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Question

Difficulty: MediumStatement and Assumptions

Consider the following statement and the two assumptions that follow it.

Statement:
An advisory issued by the State Water Board states: "Due to the critically low levels in the central reservoir, all residential complexes must install rainwater harvesting units by the end of this year to avoid heavy financial penalties."

Assumptions:
I. The water level in the central reservoir will return to normal capacity immediately after the end of this year.
II. Residential complexes have the practical capability to procure and install the rainwater harvesting units within the stipulated time frame.

Which of the given assumptions is/are logically implicit in the statement?

  1. A
    Only assumption I is implicit
  2. Only assumption II is implicitAnswer
  3. C
    Neither assumption I nor II is implicit
  4. D
    Both assumptions I and II are implicit

Answer

Only assumption II is implicit
Assumption II is implicit because any governing body issuing a time-bound directive with a penalty must fundamentally assume that the target audience is capable of completing the task within the given timeframe. Assumption I is not implicit; the board assumes the units will alleviate the crisis, but it does not assume an immediate return to normal capacity by the end of the year, making it an invalid and extreme inference.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze Assumption I against the statement.
Assumption I suggests the reservoir will return to normal capacity immediately after the deadline.
An assumption is an unstated premise necessary for the statement to be logically sound. The board mandates harvesting units to mitigate water shortage, but there is no logical requirement or assumption that this single action will instantly restore the reservoir to full capacity. This is an exaggerated inference.
2
Analyze Assumption II against the statement.
Assumption II suggests residents have the capability to install the units by the end of the year.
For any administrative body to impose a strict deadline accompanied by heavy penalties, there must be a fundamental assumption that compliance is practically possible. If it were impossible, the mandate would be illogical.
3
Synthesize the findings to select the correct option.
Only Assumption II satisfies the criteria of being logically implicit.
Since Assumption I fails the implicit premise test and Assumption II passes, the correct conclusion is that solely the second assumption is implicit.

Key Concept

Identifying valid implicit premises in administrative mandates and distinguishing them from unwarranted inferences.
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Topics

Statement and Assumptions

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