Logical Reasoning

PT124 · S1 · Q12 Melinda: Hazard insurance decreases

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Melinda: Hazard insurance decreases an individual's risk by judiciously spreading the risk among many policyholders.

Given

Melinda: Hazard insurance decreases an individual's risk by judiciously spreading the risk among many policyholders.

Jack: I disagree. It makes sense for me to buy fire insurance for my house, but I don't see how doing so lessens the chances that my house will burn down.

Evaluate

Jack misunderstood Melinda to be claiming that buying insurance lessons one's risk of needing that insurance. Instead the risk that Melinda discusses is that of paying for the entire loss.

12.

Jack's response most clearly trades on an ambiguity in which one of the following expressions used by Melinda?

  1. judiciously spreading

    Wrong Term

    Jack does not discuss the judiciousness of how something is spread.

    7% picked this

  2. many policyholders

    Wrong Term

    Jack does not discuss other policyholders.

    1% picked this

  3. Correct

    risk

    Why this is right

    Jack mistakes the risk of paying the entire cost of repairs with the risk (or likelihood) of needing insurance.

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

    72% picked this

  4. decreases

    Contradiction

    The term "decreases" is used with the same meaning by both speakers.

    18% picked this

  5. hazard insurance

    Contradiction

    The term "fire insurance" is an example of "hazard insurance."

    2% picked this

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