PrepTest 142, Section 1, Question 10
Principle: People should buy an expensive antique only(42 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(12 more words not shown)
- AWhile this style(26 more words not shown)
- BAlthough the seller(28 more words not shown)
- CThe seller of(35 more words not shown)
- DThe asking price(25 more words not shown)
- EWhile Matilde likes(30 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Liking the vase isn't enough. The rule also requires confidence that it is authentic.
There are two requirements here: confidence in authenticity and appreciation for the piece itself, beyond just its investment value. A person could admire its shape and color but doubt that it is genuine. Or a person could know it's genuine while wanting it only to resell at a profit. Either failure would give the rule a reason to say no.
What we’re looking for
We're asked to justify telling Matilde not to buy. So look for a requirement she fails. We don't need to show that everything about the purchase is wrong. And meeting these requirements wouldn't automatically prove she should buy; the principle lists things she must have before buying, not a promise that any purchase meeting them is wise.
Working the answers
- A
Other collectors' lack of interest doesn't violate the principle. Matilde could enjoy the piece for herself. Her experience identifying counterfeits might help with authenticity, but it gives us no specific reason to think this purchase fails a requirement.
- B
Uncertainty about future appreciation is uncertainty about profit, not authenticity or intrinsic appeal. The principle does not demand a good investment. The return offer also doesn't establish that Matilde currently lacks the required confidence. B leaves the relevant failure unstated.
- C
Documentation about the vase's age and origin could help establish authenticity, and attraction to its shape and color supplies a reason to want the vase itself. Expecting it to become valuable doesn't erase that independent attraction. The rule objects to wanting it only as an investment, not to any interest in future value.
- D
Getting what looks like a bargain doesn't establish that Matilde should buy, because we still need the principle's other requirements. But it also doesn't supply a reason she should not buy. Her liking the style supports intrinsic appeal; the choice says nothing that undermines authenticity.
- ECorrect
Matilde likes the vase, but this style is often reproduced, and she cannot closely examine or authenticate this particular piece online. That gives a reason to doubt she can be confident it is genuine. Failing the authenticity requirement supports the instruction not to buy even though she meets the separate requirement of liking its qualities. We don't have to prove the vase is a counterfeit to see why the required confidence is missing.
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