PrepTest 119, Section 3, Question 10
Fred argued that, since Kathleen is a successful(49 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(8 more words not shown)
- Amaintaining that too(9 more words not shown)
- Bshowing that Kathleen(7 more words not shown)
- Cclaiming that Fred(8 more words not shown)
- Dshowing that Fred(12 more words not shown)
- Edemonstrating that Fred(13 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
What kind of films does Kathleen make?
Fred starts with a reasonable general pattern: most successful film directors work with famous actors. But a general pattern can become less useful once we know something more specific about the person. My first thought is that Kathleen might make a kind of film that doesn't usually involve stars.
That is the author's response. Kathleen works only on documentaries, and documentary directors rarely work with famous actors. Fred knows this, but his conclusion relies on the broader group of successful directors without accounting for the more relevant information about her work.
What we’re looking for
For the method question, I'd describe the criticism this way: Fred has overlooked relevant information about the particular case. We don't have to prove Kathleen has never worked with a famous actor. We need to understand why the author thinks Fred hasn't justified saying that she probably has.
Working the answers
- A
The author doesn't say too little is known to draw any conclusion. The objection depends on something specific that is known: Kathleen makes documentaries. The problem is failing to use that information, not having no useful information about her.
- B
Documentary directors rarely working with famous actors leaves room for exceptions. Kathleen could be one of them. The author challenges Fred's basis for saying she probably has worked with famous actors; the author doesn't establish that she certainly hasn't. B makes the criticism stronger than it is.
- CCorrect
Kathleen's documentary work is relevant to whether she has worked with famous actors, because such collaborations are rare among documentary directors. Fred knows the narrower fact but reaches his conclusion from the broader pattern anyway. The author criticizes him for leaving that relevant information out.
- D
Fred doesn't assume that all successful directors work with famous actors. His conclusion is only that Kathleen probably has, and the passage explicitly acknowledges the premise about most successful directors. We don't need to replace most with all to explain the problem; the issue is how Fred uses the general pattern in this specific case.
- E
The author expressly accepts that most successful directors work with famous actors. That premise isn't the target of the criticism. The author introduces the documentary information to show why the accepted general pattern doesn't by itself justify Fred's conclusion about Kathleen.
More Flaw questions
Learn the LSAT our way
Our platform drills Flaw questions at your level and adjusts as you improve.