Logical Reasoning

PT5 · S1 · Q20 Experienced gardeners advise against

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Experienced gardeners advise against planting snap peas after late April because peas do not develop properly in warm weather.

Conclusion (therefore)

The fact that these snap peas were planted in mid-May is unlikely to result in crop failure.

Opposing Conclusion

Experienced gardeners advise against planting snap peas after late April

Opposing Evidence (because)

peas do not develop properly in warm weather.

Evidence (however)

This year, however, the weather was unusually cool into late June,

Evaluate

We open with an expert opinion cited as an opposing view, with a principle cited as opposing evidence. The premise says that the principle doesn't apply in this particular circumstance, so we conclude that the thing the experts predicted is unlikely. Note that this is a flawed argument. There may be other reasons that the crop IS likely to fail that this arguer hasn't considered. They neutralized one objection to planting peas late, but there may be others.

Goal

Make quick and dirty eliminations based on Bad Conclusion Matches, then dig deeper on contenders to find the perfect Match.

20.

The pattern of reasoning displayed above is most closely paralleled in which one of the following?

  1. According to many gardening authorities,

    Bad Match

    This conclusion isn't a prediction with a medium-strong degree; it's a strong judgment about what is and isn't reasonable. The prediction in this argument with a medium-strong degree (likely) is the opposing evidence cited by the expert.

    11% picked this

  2. Correct

    Since African violets do not

    Why this is right

    This argument proceds in a slightly different order but is logically a great match. We open with a principle cited as opposing evidence (African violets don't do well in sunlight), from which an opinion is derived (it is said that in this region these plants should be planted in northfacing rather than southfacing windows). The premise says that the principle doesn't apply in this particular circumstance (these southfacing windows are well shaded), so we conclude a medium-strong prediction that we don't need to follow that advice (African violets placed in these windows are likely to grow satisfactorily).

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

    81% picked this

  3. Where flowers are to be

    Bad Evidence Match

    Answer C is framed as "Experts say you should X because Y" wheras in our original argument, the advice is " Experts say you should NOT X because Y." The evidence goes on to neutralize Y in a particular case and conclude that we don't need to follow advice X. In answer C, raising the non-conforming case of the shade beneath maple trees doesn't neutralize the original recommendation to avoid something. That makes this tempting answer ultimately a bad match for the evidence.

    4% picked this

  4. Most seeds tend to germinate

    Bad Conclusion Match

    In D, the expert advice is the conclusion. In our original argument, it's the opposing conclusion. The evidence also has non-matching degree words: most, tend, and we don't support the conclusion by neutralizing the opposing evidence.

    2% picked this

  5. House plants generally grow best

    Bad Conclusion Match

    In E, the conclusion recommends against following the expert advice in the case of one type of plant. The original argument made a prediction, not a recommendation, and it had the medium strong degree of "unlikely" which E's conclusion does not.

    2% picked this

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