Critical Reasoning

The facts show that the fear of flying in airplanes is not rational. In 1986 alone there were 38500 fatalities in highway accidents, but from 1980 to the present an average of only 77 accidents on major domestic airlines. The rate for regional airlines was only slightly higher.

If the evidence cited above is accurate which of the following would be most imporatant in order to evaluate the force of that evidence?

A) Whether repeated airplane travel allays the fear of flying in airplane?

B) Whether regional and domestic airlines spend the same average amount of time per aircraft on maintenance?

C) How many people reported a fear of flying in airplanes that prevented them from flying?

D) How many people per year have travelled by highways and how many by air since 1980?

E) How much higher the accident rate has been for regional airlines than for major domestic airlines?

visjain wrote:The facts show that the fear of flying in airplanes is not rational. In 1986 alone there were 38500 fatalities in highway accidents, but from 1980 to the present an average of only 77 accidents on major domestic airlines. The rate for regional airlines was only slightly higher.

If the evidence cited above is accurate which of the following would be most imporatant in order to evaluate the force of that evidence?

A) Whether repeated airplane travel allays the fear of flying in airplane?

B) Whether regional and domestic airlines spend the same average amount of time per aircraft on maintenance?

C) How many people reported a fear of flying in airplanes that prevented them from flying?

D) How many people per year have travelled by highways and how many by air since 1980?

E) How much higher the accident rate has been for regional airlines than for major domestic airlines?

IMO C

Conclusion: the fear of flying in airplanes is not rational.

C: Yes many people reported a fear of flying in airplanes that prevented them from flying

Conclusion falls apart

C: NOt many people reported a fear of flying in airplanes that prevented them from flying

Conculsion strenghtens

Hence C

visjain wrote:The facts show that the fear of flying in airplanes is not rational. In 1986 alone there were 38500 fatalities in highway accidents, but from 1980 to the present an average of only 77 accidents on major domestic airlines. The rate for regional airlines was only slightly higher.

If the evidence cited above is accurate which of the following would be most imporatant in order to evaluate the force of that evidence?

A) Whether repeated airplane travel allays the fear of flying in airplane?

B) Whether regional and domestic airlines spend the same average amount of time per aircraft on maintenance?

C) How many people reported a fear of flying in airplanes that prevented them from flying?

D) How many people per year have travelled by highways and how many by air since 1980?

E) How much higher the accident rate has been for regional airlines than for major domestic airlines?

The argument seems to be 38.000 deaths on highways vs only 77 accidents/year on domestic flights. That argument only holds if there aren't thousands of times more highway travellers than flyers.

Thus D.

Option C is apprpriate