Flawed Parallel ReasoningDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: You can't be both a performer and an admin in this group. Since Leon and Marta aren't admins, the author claims they have to be performers.
Conclusion: Leon and Marta must be performers.
Reasoning: In this specific theater group, no one is both a performer and an administrator; Leon and Marta are members who are not administrators.
Analysis: The flaw here is a 'False Dilemma.' The premise states that the two categories are mutually exclusive (you can't be both), but it never states that they are exhaustive (you must be one). To parallel this, look for an argument that takes two things that cannot happen at the same time and incorrectly assumes that if one isn't happening, the other must be. The argument ignores the possibility that Leon and Marta could be members who are neither performers nor administrators.
Conclusion: Leon and Marta must be performers.
Reasoning: In this specific theater group, no one is both a performer and an administrator; Leon and Marta are members who are not administrators.
Analysis: The flaw here is a 'False Dilemma.' The premise states that the two categories are mutually exclusive (you can't be both), but it never states that they are exhaustive (you must be one). To parallel this, look for an argument that takes two things that cannot happen at the same time and incorrectly assumes that if one isn't happening, the other must be. The argument ignores the possibility that Leon and Marta could be members who are neither performers nor administrators.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage9.Which one of the following arguments displays a flawed pattern of reasoning most similar to that in the argument above?
Correct Answer
C
It mirrors the flaw by treating two locations (Canada and Mexico) as exhaustive. From “No company can have headquarters in both” and “not Mexico,” it concludes “Canada,” paralleling the invalid leap from not Y to X in the original.
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