PrepTest 131, Section 3, Question 4
On a short trip a driver is more(37 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(10 more words not shown)
- APeople are much(12 more words not shown)
- BGood drivers tend(8 more words not shown)
- CThe longer a(15 more words not shown)
- DOn a long(13 more words not shown)
- EMost drivers take(7 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
A passenger can distract a driver. A friend joking around or interrupting could pull attention away from the road, so the finding about short trips makes sense.
But a passenger can do something else on a long trip: help the driver stay alert. Imagine driving for hours and beginning to doze off. Having someone to talk with might keep you engaged. The very company that distracts you on a short drive could help you maintain attention later in a long one.
What we’re looking for
That is the kind of difference I want for this explanation question. Both findings can be true if the effect of having a passenger changes with the length of the trip. We need a benefit of company that becomes more relevant on a longer drive.
Working the answers
- A
This tells us how often people drive alone on the two kinds of trips. It doesn't explain why, on a short trip, being alone is associated with fewer accidents while on a long trip it is associated with more. The frequency of traveling alone doesn't supply a mechanism for the different safety results.
- B
Good drivers taking more long trips might help explain a difference between long trips and short trips overall. But our puzzle compares drivers alone with drivers carrying passengers within those kinds of trips. B doesn't connect the presence of a passenger to either driver's skill or alertness.
- CCorrect
Passengers are more likely to help maintain alertness as trips get longer. That explains how company could become helpful despite its potential to distract. It doesn't require every driver on a long trip to be tired; the increasing likelihood of help with alertness supplies the relevant difference between the two situations.
- D
Whether a second, third, or fourth passenger adds accident risk is a different comparison. We need to understand the difference between being alone and having a passenger, and why that difference changes with trip length. D doesn't explain the advantage of having company on a long trip.
- E
Driving to a nearby store may happen much more often than taking a long road trip. But the number of trips doesn't explain the effect of passengers on the chance of an accident during a given kind of trip. E leaves the opposite passenger effects unexplained.
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