PrepTest 155, Section 2, Question 19
Although the slightest difference in shades of paint(63 more words not shown)
The reasoning in which one(12 more words not shown)
- AA bicycle is(41 more words not shown)
- BIt is rarely(33 more words not shown)
- CKeeping hair healthy(37 more words not shown)
- DAlthough cookies made(33 more words not shown)
- EUnless the size(53 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
If even a tiny mismatch is noticeable, why wouldn't we try to match the paint?
My first guess might be that finding the exact shade is too difficult. But that isn't the author's reason. The argument says even a successful match won't last: paint fades in the months after application, so the new and old paint will look different later.
That changes the advice. The author isn't denying that a precise match looks better now. The claim is that spending lots of time achieving that precision isn't worthwhile because the result will come undone.
What we’re looking for
For a parallel argument, keep both pieces: an exact arrangement has a benefit, but a later change will spoil that exactness, so don't devote much effort to achieving it. An answer saying 'don't bother' can still be wrong if its reason is merely cost, difficulty, or nobody noticing.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
Perfect wheel alignment is the desirable precise state, matching the exact paint match. The wheel shifts when the bicycle is ridden, just as the paint changes shade after application. The advice is therefore not to spend much effort getting a new wheel perfectly aligned, because that precision will be lost. Each part has a counterpart: initial benefit, later loss, and limited value in pursuing perfection.
- B
An old car has a limited remaining life, so this argument recommends buying a new one instead of finding replacement parts. That isn't the same as saying a particular precise arrangement will change after we've achieved it. The car's eventual end provides a different reason to avoid the effort; there is no counterpart to getting a perfect paint match that then becomes a mismatch.
- C
This offers a maintenance plan: alternate suitable shampoos to keep the hair healthy. The paint argument recommends against investing much effort in the precise result because the result won't last. C instead tells us how to continue achieving the goal. It doesn't conclude that seeking healthy hair is pointless because the benefit will inevitably be undone.
- D
The butter cookies are better, but the margarine cookies are close enough that the extra expense isn't worthwhile. That is a comparison between the size of a benefit and its price. It doesn't say the butter cookies' better texture will change until the advantage disappears. The later loss of the desired condition is missing.
- E
Here, the mismatch isn't worth fixing because most people won't notice it. The original says even a small paint difference is noticeable. More importantly, E doesn't say a perfectly matched dress and lining will stop matching over time. To parallel the paint, we'd want the dress to lose that careful match through use, making the effort temporary. E gives a different reason for not pursuing perfection.
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