PrepTest 155, Section 4, Question 11
When using a manufactured pattern to make clothing,(60 more words not shown)
The conclusion follows logically if(7 more words not shown)
- AMost manufactured patterns(13 more words not shown)
- BAt least some(15 more words not shown)
- CThe best tailors(12 more words not shown)
- DAll professional tailors(13 more words not shown)
- EA professional tailor(12 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
What if the customer already matches the pattern perfectly?
The passage describes two reasons to alter a clothing pattern. One concerns the fabric: it might shrink or stretch later, so the tailor allows for that. The other concerns the wearer: unless the person's measurements already match the pattern, the tailor changes it to fit that person exactly.
The conclusion says a professional tailor always makes that second kind of adjustment. But the rule just gave us an exception. A person could arrive whose measurements already match the pattern. We might still need to account for what the fabric will do later, but that doesn't establish a need to adjust for a mismatch with the person's measurements.
What we’re looking for
To make the conclusion follow, rule out that exception for professional tailors. Tell us that the people they sew for never exactly match their chosen patterns. Then every professional job falls within the rule requiring an adjustment to fit the wearer.
Working the answers
- A
This concerns whether a manufactured pattern already accounts for the fabric's future shrinking or stretching. Even if most don't, a customer could still match the pattern's measurements. The conclusion says professionals always adjust for the wearer, and the possible matching customer remains a problem.
- B
Some tailors who make these adjustments are professionals. That doesn't establish that all professionals always make the relevant adjustment. B identifies some cases where the conclusion's behavior occurs without ruling out a professional sewing for someone who already matches the pattern.
- C
We aren't ranking tailors by skill. The best tailor could be extremely good at changing patterns and still have a customer whose measurements require no change. Ability to make an adjustment doesn't establish that the adjustment is needed in every case.
- DCorrect
Every person a professional tailor sews for differs in measurements from the chosen pattern. That removes the exception. The passage tells us that when the wearer doesn't precisely match, the tailor alters the pattern to fit the wearer exactly. D puts every professional tailor's customer in that situation, establishing that professionals always make that adjustment.
- E
Being able to predict a fabric's shrinkage or stretching tells us about the fabric adjustment. It doesn't tell us that the wearer's measurements differ from the pattern. Even a perfect estimate of the fabric's future behavior doesn't remove the particular exception we identified.
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