Parallel ReasoningDiff: Hardest

Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: You can't say someone is sick just because they have a certain germ, because you only actually get sick if your body is also in a weakened state.

Conclusion: One cannot determine that a person has a Streptococcus infection based solely on the presence of the bacteria in their throat.

Reasoning: An infection only develops if the host's physical state is also weakened or run down, meaning the bacteria alone are not enough.

Analysis: The argument's structure relies on identifying a necessary condition that has not been confirmed. It essentially says: 'Factor X (bacilli) is not enough to guarantee Result Y (infection), because Result Y also requires Condition Z (being run down).' To find a parallel, look for an answer choice that cautions against drawing a conclusion based on one piece of evidence because a second, necessary requirement might not be met. We are looking for that specific 'X is not enough for Y because Y needs Z' logical blueprint.

Passage Stimulus

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20.

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

Correct Answer
B
It matches the structure: lavender blooming requires both sufficient sunlight and alkaline soil; thus, sunlight alone is not enough to conclude bloom. This mirrors “infection requires being run down; bacilli alone aren’t enough.”
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