Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: None of the statements is correct
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question deals with authorship of three modern novels and is slightly tricky because all of the given statements are actually incorrect. You are expected to know or infer the real authors and then realise that each pairing in the statements is wrong, making the option that says none of the statements is correct the right choice.
Given Data / Assumptions:
The underlying statements are:
Concept / Approach:
The actual authors are:
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider statement 1. It attributes "Dodgers" to Don Winslow. In reality, "Dodgers" is by Bill Beverly, so statement 1 is false.
Step 2: Consider statement 2. It attributes "Forty Thieves" to Bill Beverly, whereas the actual author is Thomas Perry, so statement 2 is also false.
Step 3: Consider statement 3. It attributes "The Corrections" to Thomas Perry, but this book is by Jonathan Franzen, so statement 3 is false as well.
Step 4: Summarise: all three statements are incorrect.
Step 5: Look at the answer options. Options a, b, c and d all assume that at least one statement is correct.
Step 6: Option e explicitly says "None of the statements is correct", which matches the conclusion that all three statements are false.
Step 7: Therefore, the correct answer is option e.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can check each book separately. "Dodgers" appears under Bill Beverly in library or bookstore listings. "Forty Thieves" appears under Thomas Perry. "The Corrections" is universally associated with Jonathan Franzen and has won major literary awards. When independent references confirm these real authors, it is clear that each statement given in the question is incorrect.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Options a, b and c list different two statement combinations as correct, which contradicts the analysis that no statement is true. Option d suggests that all three statements are correct, which is the complete opposite of the truth. Because none of the statements 1, 2 or 3 correctly matches the real authors, any option that includes even one as correct must be rejected.
Common Pitfalls:
Students may partially know that Bill Beverly and Thomas Perry are involved with some of these titles but mix up which author wrote which book, leading them to mistakenly accept one of the statements as correct. Another pitfall is not considering the possibility that all statements might be wrong and therefore failing to choose the "none of the statements" option. In multi statement questions, always be open to the idea that zero, one, some or all of the statements might be true, and let evidence guide you.
Final Answer:
None of the statements about the authors of "Dodgers", "Forty Thieves" and "The Corrections" is correct.
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