Logical Reasoning

PT125 · S2 · Q6 Manufacturers of writing paper

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Manufacturers of writing paper need to add mineral "filler" to paper pulp if the paper made from the pulp is to look white.

Evidence

Manufacturers of writing paper need to add mineral "filler" to paper pulp if the paper made from the pulp is to look white.

Without such filler, paper products look grayish.

To make writing paper that looks white from recycled paper requires more filler than is required to make such paper from other sources.

Conclusion

Barring the more efficient use of fillers in paper manufacturing or the development of paper-whitening technologies that do not require mineral fillers, if writing paper made from recycled paper comes to replace other types of writing paper, paper manufacturers will have to use more filler than they now use.

Evaluate

Since this argument speculates about the future, one possible issue is whether or not other factors in the marketplace for writing paper will change. The argument assumes that consumers will still want white writing paper if recycled paper comes to replace other types of writing paper.

6.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

  1. Certain kinds of paper cannot

    Out of Scope - Opposite Group

    Writing paper is the topic of this argument, so other kinds of paper are not relevant.

    4% picked this

  2. The fillers that are used

    Out of Scope

    Whether or not the practice of adding fillers to whiten paper is harmful to the environment is not a concern of the argument's conclusion.

    1% picked this

  3. Correct

    Grayish writing paper will not

    Why this is right

    This rules out a possible scenario that would remove the need to use more filler. If we negate the answer, it says that "grayish writing paper will be a universally acceptable alternative to white writing paper. The first sentence of the argument is a conditional: If you want to make the paper look white, then you need to add filler. But if gray paper is universally accepted by consumers, then paper makers wouldn't feel much need to make the paper look white. So they won't necessarily have to use more filler than they now use.

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

    81% picked this

  4. Beyond a certain limit, increasing

    Weakens

    This might put a limit on the amount of filler needed in the future to whiten paper.

    10% picked this

  5. The total amount of writing

    Too Strong

    While this would support the argument's conclusion, it is not necessary. The amount of writing paper manufactured could remain the same and the conclusion might still be true.

    4% picked this

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