Logical Reasoning

PT125 · S4 · Q24 Downtown Petropolis boasted

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Downtown Petropolis boasted over 100 large buildings 5 years ago.

Conclusion (it's clear that)

Downtown Petropolis is in a serious state of economic decline.

Evidence

Downtown Petropolis boasted over 100 large buildings 5 years ago.

Since then, 60 of those buildings have been demolished.

The number of large buildings in a downtown in an indicator of the economic health of that downtown.

Evaluate

The number of buildings in downtown Petropolis is dependent on two things. First, the number of large old buildings torn down each year. And second, the number of large new buildings constructed each year.

To know whether the number of buildings in downtown Petropolis has increased or decreased both of those figures need to be known. The argument assumes that newly constructed buildings do not outnumber buildings which have been torn down.

24.

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?

  1. The demolitions that have taken

    Too Strong

    The argument needs the demolitions to occur, but it does not need them to occur evenly spread out.

    3% picked this

  2. There have never been significantly

    Out of Scope

    The number of buildings outside of the time period about which the argument is about is not relevant.

    5% picked this

  3. Most of the buildings demolished

    Out of Scope

    The reason why buildings are torn down is not relevant, since it is only the number of buildings that are the determinant of economic health.

    3% picked this

  4. The large buildings demolished over

    Out of Scope

    Small buildings are not relevant to the argument since it is large buildings which indicate the economic health of a downtown.

    7% picked this

  5. Correct

    Significantly fewer than 60 new

    Why this is right

    This defends the argument from a possibility that would call into question the argument’s conclusion.

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

    82% picked this

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