Logical Reasoning

PT155 · S2 · Q19 Although the slightest difference

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Although the slightest difference in shades of paint is noticeable, it is pointless to spend much time trying to match an old paint precisely when repainting only part of the interior of a house.

Conclusion

It's pointless trying to spend too much time trying to perfectly match your new shade of paint to the old shade (if you're doing touch-ups)

Evidence

The color of all paint fades and changes within about a year of being on the wall, so even if you nail the matching shade of paint initially, it will still drift from that shade and eventually not match the old paint.

Evaluate

Since there was no conditional logic or quantifiers in this argument, it's probably not worth putting into algebra.

Let's just try to remove the topic and tell the same story:

Premise 1: You want to find the perfect match/solution. Premise 2: But anything that would initially be perfect would eventually drift and no longer be perfect. Conclusion: Thus, it's pointless to spend too much energy trying to find the perfect match/solution.

Goal

The conclusion has a signature strength/type we might be able to use for some quick eliminations.

The conclusion on the correct answer should sound pretty dismissive of a certain strategy "it would be pointless to do X" .

The problem with the strategy needs to feel something like .

19.

The reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to that in the argument above?

  1. Correct

    A bicycle is most comfortable

    Why this is right

    The conclusion is saying that a certain effort at perfection would be pointless (it's useless), based on the fact that even if it starts off right, it will inevitably drift away from perfection (always shifts a bit when ridden).

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

    79% picked this

  2. It is rarely worthwhile to

    Weak Conclusion Match Bad Premise Match

    We could already start distancing ourselves from this with the conclusion's "rarely worthwhile" strength. We're trying to match a conclusion that is more like "never worthwhile". Also, the Premise doesn't have anything to do with "even if you nail it at first, it'll drift away from perfection".

    2% picked this

  3. Keeping hair healthy requires using

    Bad Conclusion Match

    We'd save ourselves time and brainpower by checking the conclusion first and seeing that "you should alternate between A and B" is a terrible match for the original's "it is pointless to do A". The premises here have a little bit of "drift from perfection" in them, but there's no point in trying to even make it work when the conclusion makes it dead on arrival.

    2% picked this

  4. Although cookies made with butter

    Bad Premise Match

    The conclusion is definitely saying that a certain strategy is pointless. Is the evidence saying "even if you start out perfect, you'll drift away from perfection"? No, it's saying "an inferior but easier to acquire alternative is close enough that you might as well just go with that".

    4% picked this

  5. Unless the size and shape

    Weak Premise Match

    The conclusion does say a certain strategy would be pointless. Does the evidence say that "even if you nail it at first, you'll eventually drift from perfection"? No, it says "almost no one will notice an imperfect attempt, so why bother".

    13% picked this

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