Statement: A report in the Sonagiri Times says: "After the Sonagiri college canteen started selling fruit bowls in July, its sales of fried snacks fell by a quarter."
Conclusions:
I. The fruit bowls caused the fall in the canteen's sales of fried snacks.
II. Students of Sonagiri college now eat healthier food overall.
Which conclusions follow?

Only I followsCorrect answerYour answerOnly II followsCorrect answerYour answerNeither I nor II followsCorrect answerYour answerBoth I and II followCorrect answerYour answer

Show the answer and explanation

CorrectNot quiteAnswer C

Correct answer: C

I does not follow: the report says only that the fall came after the fruit bowls were introduced. Something else, such as a price rise or fewer students in July, could explain it.
II does not follow: the report covers one canteen's sales. What students eat at home or elsewhere is not mentioned.
Neither I nor II follows.

Worth noting

"After" is not "because of". A statement that two things happened one after the other does not prove that one caused the other.

Concept: Sequence is not cause; a narrow report cannot support a broad claim
Typical timeTypical: 70 s
Your timeYours: —

The rule this testsStatements and conclusions

Practise this chapter →

Ten questions from Statements, Conclusions and Assumptions, at your own pace.

Explanation