THE L.A.SAT continues from Issue 1
In formal logic there are certain rules. You must get into the formal mindset and here are some questions to help you learn what can and cannot be deduced from formal statements.
Remember: If Real boobs= Real butt, does Real butt= Real boobs? No, not in formal logic. Sometimes Real butt = just huge. If X then Y. If not Y then not X.
Question A
If you are a plain clothes cop not wearing the color of the day, you will get shot by an LA officer in the heat of a gang battle.
If the above statement is true, which of the following must also be true?
1. If you are wearing the color of the day, you will not get shot.
2. If you have been shot, then you were not wearing the color of the day.
3. If you have not been shot, then you were wearing the color of the day.
Question B.
Only if you act naive and impressed with a casting director's inflated ego will you get to audition for the part.
If the above statement is true, it must follow that which of the following must also be true?
1. If you act naive and impressed with a casting director's inflated ego, you will get to audition for the part.
2. If you are hardly impressed with a casting director's inflated ego and perhaps even treat them as sad losers, you will not get to audition for the part.
3. If you got the audition for the part, you've acted naive and impressed with a casting director's inflated ego.
4. If you did not get to audition for the part, then you obviously weren't very good at acting in the first place for you certainly didn't pretend to be impressed with a casting director's over-inflated ego.
Question C.
Donald, a director, wants to get the star of his movie to take off her shirt. Only a star who has been manipulated by the system will go topless, but no star has a chance of ever becomming a director.
Which of the following can be properly inferred from that passage?
1. Donald will get that nudie shot.
2. Donald has not been manipulated by the system, therefore he keeps his shirt on.
3. Donald has no chance at getting a nudie shot.
4. If the star has been manipulated by the system, Donald will get that nudie shot.
5. If the star of the movie has an opportunity to become a director, then she will keep her shirt on.
6. Donald is a pervert and probably has a fat belly.
Question D.
Louise, an actress, wants to get a good job in acting. Only a well-connected agent can get her that job, but no agent has a chance of ever becomming an actor.
Which of the following can be properly inferred from that passage?
1. Louise will get that job.
2. Louise is not an agent.
3. Louise has no chance at being a good actress.
4. If Donna has the opportunity to become an actress, then she cannot get Louise that job.
5. If Donna is a well-connected agent then she will be able to get Louise that job.
Question E.
Sue is in a hurry and would like to cut to the front of the line at the grocery store. Only a person who is not caught up in their own self-importance would allow Sue to pass to the front, but everyone in line is officiously prattling on their cell phone.
Which of the following can be properly inferred from that passage?
1. Sue is not on her cell phone.
2. Sue has no chance of cutting to the front of the line.
3. Sue might cut to the front of the line if she phones the one at the front from her cell phone.
4. If someone in the front of the line is not in a hurry, Sue will get to cut.
5. If someone on her cell phone has a chance of getting to the front of the line, she will not let Sue cut.
What can be deduced from the following pairs?
a. All SUV owners are power hungry.
Sam drives a Sports Utility Vehicle.
b. If the biggest agencies in Los Angeles do not find work for their clients and actors continue to sign with them for name recognition only, then actors are not getting work.
Actors are getting work.
c. If Hott Leggs Waxing Shoppe only waxes those who have a fake tan and Bodies By Jeffrey only waxes men's bikini line, then Hair Removal by Staycie waxes women who are genetically predisposed to beards, moustaches, sideburns and unibrows. Hott Leggs Waxing Shoppe does not only wax those who have a fake tan and in fact, will wax anyone willing to pay for it.
Stick around... Next Month: FAULTY LOGIC
Sample Question:
The difficult task of understanding commercial film successes, meaning which ones make money and why is made even more difficult by the baloney sausage, media hype and chit chat that surrounds them. For example, a newspaper columnist will put his thumb into the air and suddenly more people will go to the movie. But if you ask me, any time I see a chubby finger in the air, I'm not shelling out eight dollars!
The writer has failed to recognize an example of:
A. generalization
B. deduction
C. reasoning through conterexample
D. figurative language
E. irony
ANSWERS: A.3 B.3 C.5 D.4 E.5 Deduction: a. Sam is power hungry. b. Actors are finding work on their own. c. Hair Removal By Staycie does not wax women who are genetically predisposed to beards, moustaches, sideburns and unibrows. The Faulty Logic answer is D.
© January 1999 The Snooze. All rights reserved.