Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: Because Glenville moved from the number one spot to the number three spot on a list of expensive rents, the author concludes that the actual price of rent there must have gone down.

Conclusion: Renting an apartment in Glenville is cheaper now than it was in previous years.

Reasoning: Glenville used to have the highest rents in the region, but this year it has dropped to the third highest.

Analysis: This argument commits a 'relative vs. absolute' flaw. Just because Glenville's *ranking* dropped doesn't mean its *prices* dropped; it's possible that two other cities simply saw their rents skyrocket while Glenville's stayed the same or even increased slightly. To parallel this flaw, we need an answer that concludes an absolute change in value based solely on a change in relative position. It's like saying a student is 'shorter' this year just because two taller kids joined the class.

Passage Stimulus

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10.

Which one of the following arguments demonstrates most effectively by parallel reasoning that the argument above is flawed?

Correct Answer
B
It mirrors the error of inferring an absolute decrease from a drop in relative standing: being larger than the puppy before and now smaller does not require that the kitten shrank; the puppy could have grown more—just as Glenville’s rank can fall even if its rents rose.
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