The Little Blue Reasoning Book Part 7

The author of the argument above would most probably agree with which one of the following statements?

A)*If a script has an intricate plot, it must necessarily be a significant art form.

B)*A script without an intricate plot will never become a blockbuster movie.

C)*If a script does not have an intricate plot, it will probably not be a significant art form.

D)*Scriptwriting is the most likely art form to become a significant art form.

E)*A scriptwriter must craft multiple plots within his or her scripts.

See solution Tip #44: The statement aIf A, then Ba does not equal aIf not A, then not B.a This is known in logic as the fallacy of denying the antecedent.

Problem 33: Campus Pub aDuring final exam week, our campus pub sells a lot of beer. But it isnat final exam week, so our campus pub must not be selling much beer.a Which of the following is logically most similar to the argument above?

A)*When people are happy, they smile, but no one is smiling, so it must be that no one is happy.

B)*When people are happy, they smile; our family members are happy, so they must be smiling.

C)*When people are happy, they smile, but one can smile and not be happy.

D)*When people are happy, they smile, but no one is happy, so no one is smiling.

E)*When people are not happy, they do not smile; our family members are smiling, so they must not be unhappy.

See solution Tip #45: One way to think about an aIf a thena statement in the form of aIf A, then Ba is that just because A leads to B does not mean that C, D, or E could not also lead to B.

Problem 34: Balcony If your apartment is above the fifth floor, it has a balcony.

The statement above can be logically deduced from which of the following statements?

A)*No apartments on the fifth floor have balconies.

B)*An apartment does not have a balcony unless the apartment is above the fifth floor.

C)*All apartments above the fifth floor have balconies.

D)*All balconies are built for apartments above the fifth floor.

E)*Balconies are not built for apartments below the fifth floor.

See solution Tip #46: Necessary conditions are not the same as sufficient conditions. The statement aA person needs water to remain healthya does not mean that water alone is enough to keep a person healthy. Water is a necessary but not sufficient condition for someone to remain healthy.

Problem 35: Global Warming Jacques: If we want to stop global warming, we must pa.s.s legislation to reduce fossil fuel emissions.

Pierre: Thatas not true. It will take a lot more than pa.s.sing legislation aimed at reducing fossil fuel emissions to stop global warming.

Pierreas response is inadequate because he mistakenly believes that what Jacques has said is that A)*Pa.s.sing legislation to reduce fossil fuel emissions is necessary to reduce global warming.

B)*Only the pa.s.sing of legislation to reduce fossil fuel emissions is capable of stopping global warming.

C)*If global warming is to be stopped, legislation to reduce fossil fuel emissions must be pa.s.sed.

D)*Pa.s.sing legislation to reduce fossil fuel emissions is enough to stop global warming.

E)*Global warming will not be stopped merely by pa.s.sing legislation to reduce fossil fuel emissions.

See solution Tip #47: The statement aIf A, then Ba does not equal aOnly As are Bs.a For example, the statement aIf one wants to make a good salad, one should use tomatoesa should not be interpreted to mean that only tomatoes are necessary to make a good salad.

Problem 36: Sales Debra: To be a good salesperson, one must be friendly.

Tom: Thatas not so. It takes much more than friendliness to make a good salesperson.

Tom has understood Debraas statement to mean that A)*Being friendly is the most important characteristic of being a good salesperson.

B)*If a person is a good salesperson, he or she will be friendly.

C)*A salesperson only needs to be friendly in order to be a good salesperson.

D)*Most good salespersons are friendly people even though not all friendly people are good salespersons.

E)*If a person isnat friendly, he or she will not make a good salesperson.

See solution Tip #48: The statement aEvery A is a Ba does not equal aOnly As are Bs.a For example, the statement aEvery cat is a mammala should not be interpreted to mean that aonly cats are mammals.a Problem 37: Football Marie: Every person on the Brazilian World Cup football team is a great player.

Beth: What? The Italian World Cup football team has some of the best players in the world.

Bethas reply suggests that she has misunderstood Marieas remark to mean that A)*Only Brazilian World Cup team players are great players.

B)*Marie believes that the Brazilian World Cup football team is the best overall football team.

C)*The Italian World Cup football team consists of less-than-great players.

D)*The Brazilian World Cup football team is likely to defeat the Italian World Cup football team should they meet in match play.

E)*Individual Brazilian World Cup team players will play as well as a unit as will the Italian World Cup team players.

See solution Tip #49: aAlla statements imply inclusivity; asomea statements imply crossover; anoa statements imply exclusivity.

Problem 38: Medical Hierarchy All surgeons are doctors.

Some researchers are surgeons.

All doctors are medically licensed.

No student is medically licensed.

If all the statements above are true, which one of the following cannot be true?

A)*No doctors are researchers.

B)*Some surgeons are doctors but not researchers.

C)*Some researchers are doctors but not surgeons.

D)*Some surgeons are medically licensed but not researchers.

E)*Some researchers are neither surgeons nor medically licensed.

See solution Tip #50: Whereas asomea statements imply reciprocality, amosta statements do not necessarily imply reciprocality.

Problem 39: Valley High Based on information obtained from the Admissions and Registraras Office of Valley High School, curriculum advisors observed the following enrollment trends for the semester in progress.

No math student is studying French.

All physics students study math.

Most math students are also studying English.

Some English students also study creative writing.

If the statements above are true, which of the following must be false?

A)*Some creative writing students also study French.

B)*All physics students also study English.

C)*All math students also study physics.

D)*Some, but not most English students also study math.

E)*Some physics students also study French.

See solution.

Appendixes.

Nothing hath an uglier look to us than reason, when it is not of our side.

a"Halifax.

APPENDIX I a" SUMMARY OF REASONING TIPS 1 TO 50.

Chapter 1: Perception & Mindset.

Tip #1: Selective perception is the tendency to see the world the way we would like it to be rather than how it really is. The sound thinker suspends judgment and is not unduly influenced by stereotypes, prejudices, isolated experiences, or preconceived notions.

Tip #2: Think of mindsets as divided into four basic types: a.n.a.lysts, Idealists, Realists, and Synthesists. These mindsets can be further contrasted based on levels of practicality and emotional attachment.

Chapter 2: Creative Thinking.

Tip #3: Creative thinking is abackdoora thinking.

Tip #4: Convergent thinking focuses the mind; divergent thinking opens the mind.

Tip #5: The devilas advocate technique imposes objectivity and compels divergent thinking.

Tip #6: Not challenging the obvious, evaluating ideas too quickly, and fear of looking the fool a" these are the three greatest creativity inhibitors.

Tip #7: Keep a mental list of idea akillersa and idea agrowers.a Tip #8: Brainstorming has rules: quant.i.ty of ideas is preferred, wacky ideas are welcome, delayed evaluation is mandatory, and ahitchhikinga is encouraged.

Tip #9: Consider whether a problem is really the problem. Think in terms of redefining the problem.

Tip #10: Prisoneras Dilemma provides an example of how cooperation is superior to compet.i.tion.

Tip #11: In selling creative ideas, most people are moved more by the depth of a personas conviction and commitment than they are by the details of a logical presentation.

Chapter 3: Decision Making.

Tip #12: Pros-and-cons a.n.a.lysis may be ill.u.s.trated using a aT-Account,a with pros on one side and cons on the other side.

Tip #13: A matrix is a useful tool to summarize data that can be contrasted across two variables and sorted into four distinct outcomes.

Tip #14: Decision-event trees are a way to represent graphically the multiple outcomes involved in a decision scenario.