Question

DIRECTIONS for questions: Each question consists of five statements followed by options consisting of three statements put together in a specific order. Choose the option which indicates a valid argument, that is, where the third statement is a conclusion drawn from the preceding two statements. Example:
A. All cigarettes are hazardous to health.
B. Brand X is a cigarette.
C. Brand X is hazardous to health.
ABC is a valid option, where statement C can be concluded from statements A and B.

A. Traffic congestion increases carbon monoxide in the environment.
B. Increase in carbon monoxide is hazardous to health.
C. Traffic congestion is hazardous to health.
D. Some traffic congestion does not cause increased carbon monoxide.
E. Some traffic congestion is not hazardous to health.

• A. BAC
• B. BDE
• C. CDE
• D. CBA

Hint:

Look for a chain: congestion leads to more carbon monoxide, and more carbon monoxide is hazardous.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Look at option BAC:
B: an increase in carbon monoxide is hazardous to health. A: traffic congestion increases carbon monoxide. Joining the two, traffic congestion leads to something hazardous, so traffic congestion is hazardous to health. That is C. So BAC is valid.

Step 2: Reject the other options:
CBA: from 'congestion is hazardous' and 'increase in carbon monoxide is hazardous' we cannot conclude that congestion increases carbon monoxide (two things can both be hazardous without one causing the other). BDE: D says some congestion does not raise carbon monoxide, but congestion could still be hazardous for other reasons, so E (some congestion is not hazardous) does not follow. CDE: the premise C says traffic congestion is hazardous, which contradicts the conclusion E. A valid conclusion cannot contradict a premise.

Final Answer:
The correct option is (1): BAC