Parallel ReasoningDiff: Hard
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: We are in a lose-lose situation: if we don't use more pesticides, malaria spreads; if we do use them, they cause global warming, which also makes malaria spread.
Conclusion: An increase in the incidence of malaria is certain to occur in the future.
Reasoning: Malaria will increase if either global warming continues or pesticide use is not expanded, but expanding pesticide use actually contributes to global warming.
Analysis: The structure here is a 'double-bind' or a constructive dilemma. We are told that A or B leads to C. Then we learn that avoiding B (by choosing Not-B, which is expanding pesticide use) actually leads to A. Therefore, C is inevitable regardless of the choice made. When looking for a parallel, I need to find an argument where two different paths—one of which is intended to prevent the other—both lead to the exact same outcome.
Conclusion: An increase in the incidence of malaria is certain to occur in the future.
Reasoning: Malaria will increase if either global warming continues or pesticide use is not expanded, but expanding pesticide use actually contributes to global warming.
Analysis: The structure here is a 'double-bind' or a constructive dilemma. We are told that A or B leads to C. Then we learn that avoiding B (by choosing Not-B, which is expanding pesticide use) actually leads to A. Therefore, C is inevitable regardless of the choice made. When looking for a parallel, I need to find an argument where two different paths—one of which is intended to prevent the other—both lead to the exact same outcome.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage24.The pattern of reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to that in the argument above?
Correct Answer
C
It matches the structure: (I ∨ ¬D) → F, and D → I. So whether D happens or not, F results—just like in the stimulus, where either path leads to the same outcome, making it inevitable.
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