Logical Reasoning

PT5 · S1 · Q1 Something must be done to ease

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Something must be done to ease traffic congestion.

Facts

In traditional small towns, people used to work and shop in the same town in which they lived.

Now that stores and workplaces are located far away from residential areas, people cannot avoid traveling long distances each day.

Traffic congestion is so heavy on all roads that, even on major highways where the maximum speed limit is 55 miles per hour, the actual speed averages only 35 miles per hour.

Evaluate / Goal

We're asked which proposal is most supported by the facts. A proposal should fix the problem expressed, so consider the source of the problem: stores and workplaces far away from residential areas. Look for a proposal that resolves this issue, by placing more homes near stores and workplaces or by placing more stores and workplaces near homes.

Which one of the following proposals is most supported by the statements above?

The maximum speed limit on
No Impact
We're told that, despite the 55mph speed limit, the actual speed is only 35mph. That makes it clear that the speed limit is not the source of the problem.
7% picked this
People who now travel on
No Impact
We're told that all roads are congested. Yes, the highways were given as a particularly bad example, but the phrase "even on major highways" confirms that it's bad everywhere, smaller roads included. Switching traffic from one type of road to another will therefore only move the congestion, not solve it.
7% picked this
Residents of the remaining traditional
Opposite (if anything)
We have no reason to believe that relocating people from small towns to the burbs will make anything better. If anything, it sounds like the problem we're trying to fix is in the burbs, and things were better in traditional small towns.
1% picked this
Drivers who travel well below
No Impact
We're told that, despite the 55mph speed limit, the actual speed is only 35mph because of the traffic. The slow speeds are an effect of the traffic, not the cause, so ticketing people for slow driving won't address the root cause of the problem.
3% picked this
Correct
New businesses should be encouraged
Why this is right
We solve problems by addressing their root causes. The root cause of the traffic problem is the distance between home, work and shopping. If we put more businesses closer to where the workers would live, that reduces the distance between home and work. This answer might not go as far as we'd like it to: it doesn't mention stores or shopping, it's only about new businesses, and they're not even being compelled to be close to worker housing, just "encouraged." Still, it's the only plan that addresses the root cause at all, so it's the best available answer.
Skill tested: Most Supported · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
82% picked this

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