PrepTest 155, Section 1, Question 18
To achieve the traditional hotness of spicy cuisines,(42 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(11 more words not shown)
- AIt is light-sensitive(35 more words not shown)
- BEvery country needs(42 more words not shown)
- CTo receive a(32 more words not shown)
- DAttending a music(34 more words not shown)
- EGood cooks always(25 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
If another spice produces the same heat, why would this particular spice be indispensable?
That's the thought behind the argument. Cooks use particular chilies or spices to get the traditional hot sensation. But once the dish is sufficiently spicy, a person tasting it can't distinguish which ingredient produced that sensation. So the author says another hot spice can do the job: no particular one is irreplaceable.
What we’re looking for
For the parallel question, track the roles. We have a desired result, several possible ingredients that can produce it, and a conclusion that no single ingredient is required. Here the result is the heat, and the alternatives are the spices. We want another argument using replaceable ways to achieve the same result, not merely another answer about cooking.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
Underwater vision takes the place of the desired heat. The light-sensitive pigments take the place of the hot spices. Just as different spices can provide the hot sensation, different pigments can make underwater vision possible. Therefore no one pigment is necessary. The reasoning follows the same substitution pattern: alternatives can accomplish the job, so none of the individual alternatives is indispensable.
- B
This is about overdoing something. A country needs adequate defense, but devoting too many resources to the military leads to war. The conclusion applies that excessive-spending rule. Our argument doesn't say too much spice causes an undesirable result; it says one spice can replace another. B has no counterpart to the interchangeable ingredients.
- C
This lists requirements for a doctorate, then treats meeting them as a guarantee of receiving one. The classes and dissertation aren't alternative ways to achieve the same result; the answer says both are required. It also makes a leap from requirements to a guaranteed outcome. Neither feature matches the conclusion that no individual spice is indispensable.
- D
This concludes that each live concert is unique and irreplaceable because musicians depart from the score. That's quite different from concluding that an ingredient is replaceable because alternatives produce an indistinguishable result. The comparison between live and recorded music doesn't reproduce the spice argument's structure.
- E
Don't let the cooking topic choose the answer for you. E gives a requirement: a delicious meal must have high-quality ingredients. Its conclusion says a meal lacking that requirement won't be delicious. It never offers interchangeable ingredients or concludes that no particular ingredient is necessary. The original's point is replaceability, not the importance of meeting a quality requirement.
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