Method of ReasoningDiff: Easy
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: Merton thinks car exhaust on busy streets causes heart disease, but Ortiz asks if there might be other reasons people on busy streets get sick.
Conclusion: Air pollution from car exhaust causes the higher heart disease rates seen in people living on busy streets.
Reasoning: A study found a correlation between living on busy streets and increased heart disease.
Analysis: Ortiz isn't saying Merton is definitely wrong; she's just pointing out a potential flaw in his causal reasoning. She does this by suggesting an alternative explanation—specifically, that other lifestyle factors might be the real culprits. Ortiz is essentially the friend who ruins a good story by asking for the receipts. When looking for the right answer, focus on the structural move of questioning whether a correlation necessarily proves a specific cause.
Conclusion: Air pollution from car exhaust causes the higher heart disease rates seen in people living on busy streets.
Reasoning: A study found a correlation between living on busy streets and increased heart disease.
Analysis: Ortiz isn't saying Merton is definitely wrong; she's just pointing out a potential flaw in his causal reasoning. She does this by suggesting an alternative explanation—specifically, that other lifestyle factors might be the real culprits. Ortiz is essentially the friend who ruins a good story by asking for the receipts. When looking for the right answer, focus on the structural move of questioning whether a correlation necessarily proves a specific cause.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage8.Ortiz criticizes Merton's argument by
Correct Answer
E
E captures Ortiz’s move: he suggests alternative explanations (other lifestyle factors) that need to be ruled out before accepting Merton’s causal claim that air pollution is the cause.
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