The report says dense cities 'produce' shorter commutes. Which statement identifies the weakness?
A transport agency surveyed 2400 commuters in three cities. In City A, 38 per cent drive alone, 41 per cent use trains and 21 per cent cycle or walk. In City B, 62 per cent drive alone, 25 per cent use trains and 13 per cent cycle or walk. In City C, 29 per cent drive alone, 33 per cent use trains and 38 per cent cycle or walk. Average one-way trip times were 34 minutes in City A, 41 minutes in City B and 29 minutes in City C. City B has the lowest population density of the three; City C has the highest. Fuel prices were similar in all three cities. The agency's report states that dense cities 'produce' shorter commutes.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Density is only associated with shorter trips here; three cities cannot establish cause and other factors may differ
- Step 1: The data show co-occurrence in three cities. Step 2. No control for geography, income or road networks is given. Step 3. Causal language is therefore stronger than the data allow. Answer: association is not cause. Why not the others: grammar is not the issue, A does have a shorter trip than B but this fits density, and fuel prices are stated as similar.
Practise more Reading and Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences.
Free questions with an explanation for every one, and full timed GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School Admissions Test) mock tests.
More Reading and Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences questions
- What is the main point of the passage?
- Which phrase best describes the author's attitude to loan and visit statistics?
- Why does the author describe the man in the reading room?
- Which finding, if true, would most weaken the author's suggestion for a 'second ledger'?
- The word 'flatter' in the second sentence is used to suggest that the figures:
- What is the speaker doing in the poem?