Flawed ReasoningDiff: Easy
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: A columnist claims climbing mountains isn't as dangerous as people think because way more people die in car accidents in France than on Mount Everest.
Conclusion: The media has significantly overstated the dangers associated with mountain climbing.
Reasoning: There were fewer than 200 deaths on Mount Everest over an 80-year span, whereas France alone saw over 7,000 traffic deaths in a single year.
Analysis: This is a classic 'base rate' fallacy where the speaker compares raw numbers without considering the size of the populations involved. To find the flaw, look for the gap between the total number of deaths and the actual risk per person; after all, millions of people drive in France every day, while very few people attempt to summit Everest. It’s a bit like saying it's safer to swim with sharks than to sit on a couch because more people die on couches—it ignores how many people are actually doing the activity.
Conclusion: The media has significantly overstated the dangers associated with mountain climbing.
Reasoning: There were fewer than 200 deaths on Mount Everest over an 80-year span, whereas France alone saw over 7,000 traffic deaths in a single year.
Analysis: This is a classic 'base rate' fallacy where the speaker compares raw numbers without considering the size of the populations involved. To find the flaw, look for the gap between the total number of deaths and the actual risk per person; after all, millions of people drive in France every day, while very few people attempt to summit Everest. It’s a bit like saying it's safer to swim with sharks than to sit on a couch because more people die on couches—it ignores how many people are actually doing the activity.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage10.The reasoning in the columnist's argument is flawed because it fails to consider
Correct Answer
D
D points directly to the missing denominators and mismatched exposure/time frames. Without knowing how many climbers there were over 80 years vs. how many people traveled on French roads in one year, the columnist’s comparison of raw totals cannot support the conclusion about relative danger.
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