字神帝國英語天地

邏輯題是很有意思的，但真正面對考試，往往不那麼輕鬆，因為考試的時間有限。尤其遇難題，運用嚴格的邏輯思維來做，往往耗時甚多。尤其是五個選項逐一論證更是不切實際。所以對於邏輯題，我們必須要培養一種感覺，依靠這種感覺我們可以很快地將一些無關項排除掉。這種感覺除了靠大量練習來培養外，更應通過察覺選項中的“無關資訊”，迅速做出判斷，將之排除。這就是所謂“無關資訊排除法”——通過選項中出現了與原文內容和推理無關的內容將之迅速排除。常常能排除五項中的三個，再對剩下的選項認真考慮，做出最後抉擇。

具體實踐兩道題：
Teenagers are often priced out of the labor market by the government-mandated minimum-wage level because employers cannot afford to pay that much for extra help. Therefore, if Congress institutes a subminimum wage, a new lower legal wage for teenagers, the teenage unemployment rate, which has been rising since 1960, will no longer increase.
(注釋：priced out of the market：因價高而被擠出市場)

Which of the following statements, if true, would most weaken the argument above?
(A)Since 1960 the teenage unemployment rate has risen when the minimum wage has risen.
(B)Since 1960 the teenage unemployment rate has risen even when the minimum wage remained constant.
(C)Employers often hire extra help during holiday and warm weather seasons.

(D)The teenage unemployment rate rose more quickly in the 1970’s than it did in the 1960’s.
(E)The teenage unemployment rate has occasionally declined in the years since 1960.

先看完問題，發現是削弱題；再讀原文，意思不難，很快提煉出其邏輯為：如果國會制定更低的teenagers最低工資 =》teenagers的失業率將不再上升。顯然，正確選項首先要涉及最低工資和失業率之間的關係，而其他內容則為無關資訊，可以排除。顯然A 和B都是相關的，而C在談季節問題，D和E沒有涉及失業率快慢的原因，都與原文邏輯無關，通通排除。所以只需要仔細審視A和B。A: “最低工資上升的時候，失業率上升”，這與原文邏輯(更低工資將導致失業率不上升)形成了“反因反果”的關係，所以是加強。(比如：“不長跑的人不長壽”加強了“長跑的人長壽”)這樣A就被排除了。所以答案只能是B。B的正面論證：“最低工資不變的時候，失業率上升”說明失業率上升可能另有他因。這個論證的說服力不是很強，所以該題用排除法更有效。注意：削弱只是降低推理成立的可能性，而不需要推翻原文邏輯。

“Fast cycle time” is a strategy of designing a manufacturing organization to eliminate bottlenecks and delays in production. Not only does it speed up production, but it also assures quality. The reason is that the bottlenecks and delays cannot be eliminated unless all work is done right the first time.

The claim about quality made above rests on a questionable presupposition that
(A) any flaw in work on a product would cause a bottleneck or delay and so would be prevented from occurring on a “fast cycle” production line
(B) the strategy of “fast cycle time” would require fundamental rethinking of product design
(C) the primary goal of the organization is to produce a product of unexcelled quality, rather than to generate profits for stockholders
(D) “fast cycle time” could be achieved by shaving time off each of the component processes in production cycle
(E) “fast cycle time” is a concept in business strategy that has not yet been put into practice in a factory

本著“先讀問題，再看原文”的原則，首先發現是假設題(標誌很明顯：rest on a questionable presupposition; 不必理會questionable這個詞)。然後又發現原文很繞，其中好像有兩套邏輯，比較麻煩;那就看選項吧，畢竟考場上時間有限。

我們先用無關項排除法分別審視這五個選項：
(A)所涉及的概念，無論bottleneck還是delay都出自于原文，所以先行保留
(B)當看到最後的“product design”後，對它不抱希望了，原文實在沒有產品設計方面的任何資訊
(C)看到最後的“profits for stockholders”，禁不住笑了，這不瞎扯嗎?與原文無關啊。
(D)其中的component 與原文無關了，就可以排除；再者該項的主旨是節省時間，這又犯了答非所問的錯誤(問題關心的是“quality”,而與時間無關)
(E)其中的“put into practice算是瞎操心，立即排除。
考慮到B,C,D,E都不可能對，這樣就確定A為答案了;一道很困難的題就這樣被無關資訊排除法輕鬆解決了。

當然這道題還一種更便捷的做法——難題猜A，這個技巧使用起來很瀟灑，但正確率只有less than 50%，為了更好滴理解無關資訊排除法的強大，我們來看看正面論證A正確是多麼的不易。

分析原文：
1)先看後半部分——原因部分(The reason is that the bottlenecks and delays cannot be eliminated unless all work is done right the first time.)屬於Not A, unless B的推理模式，中文意為“除非有B, 否則就沒有A。舉個例子: 若A = 生命，B = 空氣，那意思就為“除非有空氣，否則就沒有生命”。顯然B是A的必要條件(必要者，沒它就不行啊)。我們又知道B 是A 的必要條件，就意味著A是B的充分條件(如果有生命，那就足以說明一定有空氣)。重溫完這一套挺耗神的充分、必要條件的關係，我們來對付這一句話：“bottleneck 和delays不能被消除，除非所有工作第一次正確地做完”。那就是說：任何工作沒有第一次正確做完 =》產生bottleneck和delays。這就對應了A項的前半部分(any flaw in work on a product would cause a bottleneck or delay)

2)再看前半部分——結論部分(“Fast cycle time” is a strategy of designing a manufacturing organization to eliminate bottlenecks and delays in production. Not only does it speed up production, but it also assures quality.)其意為： 用來消除bottleneck和delays的Fast cycle time能加速生產和保證品質，其中隱含了這樣的假設“通過消除bottleneck和delays, Fast cycle time能夠阻止產生任何差錯”，這恰恰對應了A項的後半部分(any flaw in work　would be prevented from occurring on a “fast cycle” production line)綜合1)和2)的成果，得出原文的假設為A。這就是對A的正面論證，實在太複雜了，在有限時間內不具有實用性。