The Subtle Art of Logical Reasoning
by winebowl on January 11, 2007
Originally posted at: Flash Fiction by Rebecca Jane
tags: brain teaser, fiction, standardized testing,If you are someone who likes to wrap your head around mind-teasers and puzzles, the story below offers you a game to play.
Please read this argument:
All Xylophones are not Ukuleles. Zorra plays a Ukulele. All women who do not answer to the name Zorra play Xylophones.
Which of the choices below provides the best conclusion for the argument?
a) Zorra is a woman; therefore, she plays a Xylophone.
b) Some Ukuleles are not Xylophones.
c) All women who answer to the name Zella play Xylophone.
d) If the woman plays a Xylophone, she answers to the name Zorra.
e) If the woman plays a Ukulele, she answers to some name other than Zorra.
If you post a comment supplying the correct answer to the Logical Reasoning question above, you will be admitted to the Scribble Bitch Book Club as a Genius Member.
And all the good-luck privileges that come with such status will roll your way! Easy!
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Comments
C?
– Sara (01/12 at 12-Jan 08:23 -05:00)
That seemed fairly straight forward. It’s C.
– jmfausti (01/12 at 12-Jan 14:19 -05:00)
Page 1 of 1 pages of comments
The answer is c. All women who answer to the name Zella are are subset of all women who do not answer to the name Zorra, and all those women play Xylophone.
Here is why the others are wrong:
“a” says Zorra is a woman, which is never stated in the argument, and it also says Zorra plays Xylophone, whereas the argument says Zorra plays a ukulele.
“b” says some ukuleles are not xylphones, which is kind of true, except it would be more accurate to say all ukuleles are not xylophones.
“d” just flat-out contradicts a statement in the argument.
“e” also contradicts a statement in the argument.
– Bill Ectric (01/12 at 12-Jan 07:31 -05:00)