PrepTest 124, Section 3, Question 13
Each of the smallest particles in the universe(23 more words not shown)
Each of the following arguments(11 more words not shown)
- AEach part of(18 more words not shown)
- BEach part of(13 more words not shown)
- CEach brick in(9 more words not shown)
- DEach piece of(11 more words not shown)
- EEach sentence in(11 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Simple pieces can make something complicated. Knowing what each particle is like doesn't tell us what the entire universe is like when those particles are combined.
Think about saying that each state has a governor, so the country made up of those states must have a governor. The smaller units have that feature; the larger unit doesn't automatically have the same feature. We need to consider what changes when we move from each part to the whole.
What we’re looking for
This parallel question has an EXCEPT. Four answers make a mistake like the original. We're looking for the one where the property really does carry over, or the reasoning otherwise avoids that mistake. Don't reject an answer merely because it talks about parts and a whole. Ask whether the claimed feature must remain true when the parts are combined.
Working the answers
- A
Excellent parts could be assembled badly. Imagine perfectly engineered components that don't work properly together in the finished car. Knowing each part is nearly perfect doesn't establish that the whole car is nearly perfect from an engineering standpoint. This repeats the mistake, so eliminate it.
- BCorrect
Here the property does carry over. If each part of the desk is made of metal, the desk made from those parts is made of metal. Combining the metal pieces doesn't change what material they are made of.
Compare that with the original: combining simple structures can produce a complicated arrangement. B concerns the material of every component, not an overall arrangement or performance that could change when the components are put together. It avoids the flawed inference we're eliminating in the other choices.
- C
Rectangular bricks can be arranged into a wall with a different overall shape. For example, varying the number of bricks in successive rows could give the wall a stepped, triangular outline. The shape of each brick doesn't guarantee the shape of the wall. This matches the flawed move from simple particles to a simple universe.
- D
Sturdy wood doesn't guarantee a sturdy chair. The pieces might be connected poorly, so the chair collapses at the joints even though none of the wood breaks. As with the car, the quality of the components doesn't guarantee the quality of the assembled object. Eliminate D.
- E
Every sentence could be well written while the plot makes no sense. Perhaps the sentences jump between unrelated events or contradict each other. A novel's construction depends on how its sentences work together, not just how each sentence works alone. This also makes the part-to-whole mistake, so it isn't our exception.
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