. She's saying that even if you can make a statistical argument that the fees the bill would impose would be a net loss for the city, the real reason the mayor is tanking these bills is because his family is involved in real estate and thus would be financially harmed by these new fees.

Goal

Once we've found the conclusion, we just need to pick the answer that best matches it.

Let's look for .

13.

Which one of the following most accurately and completely expresses the main conclusion of the city council member's argument?

  1. Imposing real estate development fees

    Never Stated: Best Way

    This does not match the 2nd sentence. Furthermore, it was never said in the paragraph, so it can't be the Conclusion that we've identified.

    1% picked this

  2. The city would benefit financially

    Never Stated: City Would Benefit

    This does not match the 2nd sentence. Furthermore, it was never said in the paragraph, so it can't be the Conclusion.

    2% picked this

  3. Correct

    In blocking council members’ attempts

    Why this is right

    This matches the second sentence, which was prefaced by the Conclusion Indicator it is clear that, and was supported by the two claims in the final sentence of the paragraph.

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

    81% picked this

  4. Significantly reducing the number of

    Never Stated: reducing building starts

    This does not match the 2nd sentence. Furthermore, it was never said in the paragraph, so it can't be the Conclusion.

    1% picked this

  5. The mayor’s family has a

    Intermediate Conclusion

    This is the big trap answer, because it is a conclusion, signified by the "thus" right before it. But it serves to support the author's bigger contention, that the reason the mayor has been blocking these bills is because of personal interests. You establish that Eddie has a strong romantic interest in Melva, to support your conclusion that Eddie is joining a book club with Melva for romantic interests, not for intellectual interests. This author established that mayor has a financial interest in these bills, to support her conclusion that the mayor is opposing these bills for personal, financial reasons.

    15% picked this

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