Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: One type of dog barks all the time, another type rarely barks, and because Rosa's dogs are a half-and-half mix of both, they must bark a medium amount.

Conclusion: Rosa's cross-bred dogs bark a moderate amount.

Reasoning: Labradors bark a lot, Saint Bernards bark very little, and Rosa's dogs are a mix of these two breeds.

Analysis: The flaw here is the 'False Compromise' or 'Average' fallacy. The author assumes that if you mix two extremes, the result must be a perfect middle ground. In reality, genetics don't always work like a volume knob; the dogs could inherit the 'bark a lot' trait exclusively or the 'bark rarely' trait exclusively. To find the parallel, look for an argument that takes two opposing characteristics and concludes that a combination of the two sources must result in a balanced, intermediate characteristic.

Passage Stimulus

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2.

Which one of the following uses flawed reasoning that most closely resembles the flawed reasoning used in the argument above?

Correct Answer
B
It matches the flawed pattern: All type A are extremely toxic; all type B are nontoxic; this cleaner is a mixture of A and B; therefore it is moderately toxic. Like the original, it incorrectly assumes a mix of extremes yields a moderate property.
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