PT 58, S2, Q25 - If a wig has any handmade components

[cindyqtran]

# 25 is about the handmade wigs

I wasn't sure how to diagram it. Debated between choice A and D.

[dan]

Tough question. The place to start on assumption questions is with the conclusion:

made-to-measure wigs ---> dry-cleaned

Once we find the conclusion, we can work backwards to see what the chain of supporting premises is. We know that made-to-measure and dry-clean are going to be critical (b/c they both appear in the conclusion), so we want to find all the premises that have anything to do with either of them:

(1) made-to-measure ---> medium to expensive price
(2) human hair ---> dry-cleaned

The first place to look for an answer would be anything that links the made-to-measure to the dry clean.

Made-to-measure wigs have human hair.

This would give us:

made-to-measure ---> human hair ---> dry-cleaned

Which would allow us to conclude:

made-to-measure ---> dry-cleaned

However, we don't find "made to measure wigs have human hair" among our choices.

The next best answer would be:

Medium to expensive priced wigs have human hair.

B/c this would give us the chain:

made-to-measure ---> medium to expensive ---> human hair ---> dry-cleaned

Which would allow us to conclude:

made-to-measure ---> dry-cleaned

Unfortunately, we don't find "medium to expensive priced wigs have human hair" among our choices either.

So, we need to take our original relationships:

(1) made-to-measure ---> medium to expensive price
(2) human hair ---> dry-cleaned

and see if we can connect them in any other way. Is there any other premise that connects to either of these chains? Yes! Look at the premise right in the middle of the argument. This is where things get really tricky.

handmade foundations never found on wigs without human hair.

So, if it does NOT have human hair, then it does NOT have handmade foundations: -human hair ---> -handmade foundations. It's easier to use this in contrapositive form: handmade foundations ---> human hair. So, now we have:

(1) made-to-measure ---> medium to expensive price
(2) handmade foundations ---> human hair ---> dry-cleaned

Remember, the conclusion states: made-to-measure ---> dry cleaned

So, if we can just connect statement (1) to statement (2) we'll have our conclusion. We need an answer (an assumption) that connects the two.

So, anything that said:

medium to expensive ---> handmade foundation

would give us...

made-to-measure wigs ---> medium to expensive price ---> handmade foundations ---> human hair ---> dry-cleaned

And this would connect made-to-measure with dry-cleaning, which is what our conclusion is.

Answer (A) give us medium to expensive ---> handmade foundation.

Tough question! Hope this helps.

dan

[shaynethill]

Handmade wigs and are much better than synthetic wigs. But most of the women wigs are synthetic wigs, because they are cheap.