Critical Reasoning – Identify the Implicit Assumption(s) Statement: “These apples are too cheap to be good.” Assumptions: I. When the apple crop is abundant, prices go down. II. The lower the selling price, the worse is the quality of the commodity. III. Very cheap apples are also good.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Only II is implicit

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
The sentence connects price to quality: “too cheap to be good.” This is a reasoning pattern where low price is taken as an indicator of poor quality. We must pinpoint which assumption the speaker must be relying on for the statement to make sense.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Speaker observes a low price for apples.
  • Conclusion: quality must be poor.
  • Assumption I: Abundant crop reduces price.
  • Assumption II: Lower price implies inferior quality.
  • Assumption III: Very cheap apples are good (contradictory).


Concept / Approach:
We test each assumption using the “necessity” and “negation” tests. The assertion directly hinges on a price–quality inverse link. Harvest size or market supply (I) could explain price but is not needed to infer quality. Assumption III plainly conflicts with the conclusion and therefore cannot be implicit.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Assumption II: If lower price does not generally signal lower quality, the statement collapses. Hence II is necessary.Assumption I: Even if price fell due to ample supply, the quality conclusion could still be drawn without I. Not necessary.Assumption III: Opposes the claim. Not implicit.


Verification / Alternative check:

Negate II: If “low price does not imply poor quality,” then “too cheap to be good” is not justified—confirming II is implicit.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Options mentioning I or III add unnecessary or contradictory content.“None/All implicit” do not fit the logic.


Common Pitfalls:

Confusing market-cause assumptions (abundance) with the evaluative assumption (price–quality link).


Final Answer:
Only II is implicit

More Questions from Statement and Assumption

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion