Logical Reasoning

PT129 · S2 · Q23 Taxi drivers, whose income

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Taxi drivers, whose income is based on the fares they receive, usually decide when to finish work each day by setting a daily income target; they stop when they reach that target.

Facts

Taxi drivers decide on a certain total amount of money they want to work in a day (say, $150), and then as soon as they hit that amount, they stop working. Because of this, they typically work fewer hours on a busy day than a slow day.

Evaluation

When we see causal connector language -- due to, because of, this means that, this makes possible, this allows for, etc -- we usually see correct answers reinforcing the causal relationship. And when we're presented with two mathematical ideas, the correct answer usually involves what can be inferred by combining those two math ideas.

So, if we know that on busy days they take fewer hours to reach amount X, and on slow days they take more hours to reach amount X, then on busy days they are earning more money per hour.

Goal

Since we want to go against the passage, look for an answer saying that busy days have better hourly revenue than do slow days.

23.

The facts described above provide the strongest evidence against which one of the following?

The number of hours per
Out of Scope: "financial needs"
None of the information discusses different financial needs. To the extent that different drivers may set different daily thresholds and thus work different number of hours, this answer agrees with the passage.
8% picked this
Correct
People work longer when their
Why this is right
This goes against this story. On busy days, the hourly wage is higher and the hours are lower. On slow days, the hourly wage is lower and the hours are higher.
Skill tested: Must be False · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
80% picked this
Workers will accept a lower
Out of Scope: "low hourly wage"
These drivers do seem to have some freedom to set their own schedules, but we don't know if they have a low hourly wage.
4% picked this
People are willing to work
Out of Scope: "standard of living"
We never discuss what these drivers are using their income for, or whether they're setting their daily threshold based on how it affects their standard of living.
4% picked this
People who are paid based
Out of Scope
Out of Scope: "efficiently" / "paid fixed hourly wage" We don't have any information about people who are paid a fixed hourly wage, so we can't compare how efficiently they work to anyone else.
4% picked this

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