Critical Reasoning

ashblog02 wrote:I think the ans should be B but the correct ans is A can anyone clarify..It asks you for an inference not an assumption???


Dear Applicant:
Thank you for your application. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer you a position in our local government office for the summer. As you know, funding for summer jobs is limited, and it is impossible for us to offer jobs to all those who want them. Consequently, we are forced to reject many highly qualified applicants.

Which of the following can be inferred from the letter?

(A) The number of applicants for summer jobs in the government office exceeded the number of summer jobs available. Correct. The letter states that, "funding for summer jobs is limited, and it is impossible for us to offer jobs to all those who want them". This implies that there are more applicants than available positions. This answer states the inference correctly.

(B) The applicant who received the letter was considered highly qualified. Incorrect. The letter states, "we are forced to reject many highly qualified applicants". This does not mean that every applicant is highly qualified. We have no way of knowing if the applicant who received the letter was considered highly qualified.

(C) Very little funding was available for summer jobs in the government office. Incorrect. The letter states that, "funding for summer jobs is limited". This does not mean that there is very little funding. It just means that there isn't enough.

(D) The application of the person who received the letter was considered carefully before being rejected. Incorrect. We have no way of knowing how carefully the applicant was considered. For all we know, this office had already reached its limits and this application was rejected with zero consideration. There is no way of knowing.

(E) Most of those who applied for summer jobs were considered qualified for the available positions. Incorrect. Again, there is no way of knowing this from the letter. Anybody, qualified or not qualified, could have applied for the jobs.


The correct ans is C

If A, then B.
If B, then C.
If C, then D.

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

Think of it this way. If A happens it sets off a chain reaction that ends in D happening. In other words, if A happens, B, C, and D are guaranteed to happen.

(A) If D, then A. Incorrect. This is backwards. "D" does not cause "A". "A" causes "D".

(B) If not B, then not C. Incorrect. "B" may not be the only cause of "C". Something else may also cause "C" to happen. Therefore we can't say definitively that "C" will not happen if "B" does not happen.

(C) If not D, then not A. Correct. We know that if "A" happens then "D" must happen. Therefore if "D" did not happen we can infer that "A" also did not happen.

(D) If D, then E. Incorrect. "E" is not mentioned in the set of conditions.

(E) If not A, then not D. Incorrect. "A" may not be the only cause of "D". Something else may also cause "D" to happen. Therefore we can't say definitively that "D" will not happen if "A" does not happen.

Can someone explain why, wnt it be E- if A doesn't occur, D can't occur at all.