Logical Reasoning

PT8 · S1 · Q11 If the public library shared

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If the public library shared by the adjacent towns of Redville and Glenwood were relocated from the library’s current, overcrowded building in central Redville to a larger, available building in central Glenwood, the library would then be within walking distance of a larger number of library users.

Conclusion

Relocating the library to central Glenwood would place it within walking distance of a larger number of library users.

Evidence (that is because)

The library is currently in central Redville, where the building is overcrowded.

There are more people living in central Glenwood than in central Redville.

People generally walk to the library only if it is located close to their homes.

Evaluate

This argument is essentially predicting that moving the library will increase its accessibility for walkers by placing it near a larger population.

We should evaluate this prediction by asking how moving the library could fail to increase the number of people who can walk to it.

Even though more people live in central Glenwood, will more people actually walk to the library if it moves there? Are there alternative factors or considerations overriding the simple count of people?

Goal

To weaken this argument, we should find an answer that suggests moving the library to central Glenwood will not result in more walkers, or might even result in fewer people walking to it compared to its current location in central Redville.

11.

Which one of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

  1. Many more people who currently

    Irrelevant Comparison

    Of course more people walk to the library in Redville: the library is currently IN Redville. It's very likely this would change if we moved the library to Glenwood, which is the hypothetical we're supposed to be considering and comparing to.

    17% picked this

  2. Correct

    The number of people living

    Why this is right

    This answer points out that even if more people live in central Glenwood, fewer people living there would use the library if it moved to Glenwood than people currently using it in Redville. Thus, moving the library wouldn't necessarily lead to more users walking to it, as the conclusion predicts. Instead, there would be fewer total users, undermining the argument that the move will increase accessibility for walkers.

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

    75% picked this

  3. The number of people using

    Opposite (if anything)

    This answer suggests the overall number of library users will grow, which might indirectly support the conclusion about increased accessibility. It's not weakening the argument that more people will walk due to the library’s new location.

    0% picked this

  4. Most of the people who

    No Impact

    The conclusion is only about how many people would walk to the library. Whether people who drive or take public transportation continue their behavior isn't directly affecting those walking to the library, so it doesn't address the conclusion.

    5% picked this

  5. Most of the people who

    No Impact

    The conclusion is all about comparing the number of library walkers we'd have in Glenwood to the number we have in Redville. This answer is talking about the current Redville walkers, who apparently would start driving over to Glenwood to continue using the library if that's where we moved it, which has nothing to do with the G-walkers vs. R-walkers comparison.

    3% picked this

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