OG12-78
A recent report determined that although only 3 percent of drivers on Maryland highways equipped their vehicles with radar detectors, 33 percent of all vehicles ticketed for exceeding the speed limit were equipped with them. Clearly, drivers who equip their vehicles with radar detectors are more likely to exceed the speed limit regularly than are drivers who do not.
The conclusion drawn above depends on which of the following assumptions?
A) Drivers who equip their vehicles with radar detectors are less likely to be ticketed for exceeding the speed limit than are drivers who do not. (using the assumption-negation method, conclusion still holds, but the thing is applying this method to the correct answer B, conclusion holds as well.urrrrr, this is killing me)
B) Drivers who are ticketed for exceeding the speed limit are more likely to exceed the speed limit regularly than are drivers who are not ticketed. (so when i try to negate this choice, i change it to 'drivers who are ticketed for exceeding the speed limit less likely to exceed the speed limit regularly than are drivers who are not ticketed'. )
When you negate A, the conclusion still holds.
Let's negate B, as you did. Drivers who are ticketed for exceeding the speed limit are less likely to exceed the speed limit regularly than are drivers who are not ticketed. If this is true, then whoever are caught are not habitual fast drivers. Then 30% of those "ticket-earners" who have radar detectors are less likely to exceed the speed limit regularly. This is in contrary to the conclusion "drivers who equip their vehicles with radar detectors are more likely to exceed the speed limit regularly."
You need to follow the logic chain and go forward until you can evaluate the impact on the conclusion.
-- by 会员 sdcar2010 (2011/3/4 11:54:30)
LS, when we say the argument still holds, you have to look at the argument in the whole, not just one aspect thereof.
When you negate A, as you did correctly, you get "Drivers who equip their vehicles with radar detectors are more likely to be ticketed for exceeding the speed limit than are drivers who do not." And this statement is consistent with one of the premise of the argument, therefore the argument still holds IF you follow the logic chain of the author because that's what the author claims! Whether or not the author's conclusion is right or wrong is not our concern for the assumption-type question. We have to treat the author's statements as correct. Since when you negate A, you do not weaken or refute the author's argument, the argument still holds.
-- by 会员 sdcar2010 (2011/3/5 21:01:45)