STEP 3: REREAD THE PROBLEM SENTENCE BY SENTENCE, MAKING LOGICAL
DEDUCTIONS
The smartest girl in the junior class can read seven books in one week. This tells you how many books the smartest girl in the
class can read in a week. That’s it. You do not know who the smartest girl in the class is. You do not know whether she is the fastest
reader in the class. You do not know that there is a connection between her reading speed and her intelligence.
Christine can read only four books in a week. This tells you how many books Christine can read in a week. You do not know
whether she is a member of the junior class or how smart she is.
Deductions: Christine is not the smartest girl in the junior class because if she were, she could read seven books in one week and
we know that Christine can read only four.
Unwarranted Assumptions:BEWARE OF UNWARRANTED ASSUMPTIONS
A lot of things may seem logical, but this does not mean that they must be true.Christine is a member of the junior class.
Christine is not as smart as the smartest girl in the junior class.
The smartest girl in the junior class is the fastest reader in the class.
Reading speed is connected to intelligence.