PrepTest 109, Section 4, Question 6
A worker for a power company trims the(57 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(15 more words not shown)
- AA well inspector(42 more words not shown)
- BAll sewage and(38 more words not shown)
- CA mechanic must(36 more words not shown)
- DA candidate decides(38 more words not shown)
- ENone of the(49 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
What if they don't cut it down?
The branches are a problem because storms could bring them onto the power lines. The worker is supposed to prevent that damage by trimming them. The owners have offered a possible way to remove the problem entirely, but “might cut it down” leaves open the possibility that the tree stays right where it is.
If the worker skips the trimming and the owners leave the tree, the original danger remains. The owners' plan isn't a guarantee, and the effects of damaged power lines could reach people beyond the owners themselves.
What we’re looking for
For the parallel flaw, I'd look for someone skipping a needed preventive job because somebody else might take care of the problem. The key is relying on a possible future solution as though it were settled.
Working the answers
- A
The inspector plans an order for doing the work, starting with the wells people use most. The possible shortage of time explains that priority. Nobody is treating a possible outside solution as a reason a particular well no longer needs inspection. Limited resources and uncertain removal of a danger are different problems.
- B
The plumber still replaces the pipes. Choosing a cheaper material leaves money that might go toward other work; it doesn't make the plumber skip a necessary repair on the assumption that the problem will disappear. The word “might” appears, but it does a different job in the reasoning.
- CCorrect
The worn brakes are the danger that needs attention, like the overhanging branches. Scrapping the van would remove the need to repair its brakes, just as cutting down the tree would remove the need to trim it. But the scrapping is only tentative.
What if the company keeps using the van? Then the mechanic has skipped a needed repair based on something that didn't happen. C doesn't identify a particular person promising to solve the problem, as our original does. That detail isn't essential. The tentative removal of the problem is being treated as a settled reason not to address it.
- D
The candidate avoids some areas because campaigning there could alienate voters. That's a concern about the effects of doing the work. Our worker skips work because a possible later event might make it unnecessary. D gives no comparable pending solution to rely on.
- E
The teacher punishes the whole group to ensure that the person responsible is included. Whether that is fair is a separate issue. There is no decision to leave a problem unaddressed because someone might later eliminate it. E has a different structure entirely.
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