PrepTest 158, Section 4, Question 19
It is widely known that the rescue squads(46 more words not shown)
Which one of the following,(15 more words not shown)
- AIt is difficult(9 more words not shown)
- BThe recording of(15 more words not shown)
- CPeople who commonly(19 more words not shown)
- DMost of the(17 more words not shown)
- EThe lower the(23 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Could having a rescue squad encourage people to take risks they otherwise wouldn't take?
The squads really do save lives. We don't need to deny that to understand the experienced climbers' concern. A novice might think, “If I get into trouble, someone will come get me,” and attempt a climb beyond their abilities. Without that safety net, the same person might think twice and stay off the mountain.
It's like someone feeling protected by a helmet and then taking a risk they would otherwise avoid. The protection can help when something goes wrong while also changing the decision to take the risk in the first place. That's a possible explanation to test, not a claim that protective measures always make people reckless.
What we’re looking for
The question asks us to justify the apparently strange belief that abolishing the squads could reduce deaths and injuries. I'd look for evidence that the sense of safety draws less capable climbers into danger. We need fewer actual casualties, not just fewer rescue operations or a different count in the records.
Working the answers
- A
Difficulty staffing the squads doesn't explain why removing them would reduce deaths. A service can be hard to provide and still save people who would otherwise die. We need a link between removing the service and avoiding dangerous situations.
- B
Less accurate recording could lower the reported toll without reducing actual injuries or deaths. The climbers' belief concerns what happens to people, not whether someone records it. Hiding a casualty from the statistics doesn't save the person.
- C
Habitual risk-takers not expecting a rescue doesn't explain why abolishing rescue squads would stop people from getting hurt. If they already make their decisions without expecting help, removing the squads needn't change those decisions. C doesn't provide the behavior change we need.
- D
Inadequate preparation helps explain why people get hurt. But would those same people stop attempting the climb if the rescue squads disappeared? D doesn't say. It's close to our prediction in identifying vulnerable climbers, yet leaves out their response to the perceived safety of the climb.
- ECorrect
When a mountain seems less risky, a larger number of less competent climbers attempt it. A rescue squad can make the danger seem manageable, drawing in people who lack the ability to handle it. Removing that reassurance could keep some of those people from attempting the climb.
This explains how squads could save lives once climbers are in trouble while their presence also encourages more people to enter danger. E supports the experienced climbers' belief through that behavioral effect. It needn't prove that abolishing squads is the only possible safety policy.
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