Each of the candidates in this year’s mayoral election is a small-business owner. Most small-business owners are competent managers. Moreover, no competent manager lacks the skills necessary to be a good mayor. So, most of the candidates in this year’s mayoral election have the skills necessary to be a good mayor.
Question: The pattern of flawed reasoning in which one of the following is most similar to that in the argument above?
Options:
A. Anyone who has worked in sales at this company has done so for at least a year. Most of this company’s management has worked in its sales department. So, since no one who has worked in the sales department for more than a year fails to understand marketing, most of this company’s upper management understands marketing.
B. Everything on the menu at Maddy’s Shake Shop is fat-free. Most fat-free foods and drinks are sugar-free. And all sugar-free foods and drinks are low in calories. Hence, most items on the menu at Maddy’s are low in calories.
C. All the books in Ed’s apartment are hardcover books. Most hardcover books are more than 100 pages long. Ed has never read a book longer than 100 pages in its entirety in less than 3 hours. So, Ed has never read any of his books in its entirety in less than 3 hours.
D. Each of the avant-garde films at this year’s film festival is less than an hour long. Most films less than an hour long do not become commercially successful. So, since no movie less than an hour long has an intermission, it follows that most of the movies at this year’s film festival do not have an intermission.
E. All of the bicycle helmets sold in this store have some plastic in them. Most of the bicycle helmets sold in this store have some rubber in them. So, since no helmets that have rubber in them do not also have plastic in them, it follows that most of the helmets in this store that have plastic in them have rubber in them.
Answer: B