Logical Reasoning

PT132 · S2 · Q2 Among people who live to the age

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Among people who live to the age of 100 or more, a large proportion have led "unhealthy" lives: smoking, consuming alcohol, eating fatty foods, and getting little exercise.

Evidence

Among people who live to the age of 100 or more, a large proportion have led “unhealthy” lives: smoking, consuming alcohol, eating fatty foods, and getting little exercise.

Such behavior often leads to shortened life spans.

Conclusion

It is likely that exceptionally long-lived people are genetically disposed to having long lives.

Evaluate

The argument offers an explanation for longevity after undermining an alternative. The argument suggests that it is not healthy living that causes long life spans, but rather genetic predisposition. To strengthen this, rule out an alternative cause or strengthen the correlation between genetic predisposition and a long life span.

2.

Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?

  1. There is some evidence that

    Weaken

    This makes it less likely that it is genetic predisposition by suggesting that something else might have a beneficial effect on life span.

    1% picked this

  2. Some of the exceptionally long-lived

    Weaken / Too Weak

    This suggests that the lives of some of those exceptionally long-lived people were not as unhealthy as first thought. Furthermore this statement is too weak to impact the argument.

    2% picked this

  3. Some of the exceptionally long-lived

    Weaken / Too Weak

    This suggests that the lives of some of those exceptionally long-lived people were not as unhealthy as first thought. Furthermore this statement is too weak to impact the argument.

    2% picked this

  4. Some people who do not

    Too Weak

    While this correlates shorter life spans with unhealthy lives, it is too weak to impact the argument.

    3% picked this

  5. Correct

    Nearly all people who live

    Why this is right

    This strengthens the correlation between genetic predisposition and long life spans.

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

    92% picked this

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